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I love the convenience of home delivery for groceries, food and even fruits, a habit since the start of circuit breaker. I hate having to go to the supermarket to carry bags of heavy fruits back home especially watermelon. I tried Fruits Delivery SG for the first time and was amazed by its range and varieties – both standard and exotic fruit products and most importantly its fresh and arrived chilled. I ordered fruits that my family don’t normally buy on a regular basis to introduce my kids to exotic varieties.

Fruits Delivery SG fruits are sourced from all over the world and parts of Southeast Asia, including regions of Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan. They are grown by organic farming, where pesticides and pesticides containing chemicals are not allowed. They use cold storage to ensure maximum freshness of fruits, in fact the fruits that arrived a slightly chilled upon touch. Overnight storage is not allowed, so any leftover unsold stock are thrown out by the end of the day.

They have 8 storage & preparation units island-wide to ensure seamless delivery to your doorstep within the same day and within 2 hours from order.

I am amazed by the variety of fruits purveyed by Fruits Delivery SG . While they do have common and standard fruits like apples, banana, oranges, grapes etc which are mainstay in my household, they also carry tropical and exotics from all over the world. So I thought for a change, I should order more exotic fruits to introduce to my kids such as tropical fruits like mangosteen and longan and also some not so common fruits like peach and pomegranate.

All fruits arrived slightly chilled and no bruises or spoilage. Some of the fruits even has a date stated ie for those that should be consumed quite immediately like mangoes. I love the idea that I don’t have to go and buy and lunge fruits back home. This box of fruits was really heavy and I did not even purchase heavy weights like watermelon or jackfruit. I had wanted to introduce them to jackfruit but I am too lazy to cut it hence they also have cut fruits range too. Pricing wise it is pretty comparable to what I can buy at the supermarket and if you worry about not being able to choose, the fruits received are all fresh and in good condition.

There is no minimum order but to enjoy free delivery, you need to purchase $80 and above! For order below $80, there is a flat rate $9.70 for delivery. As mentioned, all orders are delivered within 2 hours all thanks to their island-wide storage facilities.

For more recommendations , check out this list compiled by Best in Singapore.

Fruits Delivery SG

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Truth to be told, I have never tried acai bowl before like ever. I have heard of its existence and it is very popular among the office crowd however, I do not work in the CBD area hence, there aint any acai bowl shop near home or near my office . My first impression of it is like yogurt bowl but it is very different and super healthy.

Acai palm according to wikipedia is a species of palm tree cultivated for its fruit (known as acai berries or simply acai) and the tree primarily cultivated for its fruit.

The Acai Bowl using the Acai berries  and made it even better by creating the PurpleBlend™ Açaí base comprises of mostly fresh açaí berry puree, further complimented with several other purple superfoods which give off a fruit taste and texture that further enhances the natural flavours of the açaí berry.  To give it more volume and creaminess, bananas and almond milk are added so enhance satiation while still keeping the base light and fresh. So much goodness in this blend that it boasts to boosts immunity, improves brain health, improves gut health and improves skin complexion (no wonder all the OL “Office ladies” are having this)

The Acai Bowl is the first and only açaí delivery specialist in Singapore , so avoid queuing at the shops and order it home and perfect for WFH. Especially in this hot weather, I was pleasantly surprised how refreshing and cooling it was when I had my first every acai bowl last weekend.

So I ordered all the 4 variants  offered by The Acai Bowl –  Signature Acai Bowl,  Berry Berries,  Fruity Delight and Topical Acai

Signature Acai Bowl

For first timer , I would say go with their signature  – Granola, Banana Strawberry, Blueberry, Kiwi, Raisin, Pumpkin Seed, Coconut Flake, Cranberry, Chia Seed – sweet, crunchy and the coldness of the acai puree. The PurpleBlend™ Açaí base is sweet and refreshing in our very hot August hence it was so wonderful having in the afternoon heat.

Berry Berries

This is for all the mango lovers out there using a pecial Acai Mango Base, Granola, Blueberries, Raisins, Almonds – perfect for mango and granola lovers.

Fruity Delight

Perfect for fruit lovers featuring mango, kiwi, blueberry tops with raisins, almonds and coconut flakes – a hit for my kids.

Topical Acai

Of the 4 this has more distinct coconut taste with a combinatiom of pineapple, banana, mango, raisin, coconut flakes, walnut, cranberries and chia seed.

I don’t have a preference of which is my favourite as I am a big fruits , nuts, berries lover – so practically everything that goes into these 4 bowls are my favourite!  My kids loved it too as they are big fruit lovers and they say taste like ice cream sorbet. Definitely a healthier alternative to ice cream!

The Acai Bowl offers free delivery above SGD 40 order – island wide delivery. So if you want to try acai goodness in the comfort of your home, do give them a try, the first and only açaí delivery specialist in Singapore – The Acai Bowl.

For more recommendations , check out this list compiled by Best in Singapore.

The Acai Bowl

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If you are ever in a fix that you have forgotten to arrange for flower delivery for friends or loved one, and desperately need an affordable bespoke bouquet delivered in 1 hour – look no further – we have One Hour Florist

With prices as low as SGD 45 for a premium surprise bloom box, they even saved your headache of going through a long list of bouquets to choose from which a very short comprehensive selection. As it is surprise bouquet, you just need to answer a few different options – age, relationship, occasion and one word to describe the recipient, they will choose the best possible combination of premium quality blooms – roses etc and your recipient will receive it in 1 hour!

This was exactly what I received on my birthday last month, the premium
surprise hand bouquet. For ladies who seems to have it all, or you are unsure what to gift, flowers are the safest bet! Unpractical it may sound but all women, young or old love receiving fresh blooms on special occasion. I am no different.

One Hour Florist has a limited range on their menu to cater for last minute gifting – bloom box, bouquet , heart box and flower dome. For flowers where you have more time to cater and choose, there is the sister company Farm Florist. You can read my review here.

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Inspired by quest to teach big J on water cycle (primary 5 science topic) and also partly to create some live home decor, I actually set my mind to set up to do terrarium during the circuit breaker. I actually own two terrarium cases (from past projects) but I am totally clueless what materials are needed for a terrarium. Hence, the project never took off during the circuit breaker. A recent article in the Strait Times also highlighted the sudden botanic boom, thanks to Circuit Breaker sighting reasons like more people become plant parents to relieve stress.

Finally after months of procrastination, I finally put my plans into action using the DIY terrarium kit from Masons Home Decor. They also have a very good write-up in their blog on their website on how to start your own terrarium project at home which I find most useful for a first-timer.

With the a one-page instruction provided together with the kit, it is pretty straight forward to make a terrarium in the comfort of home – no rocket science at all as I have outline below. I guess my project didn’t take off as I am unsure which material/soil/pebbles to buy to build a successful terrarium.

We spend less than 1 hour making our own terrarium at home during the long weekend. These are the pictorial steps and I have also made a home video too!

Step 1 : Assemble a first layer small stones

Step 2: Add a thick layer of soil mix over stones

Step 3: Dig up holes 2 to 3cm deep to adding the plant – the cactus was the biggest , so we need a bigger hole too

Step 4: Arranging plant up to your liking , and most importantly cover roots

Step 5: Finally decorate with gravels, rocks , stones and ornaments

Care steps: Place the terrarium in moderate and indirect sunlights, and water the plants moderately once every week (at the soil area). As part of the kit, the water dispenser is also provided! Do water at the soil, not directly at the succulents.

Here is a step by step video of my kids building their terrrarium over the long weekend that just past.

With remaining soil, I wanted to also attempt to make a closed terrarium in order to bring science to live for my primary school going kids to learn and “see” water cycle in action. For closed terrrariums, fittonia plants are more suited than succulents. Do note that the closed terrarium case and fittonia plants were not part of the DIY terrarium kits but of my own. That said, the open terrarium created by the DIY kit is aesthetically more pleasing. With the closed terrarium, it is always fogged up due to water condensation – and we only get to open in like once every month as it is a self sufficient ecosystem.

So if you are like me , totally clueless what goes into a terrarium but would like to try to DIY a terrarium from scratch in the comfort of home, best to get this all encompassing DIY kit and you will have everything you need to DIY an open terrarium! And now I cross my fingers that the succulents will thrive under my care.

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We may be accustomed to having pizza delivered but pasta, I seldom have pasta delivered as I worry it may be soggy or cold. I was pleasantly surprised it was not the case at all. For a lazy Sunday, I had all the best offerings from Pizza Delivery ordered for lunch. Sundays are usually very busy for me as most of the my kids have classes in the morning, hence sometimes lunch is often very simple and easy. So it was a very sumptuous meal last Sunday, complete with 2 12-inch handcrafted pizzas , 3 traditional pizzas and a side dish.

A bit about the pizzas offered by Pizza Delivery – they use their own secret sauce simmered for 8 hours each day. Just like the sauce, their dough are handmade from scratch every morning and made on the spot using custom-made Italian stone oven replica. They only use premium imported southern Italian cheese and using only the best ingredients. Finally, their pride is in their precisely 72 hours fermented dough using only premium and finely-grounded wheat flour important from Italy.

I ordered the Mistocarne Pizza and Hawaiian Pizza which are favourite flavours of my kids. Mistocarne pizza are the perfect choice for meat lover like big C as it has all her favourite ingredient – pork pepperoni, beef bolognese and chicken breast all in 1 one pizza For my pineapple loving boys, they love Hawaiian pizza cooked with tender chicken ham slices, classic Italian tomato sauce, juicy chicken breast, capsicum peppers, mozzarella cheese and topped with succulent pineapple chunks!

All pizza comes in small 6′ inches (4 slices), medium 9′ inches (6 slices) and large 12′ inches (8 slices). For now, its 50% off any 2 pizzas ordered, so this is a pretty good deal!

As for their traditional pasta offering , I was pleasantly surprised the delivered pastas came warm and taste almost like having it at the restaurant. Just a quick toss and some re-plating done , it is almost like having it at the restaurant! I tried the squid ink pasta, and for my bolognese loving girl , it has to be spaghetti bolognese and seafood loving boys – spaghetti al granchio.h

I loved the squid ink spaghetti for its overall taste, pasta was done al-dente and they used the freshest seafood ingredients – scallops, prawns, mussels, crayfish and squid and it was a huge portion – I couldn’t finish it all on my own! As for the spaghetti bolognese, it can’t get more traditional than this – a truly hearty meal – I can taste that it was done using home made sauce, not canned tomato sauce. To be frank, of the 3, I preferred spaghetti al granchio – I definitely preferred a creamier tomato sauce (tomato and white wine combi is a winner for me!) with the freshest seafood combination – crab meat and prawns! Absolutely delish!

I also ordered the crispy chicken wings as a side dish and my eldest boy finished 3 in 1 go! Surprisingly for a fried dish, the chicken wings travelled well and no sogginess. I loved the spicy mayo dip that accompanied the chicken wings!

All orders are delivered in 1 hour and free island wide delivery for orders more than SGD60. My order came on the dot as I opted for 12.45 -1.45pm time slot as they have 6 kitchens island wide. So if you are ever craving for italian pizza and pasta, do give Pizza Delivery for good quality offering and tested service delivery. This was our spread last Sunday for lunch!

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I have been wanting to install digital lock for my front door. I am always burden by the need to always remembering to bring key out hence I have been ever locked out of home before – not a pleasant experience at all. I saw a friend of mine having digital lock at her home, boy, was it so convenient and secured!

So I have been doing a little research on digital locks and its technological evolution for a good quality digital locks that is not too unfriendly to my pocket. My search led me to Starke Premium Digital Locks that boast the most responsive digital lock interface yet with their proprietary SenseTouch™ technology. It is also voted as the best digital lock by www.drumitloud.com.

The single biggest reason to install digital locks is not purely due to convenience but SECURITY. Do you know that key locks have the highest risk of break-ins & theft due to easy lock picking. Also like me, it has the highest risk of getting locked out – as carrying keys are very inconvenient (I vouch to that! ) and you may even lose it. And key locks are least suitable for families with young children and elderly (my eldest owns a set of key in the event no one is home when he back from school – and I fear if he ever loses his keys)

Starke locks being fingerprint locks overcome all the limitation of traditional key locks. In comparison to password locks, fingerprint locks are even more secure as the passcode can be hack or the worst case , you forgot your own password.

Designed with German technology , Starke lock unlocks your home in 0.5s with just a light tap – no passcode needed! Using their patented PrintSave™ system,  it is fast and accurate and stores up to 100 fingerprints!

In the world, where password get more complicated and many, one less password is always a welcome change! The lock has its own mobile app where you can let them in from wherever you are!

Starke locks carries both door digital locks and gate digital locks. For me, I am most keen in installing Starke Seamless range featuring 4 different types of locks with prices. The latest of its range is Starke Seamless™ Rim Fingerprint Digital Lock featuring all the latest features I mentioned above caught my mind.

For a slightly and more refined model albeit pricier, there is the Starke Seamless™ Advanced Push Pull Fingerprint Digital Lock featuring a sophisticated bronze knob to make seamless opening and closing – definitely a talking point for your guests before they step into your home!

Best go down to their showroom and check out the differences between the models and also ease of use. Prices starting from SGD 559.90 , I have known of brands that cost more than SGD 1k using old password technology so I feel that the pricing is very competitive given the many advanced features that they possess. All digital lock purchases come with free installation (contactless) and 3-year warranty.

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Mactech Building
2 Kallang Pudding Road
#02-04
S349307

Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 6pm
Sat: 12pm – 4pm, Sun: Closed

Contact:+65 9073-9848

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Pre-covid , I travelled a fair bit for work – in this region , short haul flight with my office laptop and a trolley luggage back as my travel mainly span from Monday to Friday.

Whenever I travelled, I often fumbled with my laptop and my trolley luggage. I use a laptop bag but sometimes it is really not comfortable carrying the laptop bag along the many gates and in big airports like Changi Airport or HK International Airport, so I tend to put the whole entire laptop bag (with laptop of course) into my trolley luggage ( but then I wouldnt check it in as I worry about the laptop, hence i need to bring it up the cabin. The only way I can check it my trolley luggage is to carry my laptop bag separately from my trolley luggage, which means I have to lung my laptop back whenever I go. I have seen my colleague carrying backpack to store their work laptop but it doesn’t look sturdy nor stylish.

So I always had this problem of managing my laptop and my trolley luggage for my short business trip until the Gaston Luga Biten 15″ came into my life. All my problems resolved with the super stylish and functional bag.

Fans of Scandinavian design would immediately recognise that Gaston Luga from Stockholm, Sweden. And if you like Scandinavian design, you will have a hard choosing the bag for you. I chose the Biten and I didnt regret one bit due to the 5 reasons below as it checked all the boxes of the things I look for longest time in a back pack for my work travel – the first 3 is specific to the Biten (these features won me over the more popular Praper)

1. A dedicated outer compartment for my laptop

Can you believe my laptop has its own compartment, it is not with main compartment? How convenient is it that I can easily reach for my laptop if I need to do last minute work while waiting for my boarding. I don’t have to fumble those the main compartment before i can reach out to my laptop. They have also cleverly added a compartment in the main compartment which can also be use to store laptop but I would prefer the outside compartment any time.

2. Slip-over Luggage strap

Trust me when you are browsing through the Gaston Luga website, you will have a happy problem, all the designs are so stylish yet functional and many colour ways for each design, so I had a tough time choosing THE bag for my purpose. Specifically for laptop and travel, the recommended model are the Praper, Classic, Biten , some other models can also fit in 11 to 13″ laptop for everyday carry. But the one feature that sold the Biten to me was
slip-over luggage strap for easy travelling! I believe only this model has this feature in the entire Gaston Luga’s range. This is a must have feature for work travel – so I can either carry it or have my trolley luggage carry it!

3. Hand-carry version

The other feature that sold this model to me is the double hand-carry straps. So besides carrying on my bag, on days when the bag doesn’t contain a laptop or heavy barang-barang (malay for goods), I could easily hand carry the Biten instead back carry for a different feel and style! How versatile!

4. Great fit, durable and almost water proof
I also planned to use this for other travels like weekend travel so it has to be durable and waterproof . Made of polyester,  it is light and smooth to touch, and my water test, the water didn’t seep in. The bag comes with padded strap for comfort and weight distribution. The Biten is the second largest bag of Gaston Luga’s range, I was worried it may be too big for a lady, but it isnt bulky at all. Not entirely a very feminine bag, (there are more feminine looking bags in their range like the Classy, Hawthorn or the Parlan) but my main aim was for work travel, so I love the ruggedness of the Biten.

5. Functional yet super stylish

Something are functional yet failed miserably in its design. This is not the case with my new love. I choose the black-brown colour way to visibly see the contrast between the bag and its handles and buckles. It also has a very lovely maroon inner side which I absolutely adored which breaks the monotony of the overall black. Functional part of this – front pocket, side pockets and a GL signature passport pocket (a secret magic compartment for easy reach item -passport, handphone, powerbank (choose 1) located at the back for safety and security. Let the photos explain it more!

I can’t wait for this Covid-19 to blow over and resume some business travel and truly test out how functional, stylish and durable is the Gaston Luga Biten for me! For now, Biten its just within Singapore and probably to office if any.

Quote mypreciouzkids for 15% off on all items storewide and free delivery and returns. One free tote bag with every purchase of backpack (till 17 August)

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

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None of my 4 kids have done proper art classes before. They all love art in their own ways -doodling, art and craft, colouring etc but simply I did not have time for art classes , as all other enrichment classes took first priority – Chinese, music, swimming , sports (older kids are tuition and tuition) ,art is often my after thought, the most is just a one-off holiday drop off class. So probably in a year once or twice. As much they have asked , I simply can’t find the time to squeeze art classes into my weekly schedule.

Recent years, I have a change of heart seeing how much my younger boys adored art and craft. (It is quite a huge regret that my older 2 kids did not indulge in a proper art class at all in their early years so I try to make it up for them through holiday classes when I can find pocket of time from my schedule and also theirs) So I did the easy route – sign up for the art classes in child care! I don’t know how well is was carried out though I do see samples of of their art work but they seem happy and contented so I let that arrangement continue as I do not need to do any logistically arrangement and it was conducted during child care timings. But unfortunately due to Covid restriction, that too much a stop in the art classes in child care as it is an external provider.

During circuit breaker I signed up zoom art classes for both younger kids. Though it maybe effective for older kids who can listen to instructions better, for Caleb, he very much want to do what he wants and I am no art teacher, hence finding it hard to follow what the session set out to achieve.

So when the invitation for Caleb to join 1 term of classes with Heart Studio, it was just the right timing and opportunity to finally enrol my child for the very first time in an established art studio like Heart Studio.

Heart Studio founder Rena Chew truly believes that Arts helps to develop many life skills which are important for children to navigate the future world. Some skills like perseverance, patience, problem solving skills, creativity are nurtured so its not all about producing a beautiful art piece or craft, but also to nurture a child holistically. The studio not only teaches techniques like lines, shapes and forms but knowledge of artists and styles and catered predominantly to kids ages 4 to 12 (they also have classes for adults too).

Here are some photos of the cosy art studio.

The studio caters to different age groups – younger kids to develop motor skills, older kids to develop focus and attention.

I will be sharing more about Caleb’s journey with Heart Studio in a subsequent post. Do check out their current programmes and even the upcoming July’s holiday classes and giveaway below.

Giveaway

Rena has kindly sponsored next week’s July online holiday programme for 2 lucky readers just in time for the school holidays next week. (1 on FB and 1 on IG)

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How to participate:
Participants will have to

✅  “like” and “follow” @heartstudiosg and @mypreciouzkids on IG and FB
✅ “like” and “share” the FB post or IG post (or both to double your chances)
✅  tag 5 friends (all in 1 comment)
✅ “like” & tag @mypreciouzkids @heartstudiosg in re-share!

Giveaway ends 17 July 2359.

Terms and conditions: 

o   Online programme class x 2 to be given away (using Zoom)

o   Worth $40 each class

o   Materials not included

o   Prizes are non transferable

o   Prizes are non-exchangeable for cash

o   Child has to be 6YO or older

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One thing in my home I do not mind paying top dollar for are bedding, mattress, bed sheet, pillow, quilt etc.  My mattress is the MOST expensive item in my household, costing more than my TV as I see it as 10-year (or longer) investment and we spending minimally 8 hours a day on it. Similarly for bedsheet and bed linen,  I go for high thread count as comfort for 8 hours of my day is of utmost important to me personally!

As yet, I have not try out latex-based pillows which are famed for being cool and super comfy.

When the invitation to try All -New Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow from the creators of the award-winning Origin Mattress, I didn’t hesitate one bit in my pursuant to have the best sleep experience in my home.

I have used this pillow for 1 week and here is my review. These are my 3 reasons I do think that this is a good choice of pillow albeit being a bit pricey but for the comfort and durability, I truly believe it is well worth the money.

1. Super cooling using ultra cooling tech technology

I usually sleep in non air-conditioned room and the pillow doesn’t feel warm at all. The pillows comes with a removable Tencel fabric pillow cover (to extend the pillow’s life in the long run) . Latex as also known to be good for heat dissipation and it is ideal for hot weather climate.

2. Comfort

Often compared with memory form, latex pillow are bouncier and softer hence more comfortable. Being impression-resistant, it can also hold its shape for many years while still feeling soft and comfy.

Latex is also antifungal and hypoallergenic, which makes it a hygienic, comfortable pillow choice.

3. Finally, most important of it all, support like no other. Being of denser material compared to memory form, it gives you the right level of sleep support. The pillow is moulded to my head and neck. With proper support to head and neck, it relieves pressure on the cervical spine. This ensure that I wake up well rested – no sore neck, shoulder or back!

Thanks to my latex pillow from Origin Mattress, I have well-rested and better quality of sleep the past week!

Origin Mattress also offers super fast delivery where you can receive within 2 hours, 30-Night trial and money-back guarantee.

Do follow Best in Singapore for recommendations of best offerings in Singapore!

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