X’mas Wreath Workshop

Hey Lovelies!

We often sacrifice self-care because we are too busy trying to save everyone else. Sometimes we just need to be selfish and love ourselves more. For when we care and love ourselves, we are better able to care for and love others.

To feel better about yourself, learn a new skill. There’s reason to believe that engaging in a project can put you in a meditation state. Finishing the project, or mastering a mini skill, boosts one’s confidence.

I did just that – took the day off and attended a X’mas Wreath Workshop hosted by A Sassy Florist with a girlfriend.

Excited to be making my first wreath

It’s a mad house of fir, spruce, pine and what have you

Mia, owner of A Sassy Florist and mummy to Apple Juice (that’s the adorable shiba who loves belly rubs and head massages). This is her first time hosting wreath making workshops and it has been a sold out success. I was glad we manage to get a spot. Mia makes beautiful hand bouquets/arrangements – Omakase style or some would say avant-garde.

The cheeky Apple Juice

Mia makes wreath making look so easy but it’s not it took us two hours to make a wreath. Mia was very good at teaching us the basics, encouraging us to let our creativity run its course. She was very patient with us, guiding and helping us along the way.

It’s all about your gut feel when making your own X’mas wreath

Milestone unlocked – our beautiful creations

I’m in love with my final wreath – it looks professionally done and very expensive – full to the brim with foliage (pine, fir, spruce, eucalyptus) and elements (deco of acorn, cotton, cinnamon).

You can hang the wreath at the door

As a table display with X’mas candles – filling the house with the smell of X’mas wonderland

We both had loads of fun making our X’mas wreath and playing with Apple Juice! A wonderful experience that I would highly recommend.

Thank you for reading.

Oo La Lab ~ Be A Perfumer for the day

Hey Lovelies,

I’m blessed to have received such a unique and fun birthday pressie from my buddy ~ an Eau de Parfum Workshop with Oo La Lab.

The highlight of the workshop was learning to create our own unique and bespoke scent. Along the way we learned about the art of perfumery and also found out that they are the people behind the Changi Airport and Ion Orchard signature scent.

Jon (our trainer) gave us a brief introduction to the world of perfumery. We kick started by sampling the different fragrances using the scent card booklet given to us earlier and learning the key notes in each sample. It’s interesting how some scents can jolt back forgotten memories. He informed us that fragrances consists of top, middle, base, complex plus high notes and the importance each category plays. He was very patient in answering our 101 questions.

Felt like we were back in school in the chemistry lab with 26 scent bottles and apparatuses laid out. The scents are divided into 3 categories –

• Base Notes: the longevity of the scent which stays on your body/clothes comprising of sweet and musky scents the likes of “Vanilla”, “Gourmand”, “Woody”;
• Middle Notes: sets the tone of the whole fragrance and includes a number of floral scents i.e. “Muguet”, “White Flowers”;
• Top Notes: the one that makes your perfume instantly recognisable, though it doesn’t last as long as the base note however it is this scent that makes it memorable.

Everything looks so complicated at first glance

Now comes the challenging part – deciding which scent blends well with one another and fits your personality. Rule of thumb, is to remember the importance that creating a fragrance is subjective so don’t be tempted by others around you of their likes and dislikes. I guess that’s one of the reason why our trainer didn’t want to give suggestions on our concoction?

After much trial and error I finally picked out the scents I wanted. My bespoke fragrance consist of “Woody”, “Gourmande”, “Muguet”, “Tea”, “Fruity” and “Aquatic”. Now comes the fun part of being a chemist, doing the maths for composition then blending the chosen scents into a bottle.

Once your done they will assist in fixing the spray nozzle and cap. What makes it even more personalised is that you get to name your creation! My bottle of perfume is then nicely packed in a bag emblazoned with Oo La Lab logo, a lovely keepsake from an awesome experience!

All in all I had a great time with my buddy. This is by far one of the most unique present I have received.

An Eau de Parfum Workshop with Oo La Lab makes an ideal gift. Not only is it a great experience to have with your friends and have some fun bonding over the art of perfumery but you also get to create your own bespoke fragrance! If you are perfume enthusiast, this is an ultimate experience for you.

My very own signature scent

Thank you for reading.

My Keto Journey

Hey Lovelies, hope everyone is coping well in these strange times.

Today I want to share with you my keto journey.

During the circuit breaker (similar to a lockdown) period in Singapore and being cooped up at home all the time sometimes sends your mind to wonder off all over the place. For me was how to lose more weight to fit into that one dress I found whilst spring cleaning the wardrobe!

And as if Vyriella read my mind she asked if I was keen to try out ketones. After much thought I decided to take up her offer to try out the ketones experience pack. Thats how I embarked with rebooting my body, setting the stage to a healthier me and improving my eating habits.

Vyriella tailored a program for me and patiently guided me through my keto journey despite my ‘5W and 1H’ . In all honesty,  am a lazy ketogenic dieter – I don’t count my calorie intake neither did I change my diet drastically nor was I actively exercising. But I could see the results in 1 month and that makes me feel AMAZING!

For all the attributes of a ketogenic diet, there’s one big side effect you have to be prepared for: THE KETO FLU. This is real, am not joking. Keto Flu is a term that refers to the period after you start the diet and how your body adjust to the new regime. Everyone reacts differently for me the first week  was horrible – I developed:

• Bowel changes: due to the dietary swing I get both (i) Diarrhea: whenever I ate carbs I would be running to the toilet ever so often (good and bad I would say. The good makes me abstain from eating too much carbs..haha); (ii) Constipation: insufficient fibre intake
• Headaches: due to the imbalance of electrolyte – when our body is in ketosis, our kidneys tend to lose more electrolytes than usual so an easy fix will be to take a quarter teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or celtic sea salt, drink it with water that usually helps);
• Lethargic: feeling extremely lethargic not wanting to move around, dizziness and sometimes mental fog too;

I know, the above may sound scary and you start questioning yourself if its all worth it. For me my motivation is to fit into that dress and perhaps drop a size or two down. I believe slowly but surely I will. One tip is to find like minded friends who have the same goals as you so you can spur each other on.

My tummy has shrunk as well, I used to be very conscious of my love hurdle thus I will never tuck my top in and will always wear dresses with a flair waist down to camouflage the bulge. Nowadays I ‘m feeling confident enough not to tuck in my top and wear more body hugging dresses and bottoms!

My double chin is also slowly disappearing making my chin sharper.

Am now in my second month of Keto, my body performance continues to improve. I don’t have migraines as often, better digestive system, my appetite is not as ferocious (more normal) and I don’t crave sweet stuff as much as before.

I imagine if I went full out on a strict keto diet the results I would have achieved will be even more significant! But, for me I want a sustainable diet which I can adhere to and not have my weight yo-yo around. Ultimately you have to figure out what works best for you, because if you choose something extreme yes you loose weight fast but you won’t be able to sustain long term and therefore end up gaining back all the weight again. Trust me I have had my fair share of experimenting of diet plans to know what works.

Now that I have tried and tested to know ketones works and is sustainable I’m getting my daughter to try too!

After reading my journey and you feel inspired to try out the ketogenic diet do drop Vyriella a DM on Instagram. She will be more than happy to share more on how you can kick start your ketones journey. Quote ‘Shenwendys’ for USD 10 off regular price bundle if you purchase it online.

Thank you for reading.

Le Petit Chef Sheraton – Bangkok

Hey Lovelies!

Last Christmas holidays was spent in my favorite city – Bangkok the land of smiles.

Having heard rave reviews we decided to have an early Christmas dinner celebration at Le Petit Chef Sheraton Bangkok. I have booked us the 6-course menu.

When we arrived we were seated at the lounge, refreshments and hor d’oeuvres were offered whilst we wait to be ushered into the dining room.

Chilled Towels are individually sealed to maintain hygiene

Hor d’oeuvres – Amuse Bouche: Goat Cheese Foie Gras mousse on duck breast with pickled kohlrabi

Dishes were prepared in fusion style with a French base recipe and an Asian twist (Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian) in my opinion would have been better if they stick to just one Asian style. Having so many different flavours you lose identity.

Appetitzer – Hokkaido scallop carpaccio, marinated radish, ponzu sauce, finger lime & oxalis

Soup – Bouillabaisse Tom Yum

Main – Boston Half Lobster Gratinated with mornay sauce

Bon Appetite 

Pre dessert – Mango sorbet, coconut milk foam, peanuts and chocolate ginger sauce

Mushu the Red Dragon is going to prepare the dessert

Dessert – Rice Pudding Brûlée with saffron, cardamon

It was Natasha’s first fine dining experience, the cinematic and theatrical performance was spectacular, leaving her in awe. Seeing the animation come to live was engaging and fun. 

Mother & daughter Pre-Christmas Dinner Celebration

Ben and her team provided an exceptional superb service we were treated like Kings and a Queens. We didn’t feel out of place at all Ben gave the narration in both Thai and English (her English was fluent and spoken with ease). 

If you ask me was the price tag worth it? Well, not for the food – food was only so-so, don’t get me wrong the quality of the food is there but the way the dishes are prepared are not worth the price you are paying for. But the impeccable service we received from Ben and her team, the unique and unforgettable dining experience are all worth the price. 

Thank you for reading.

 

HanpanS – Personal Shopping Service

Hey Lovelies!

Another sharing session I stumbled upon HanpanS by accident while looking for masks from Japan – I won’t deny I had my reservations at first since their Facebook page was only created in Jan 2020 and there wasn’t much information I could find online (no comments nor reviews were available).

But all my doubts were put to rest after I join their Line Group chat. I discovered the portal is run by a lovely couple (JP & N) not some bots, they are reliable, responsive, accommodating and resourceful.

HanpanS – Uzu, Eye Liner (very lasting and smudge proof)

HanpanS – Suppin Face Powder (gives you a perfect smooth complexion)

Sourcing only for the best quality products that are reasonably priced in Japan and Korea. They are very transparent about pricing always asking the group to share their thoughts should a certain product that they recommend is actually cheaper in Singapore. JP is very honest when he found a certain item which was retailing cheaper in Singapore due to a promotion he updated the group and asked those who are keen to buy to go directly to this place. Another plus point is they don’t hard sell their products and services.

HanpanS – Anti-virus Face Spray

When they were in Japan they provided live updates on requests they received and also provided recommendations on exclusive products found only in country that are not for export. Its a whole new level of personal concierge service for shopping. Their genuinity made me feel they treated us more like friends then we were their customers. They buy products out of their own pockets to sample and review before recommending. If the product isn’t up to their expectations they won’t sell and will tell you instead not to waste your monies.

HanpanS – Toilet Gel (check out their facebook video on how to use) makes the whole toilet smell so nice

From just wanting only to order masks I ended up  ordering whole lot of other stuff. There isn’t anything that they can’t find.  All items were delivered to me nicely packed and in good condition.

HanpanS – Happy with my loot

I will definitely be using them again to help me buy stuff from Japan and Korea as I know the items they get for me are of quality, genuine and good condition! I highly recommend you to check them out on Facebook, Instagram and join them on Line for the latest updates, promotions.

Thank you for reading.

Maanda Thai Cuisine

Hey lovelies!

During Alegra Singapore’s opening I had the opportunity to try out some really yummy Thai food which I wanna share with you ~ Maanda Thai Cuisine.

As the saying goes we feast with our eyes first! Not only does the food look good it tastes good too very flavourful and authentic. The way the food was plated and the set-up shows how they take pride in offering nothing but the best.

The shrimp dip is to die for – goes well with everything!

The prawn cake donuts have whole prawns stuffed in them unlike the usual floury ones. Chicken wings were finger-licking good – crispy on the outside and juicy inside.

Papaya salad was refreshing a good appetiser to start off with.

I have a sweet tooth so my favourite was the emerald ruby!

Isn’t it cute they put them in shot glasses – drizzle some coconut milk and bottoms up!

When planning your next party why not cater from Maanda Thai Cuisine? I know I will.

Bon appetite! Thank you for reading.

Steakville

Hi Everyone!

It’s Natasha here, Mummy let me write my own post on her web 🥰

Today I’m going to tell you about my favourite hangout – Steakville! A hidden gem a midst the print shops in Sunshine Plaza. I usually go there after my dance classes, the place is very cozy. It was love at first bite, their steak are always perfectly cooked – on point every time I visit. Drinks options are abundance, after trying out several ones my go to is Yuzu Fizz.

I tried my first medium-rare on their special Brazilian Tenderloin it was great but I still prefer my steak doneness to be medium.

My favourite go to cut on my usual visit is the Hunter’s Ribeye!!

Oh they even had Mummy’s favourite pan seared foie gras.

Now desserts I have a sweet tooth and every meal have to end with desserts. They make a fantastic Milo Cheesecake which I’m craving for right now and haven’t eaten it for the longest time ever. The crust is savoury and sweet, the Milo doesn’t overpower the taste of the cheese😋

Their cranberry macaron are not only pretty they are delicious and not overly sweet.

Can’t wait to go there again and fix my craving.

See you there!😎

Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore – 19th Oktoberfest

Hey Lovelies!

19th Oktoberfest officially began at Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore!

Ushering in the festivities was a march-in band by Paulaner’s Nockherberger from Munich playing traditional and Bavarian music.

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This year’s concept is different from the past – its a ticketed event, tickets are sold at SGD68++ which includes a 3-course sharing platter for 2 specially curated for the Oktoberfest consisting of all their signature dishes – of course there is the juicy, tender and crispy pork knuckle!

Appetizers – Cheese sticks, pate, pretzel

Pork Knuckle, Sausages, Meatloaf, Sauerkraut, Mash Potato

Emperor’s Pancakes, Apple Strudel, Creme Brulee

The star is of course the special Oktoberfest brew only available during this period. An earthy, slightly sweet, caramelized aroma starts this beer off in a spectacular fashion. The excellent grain and biscuit-like malt profile gives a smooth yet complex taste and the low (but noticeable) hop flavor is well balanced.

Feeling stuffed and falling into a food coma? Fret not, take a shot of Ziegler’s Williams Pear – (is a schnapps/digestif which help aids digestion) and you will be fit to party the night away.

We got ourselves this year’s new limited edition mugs too! Aren’t they pretty?

What are you waiting for? Hurry on down and catch the band in action before they leave this weekend.

Eins, Zwei, Drei, G’suffa!

TORUK ~ The First Flight By Cirque du Soleil

Hi Lovelies!

Sundate was a Mother and Daughter day spent catching TORUK – The First Flight By Cirque du Soleil!

We love matching our outfits and shoes with the theme of the show makes it so much more fun don’t you think?

The show was amazing and there was a lot of interaction between the show, the cast and the audience.

The cast performed inbetween the aisles. Bringing the audience closer into the story line.

They have an app specially developed for the show so audiences can take part and be part of the show. At various parts of the show you will get notifications on what to do how cool is that? We are totally blown away!

To start off you can play with fireflies…

A sea of viperwolves can be found in the audience.

The cast are so amazing we can’t stop gushing about the acrobatic acts.

The Shaman’s voice was so beautiful and powerful am in awe.

Catch them before they take flight on 3 Jun . Definitely a must watch, miss it and you will regret!

Note:: Photos and Videos are shot on iPhone X.

Coco Game Center ~ Singapore

Hello Lovelies!

How did you beat your Monday Blues? Well I beat mine by going to the much talk about Coco Chanel Game Center which finally arrived in Singapore and opened its door last weekend at The Luxe Museum.

Entry is by pre-registration here.

The mini box contains 2tokens for the game machines and a ticket for slushie redemption. You get additional tokens upon check-out of purchases too.

Are you ready for some fun? I sure was been waiting for so long. Let the games begin!

Who says a girl can’t have makeup & play arcade games?

With a token in hand we each took a chance with the Bubble Game Machine – with skilful strategy planning we manage to “claw” ourselves the coveted black card bubbles to exchange for a customised fragrance.

After a stressful entrance we decided to take a notch down and play some “mindless” games of pitting each other over a game of tennis and beat the piano tiles (P.S. These are sure wins i.e. as in either you win or your partner wins so you are guaranteed a prize) and won for ourselves Rouge Coco Lip Palette and Primer.

After all that gaming adrenaline rush it was time for us to chill and play with makeup!

Tired and thirsty? Fret not Coco has it all under control – serving you an ice cold mango slushie.

I’m delighted I manage to purchase some of the exclusive limited edition merchandise.

Oh there’s also a tier spending reward – depending on how much you spend you will be entitled to various free gifts.

What are you waiting for? The Coco Game Center Pop-up closes on 6 May Sun! Don’t miss it!!

Have fun!