Do you ever dream of owning a Hermès bag but don’t want to wait 1 year or more for your dream Hermès bag?

 Here is where Ginza Xiaoma comes in to make your dream of owning a Hermès come true without the additional unnecessary small purchases and waiting time at a Hermès store.

 Newly opened in Singapore 8 months ago, and the 3rd outlet after Japan and Hong Kong , Ginza Xiaoma is Asia’s leading Hermès curator, collector, and reseller.

They are one of Asia’s most prestigious Hermès boutiques with their flagship store located at the
heart of Tokyo in Ginza. They specialize in Buying, Selling or Consigning, Sourcing and Appraising Hermès handbags and accessories. From sourcing and supplying the most iconic authentic Hermès handbags such as Birkin, Kelly and many more for an international elite clientele, in the thousands including celebrities, socialites, stylists and concierge services, who all attest to their commitment that each item they sell is authentic.

Each item is carefully authenticated and checked by their team of expert appraisers going through a triple quality control. One of their missions is to offer products that are of high investment value so the classic styling and high quality of Hermes bags make them timeless pieces that can be passed down to the next generation or sold at attractive prices in the active thriving resale market.

From a newbie to a collector, they act as advisors rather than salespeople to provide world-class
knowledge and advice to foster close and loyal relationships with their customers translating to a high level of customer satisfaction, retention, and a strong referral base.

Dedicated to impeccable local talent and local service alike, Ginza Xiaoma has grown rapidly into the international market with their expansion to Hong Kong and now Singapore. 

I had the opportunity to step foot into their latest outlet, a very spacious and cozy showroom right in the heart of Singapore, Orchard – Ngee Ann City.

This is their entrance of the boutique. Oh my! What a spacious and beautifully designed area. I love how when you walk in, you can see a big plasma TV screen which shows a walk-through of their company and I get to watch an office and boutique tour of their Japan HQ. Do you also know that the white “bags” you see on the wall are actually Hermes statues. So cute!

This is the highlight of the showroom and the reason why I am here. There is a big comfortable sofa for us guests to sit and chill and I was taking my time to check out their wide array of bags.

Another angle of their showroom

This is their café and bar area.

1^st row left – Birkin 25 shadow 46 Ebene Swift priced at $55,800 SGD

1^st row right – Birkin Shadow 6W Menthe Swift priced at $61,800 SGD

2^nd row left – Under negotiation, I guess a customer has already reserved this.

2^nd row right – Birkin 25 34 Fauve Barenia priced at $41,800 SGD

Top – Birkin 30 89 Nior Togo priced at $28,800 SGD

Bottom – Birkin 30 18 Eutope Epsom – $34,800 SGD

Top Left – Birkin 30 89 Nior Togo priced at $28,800 SGD

Bottom – Birkin 30 18 Eutope Epsom – $34,800 SGD

Top Left – Kelly Pochette 41 Marron D’Inde Grizzly priced at $59,800 SGD

Top Right – Kelly Pochette Vert Anis Doblis suede priced at $29,800 SGD

Bottom Left – Kelly Pochette M9 MauveSylvestre Swift priced at $31,800 SGD

Bottom Right – Kelly Pochette 12 Nata Swift pried at $32,800 SGD

Now this is the highlight of the boutique, the one and only Holy Grail of Hermès bag!

The Kelly 35 Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile priced at $295,000 SGD and Kelly 28 Matte Niloticus Crocodile priced at $696,000!

Each item has been carefully stored, maintained even down to the handling, where the sales rep and client need to don on a pair of gloves if they wish to try on the handbags. 

Claire, the sales representative was so knowledgeable from the get-go. Being someone who is not familiar with the range of Hermès bag, she introduced me to the classic and hot favourites especially for a newbie like me – Kelly 25, Birkin 30. Of course, I needed to know to get myself acquainted to the many discontinued designs and limited editions as I would not have an opportunity to see or own – the most expensive and the most coveted in store was the Crocodile Diamond-encrusted Himalaya Kelly 28 worth $696,000! 

Me posing with the bag. 

I really had an enjoyable session learning about  Hermès , like an introduction class to Hermès 101, there was no hard selling. I was also keen to know more about entry level Hermès handbags which I can potentially own and keep as an investment item as well. 

 A quick video tour to Ginza Xiaoma in Singapore 

Ginza Xiaoma 

Website 

Facebook 

Instagram 

391B Orchard Road
#23-05/06
Ngee Ann City
Zip code: 238874
Phone:  +65 6530 3529

Share the article

True story: My 3 kids age 7, 9 and 11, were trying to choose some art and craft to do at an event and one of which requires some amount of free hand drawing and painting. Quickly, my older 2 age 9 and 11 were intimidated to the extent that one of them told the organiser ” I am very bad at drawing!” (both do not atttend weekly art classes). Personally I do not think my 9 and 11 year are really bad at drawing just that they do not draw regularly and lack the confidence to do so hence before attempting to even start drawing they already gave up.

In contrast , small C my youngest, having attended a year of Heart Studio took on that craft which require drawing and painting with zero hesitation and shown utmost confidence he will be able draw and paint on it! He even said he in response to his sibling’s statement, ” I am very good at drawing!”  Such confidence from my youngest all thanks to his weekly classes in Heart Studio. On hindsight, I should have given my older kids the opportunity to attend weekly art classes when they were younger so that they will not be intimidated by the mere need to just draw/ paint based on imagination or even replicating  from a sample!  This confidence that small C had portrayed is also not due to his talent (frankly, I dont think he is very talented in drawing) but it was from the confidence he is able draw and paint from his weekly classes in Heart Studio. 

Back to term 3 final project which is to explore Art on Chinese Ming Vases, interesting this is like the first Asia or Chinese art work, most of the time, we explore the works from Europe and also the West. 

 

For the first week , the kids introduced to all the fun facts about Chinese Ming Vases , what they are made of, price, designs and motif on the vases. On their art project booklet, they will choose a main character be it a phoenix, dragon, flower as the centrepiece of the vase. Small C chose a phoenix. He drew the entire phoenix on his own with Teacher Pearl drawing her own version on the sideline. I must say he has drawn with 80% accuracy.

In the second and third week, they will transfer their sketches on to the art paper followed by gentle water colour painting replicating what we normally see on Chinese vases, the background and the branches coming out from the vase. Small C chose a soft purple hue for the back ground.  

Finally to complete painting the finer details, to scrunch the sakura crepe flowers and glue them on the branches. 

 

 

I believe this the first piece of art work which I feel is very Asian, very Chinese unlike the rest were more from Europe and the West! Another awesome piece from small C and most importantly I am most proud his utmost confidence in drawing and painting after attending weekly art classes with Heart Studio. 

Do check out  Heart Studio fun art enrichment classes  for children as young as 3 and even to older kids who are building their art portfolio for DSA. Check out their upcoming holiday classes for the Sept holiday too! 

Facebook

Instagram

Heart Studio

1 Charlton Lane #01-04, Singapore 5396

(65) 6554 7563

info@heartstudiosg.com

Wed-Fri: 10:00am to 8:30pm, Sat: 9:30am to 6:00pm, Sunday: 9:30am to 4:30pm

Share the article

I do not know who Joan Miro is but small C does all thanks to Heart Studio. As with all new art projects, the kids are firstly introduced to the theme and the facts surrounding the theme of the month. For this month, they learned about Joan Miro, where he was from and what he was famous for. The kids explored abstract art through the works of Joan Miro. It’s the first time small C is doing abstract art. Frankly  as an adult, I find it difficult to draw abstract art as I need a lot of creativity and out of the box thinking to sketch out something not in real life. However, for kids it seems quite a natural process for them , hence art classes are really a good outlet for them to nurture their creativity and imagination. 

Do check out  Heart Studio fun art enrichment classes  for children as young as 3 and even to older kids who are building their art portfolio for DSA. Check out their upcoming 10th anniversary celebration on 9 Aug at the studio.

Facebook

Instagram

Heart Studio

1 Charlton Lane #01-04, Singapore 5396

(65) 6554 7563

info@heartstudiosg.com

Wed-Fri: 10:00am to 8:30pm, Sat: 9:30am to 6:00pm, Sunday: 9:30am to 4:30pm

Share the article

I have done a fair share of cake ordering as I have 4 kids especially in the earlier years I do spend time looking for unique and special cakes for every birthday celebration. I think I had ordered all possible versions – fondant, cream, pinata, pull apart cupcake, jelly cake , ice cream etc. And as I thought I have seen them all, I saw these trending dreamy cakes from Honeypeachsg Bakery 

Established in 2019, Honeypeachsg Bakery is a boutique bakery by two passionate artisanal cake artists who believed in creating pretty yet tasty cakes. They limit the use of fondant decorations in their cakes (which I totally agree as I have not been ordering fondant cakes for long time) as it is quite wasteful and don’t come cheap. In exchange, they do a wide variety of cakes – floral, gender reveal, korean bento, wedding cakes, a cake for every occasion. 

Design wise, they do a minimalist approach but their cakes are aesthetically designed just like the dreamy one I ordered. I have not seen anything quite like this before in my years of ordering cake, and I knew the perfect recipient for such a cake, myself! Yes I have shameless order my own birthday cake as it is too pretty to resist, I knew I had to have it for my birthday this year! In fact, there were so many dreamy cakes I wanted to order that I was spoilt for choice, it was a toss between White Swan and Fairies, I finally chose Fairies as it was in pink and adorned with pink roses! In fact, their best selling designs are Fairies, Misty Butterflies and White Swan.

Ordering was also seamless via their website, and you can choose for pickup or delivery.

I ordered the 6 inch Fairies cake and it arrived in good order in this beautiful see-thru box.  Even before I unbox it , I can see how pretty and dreamy the cake is! All my favourite elements – roses, pink cut out butterfly and the dreamy tulle outlining the cake in my favourite flavour!

I also ordered 2 boxes of macarons as an add on as my kids love this sweet treat. They also have a range of desserts to order for sweet tooth like my kids such as  cupcakes, brownies, cookies, cream puffs. In fact you can add special candles, topper or even a bouquet of flowers to make your gifting extra special. Shall let the picture do the talking as there are no words how beautiful is this cake, I dare say the most beautiful birthday cake I ever had! 

 

So the next test, is whether it tastes as good as it looks! I requested for double chocolate crunch which is their best selling flavour (other being Strawberry Shortcake and Hojicha White Chocolate which are also their best sellers ) and it did not disappoint, so moist n not too overly sweet. Their cakes are frosted with fresh whipped cream to ensure the softness of the texture. 

 

There is a promo of $9.90 for delivery fee and free delivery for order above $150.

 Visit www.honeypeachsg.com for all their amazing designs for any occasion! I believe you will have a hard time (like me) choosing the cake that you want to order as every cake is aesthetically designed and the taste is as good as it looks! They are also able to customise cakes and cake flavours to match your party theme.  Do check out special promotions where selected cake are released at a discount price with free cake delivery every month.

The Promenade @ Pelikat
183 Jln Pelikat #B1-64
Kovan, Singapore 537643

*by appointment only

Whatsapp | +65 9088 4932
Email | info@honeypeachsg.com

Website, Facebook and Instagram 

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

Share the article

I am a big fan of LUMOS series of projectors, check out my previous reviews for LUMOS RAY SMART  LUMOS NANO  and LUMOS MOOD lighting projector . I cannot be more thrilled to review their first ever wireless earbuds LUMOS TEMPO. LUMOS is known for great quality products at good affordability #supportlocal , this is no different with its latest innovation LUMOS TEMPO. 

At First Sight

Sporting a white finishing with grey earbuds, a very compact size, with a minimalistic design for any gender or age! You can easily pop into your pocket or your clutch or handbag. Comes with another 2 more different sizing of earbuds  and charging cable.

 

Using It

So what sets LUMOS TEMPO apart of the rest in the rest in the market ?

Active Noise Cancelling  is a feature in most premium earbuds, LUMOS TEMPO cancel up to 42db while the rest in the market are at 30db. This means you have clearer sound quality with zero distraction, true to its original quality.  This is activated simply by double tapping the right ear bud. 

Another feature that sets LUMOS TEMPO apart from the rest in the market is its  Trinity360 Sound Quality, which give an all around sound like being in an orchestra. LUMOS TEMPO has 6 mics, 3 mics on each side for clearer call quality.

Transparency mode, or the opposite of ANC is basically mean you can hear the surrounding especially when you are on the go so that you can still enjoy your music but still be aware of your surroundings. 

For those with an active lifestyle, being sweat and water resistant, rated IPX5, you can use it for your exercise routine, run session and also outdoor adventures . 

Using the latest Bluetooth technology 5.2 to transmit data, there is more seamless transferring of audio and better compatibility with other devices. To pair with your phone, just switch on the bluetooth and search for LUMOS TEMPO, cant get any easier. 

With such awesome specs mentioned above, TEMPO is still able to last a whopping 30 hours battery life which is 7 hours on one charge and 23 hours when charging in the carrying case. For me, I watch an episode of K drama before bed, so this could probably last me a month before needing to charge it again! 

Loving It

I love how sleek and handy it is and I can’t rave enough of its amazing sound quality and seamless pairing.  I am so glad LUMOS has come up with another awesome product and like their other products, it is at an affordable price too!

Priced at only SGD 179 with Free Delivery (SG and MY only)  and 1 year local warranty. ! The LUMOS TEMPO is now available for purchase directly via their website.

The kind folks at LUMOS has provided me 2 sets LUMOS TEMPO wireless earbuds worth SGD 179 each to be given away for my loyal followers

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

Share the article

Especially for my younger kids who are in lower primary, for the school holidays they can have time to  explore more non academic workshops and activities. Else , when it comes to upper primary they may not have such luxury  of time any more even during the school hols,  especially in P5 and P6 . My favourite camp organiser has to be with Newton Show, This is the 3rd camp for my two boys, having joined the Harry Potter camp in Dec 2020, and Harry Potter Maker in Sept 2021, finally they can do something non Harry Potter for a change! Especially if you have kids with a variety of interests, or simply don’t really know where their interest lies, check out Newton Show latest and very popular – Multi Activity Camp. 

Housed in 278 River Valley, this 4-storey building which was conceptualised during Covid and  is structured to house different activities at different levels , highest level is for art, level 3 for cooking, level 2 for maker and robotic, ground floor is for science, truly a plethora of activities under 1 roof! 

A quick tour of location the boys had their camp which is an awesome location.

Every day of the camp, the kids are segregated by age group and also by activities, due to different ages of my boys, they were not grouped together and experienced different activities on the same day. 1 day small C was doing his cooking lessons, while small J dabbled in maker activities.

Hence are some of the snapshots of the boys throughout the 5 days of this multi activity camp (as provided by camp organiser daily)

Cooking – pizza muffin, banana cupcakes, homemade marshmallow cookie sandwich

Art – Rice workshop, newspaper art, sand workshop, coffee painting

Robotics – Robonews , Colour coding robots, frog robot, lego robotics and robo battler

 

Science – big bang experiment, bubble workshop, periscope, chemical battle

Maker day –  light up card, kevaplank competition, STEM boats, lego competition 

I asked the boys of the 5 days which day is their favourite

Small J: Robotics as  I get to instruct where the robot goes and also play with Lego robotics!

Small C: Robotics as I get to build my own robot! 

I guess for the next holiday, they will definitely prefer to attend all 5 days at their sister camp Maker as their interest seems to be with robotics. That said, I am sure they had awesome every single day of the camp doing so many different activities. 

This is truly one very fulfilling camp as there is never a dull moment, or a boring day as every day is so so different. After this camp, I am sure my kids are more aware of their own interest and some may like them all too which is also fine. Even though Newton Show has started out as the pioneer science camp in Singapore, they have gone on to provide a myriad of activities to complement their main offering science (in my honest opinion, this is the most fun segment !)

Check out their other camps if you have kids who have very keen interest in science , arts or cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the camp fee of SGD 630, it is an all-inclusive camp – all materials, 2 snacks, lunch, t-shirt, photo, certificate and prizes included and they will provide daily video (the only camp in Singapore that sends you a daily video). I totally appreciate their effort to compile and update the parents on a daily basis of the happenings in camp (most of the photos shared in this blog post is credit to them) so that we can talk about it at the end of the day and share their excitement too! 

CENTER: 278 River Valley Road

WEST: 887 Bukit Timah Road

​EAST: 229 Joo Chiat Road

NOVENA: 175 Thomson Road

For more information or registration, 

email: info@newtonshow.com

phone: +65 8264 6655

Website

Facebook

Instagram 

 

 

 

Share the article

After a super fun theme of My Favourite Snack the last round, this time the kids get to learn  about the different spices in the local food we eat through Spice Up My World theme for this month. I applaud the tremendous effort that the teachers put in to share all the real spices with the kids – not just the look and feel but the smell too to give them more perspective in their artwork and inspiration. 

For the second week, it will be transferring to the proper art work based on week 1 sketch. Then using watercolour cake, his teacher will teach how to blend and bring different shades to bring ingredients and dish to life. 

Share the article

Update 3 months later 

I have gone back to see Dr Mark Lim for an update after 3 months of my Ultherapy treatment. See the before and after photo, I am sold by the amazing results of this treatment. I have a more V-shaped face with a more defined jawline. The part I am more impressed with is my double chin has visible reduced which was what I requested to focus on during the treatment. My cheeks and mid-face have more volume hence probably shaving some years of my real age too! Overall I am extremely pleased with the effect of Ultherapy! 

 

I do that care of my skin quite well with regular monthly facials. However, with sign of aging and sagging skin, this is not something that a regular facial would be able to address.  I came to know a highly raved non invasive treatment called Ultherapy which helps to lift skin with the production of collagen. As this is my first ever aesthetic treatment, I am not brave enough to try for an invasive treatment, so Ultherapy ticks all the boxes that I am looking for.  I am glad I did my first aesthetic treatment at Halley Medical Aesthetic and here’s my review on the Ultherapy treatment. 

What is Ultherapy®?

Ultherapy® is the only skin tightening treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) to lift the skin from within. It delivers focused ultrasound energy to the deepest SMAS (superficial muscular aponeurotic system) layer of the skin to stimulate collagen production for a natural, effective lifting and contouring. Best of all, there is no surgery and downtime involved for this procedure.  Other than the full face, it is also suitable for the spot treatment of delicate areas such as our eyebags, cheeks, jowl area, brows, neck, and chest. 

In layman terms, Ultherapy uses focused ultrasound energy to stimulate growth of fresh collagen to support our skin from within, giving us supple skin and a natural lift. Due to its stimulation of own collagen growth, you wont see immediate effect, but within 1 to 3 months will you will able to see the results. 

As it is non invasive,  there is no surgery and downtime involved for this procedure –  all down in under an 1 hour and the effect can last for 1 year.

Ultherapy introduced the See Plan Treat protocol, and it is an extension of using the real-time ultrasound imaging technology to deliver the micro-focused ultrasound energy to the correct depth in our skin for optimal results, and Halley Medical Aesthetics is now an Ultherapy SPT-Certified aesthetics clinic in Singapore. 

The main components of the Ultherapy SPT (See Plan Treat) protocol:
– SEE: Includes sound knowledge of the relevant anatomy and using visualization technology to identify the target tissue
– PLAN: Document the target tissue to map out the treatment plan
– TREAT: Safely deliver energy to where it will be most beneficial while ensuring proper treatment technique

Of the many aesthetic clinics offering Ultherapy® why did I choose Halley Medical Aesthetic?

Treatment

Numbing cream is applied to the treatment area before the procedure to make the treatment more comfortable. After 20 minutes, the numbing cream will be washed off and the ultrasound gel will be applied to the face to prepare for the treatment.

Oral medication is also given for reducing the discomfort during treatment.

In fact,  I did feel a slight discomfort at the onset as the intensity was the highest to penetrate deeper into the skin. However, after the first 15 minutes, I was accustomed to the sensation and didn’t feel much thereafter, completely relaxed as Dr Lim finished the entire area of my face – neck, under eye, forehead etc. Cool air is also blown towards the treatment area during the process to reduce the discomfort during the treatment.

Throughout the treatment process, the doctor will do an ultrasound imaging of the treated area to ensure that the ultrasound energy reaches the correct depth of my skin for optimal results. My treatment took around 60 minutes to complete. 

Post Treatment

There is no special post-treatment maintenance, the only thing is probably just to avoid facial for a few days as the face will be sore. In fact, there was a hardly any downtime as I continued with my daily routine of work and driving my kids for their activities right after my treatment.  There some soreness on the first few days – like muscle ache, but if you can take painkillers if you find it too unbearable. Optimal results are expected in about three months’ time.

I’ll update this post with my results. Can’t wait to share my 3-month results with you.  

Share the article

 

In terms of myFirst Camera Insta Wi look and feel , it does look very much like its predecessor myFirst Camera Insta 2  (see full review here) – read on what are the new upgrades making this a great addition if u don’t already own one!

At first sight

Size wise and weight wise, it is  very similar to that of myFirst Camera Insta 2 which I think was a great size for kids’ hand. One of the biggest difference is that this camera comes with a cradle which I think its really good so that you have it propped up when printing photo and labels.  It comes with a lanyard which is perfect so that the camera can be sling and worn over the neck. This camera comes  with 5 rolls of thermal paper  and stickers  (if you run out ,you can purchase them from their webstore too). Being a kids’ device, they also provide decorative stickers to personalise your camera too! 

With all being so equal, so what makes this an upgrade ? 

Loving it

Share the article

Regular air purifier for heavy duty air purification is not one that you can bringing and move around. Typically it stays at one location permanently, but if you are looking for some more portable that you can carry it around even to the car , check out Starke Living Air Purifier 

Thanks for the battery capacity of 10,000 mAh for fast USD charging, light weight and compact 16*16*26.8cm with a portable handle design, you can put this air purifier anywhere bathroom, living room, dining room, car etc. Yes it is so portable !

Don’t be fooled by the size, it does come with what an air purifier does  – disinfect and sterilize with the release of negative ions to purify the air using 3 types of filters (Primary Filter, Activated Carbon Filter, HEPA Filter). It has a 360 degree air circulation and an area coverage of 10-15 square meters –  pretty powerful for such a compact air purifier. 

There is also an automatic and manual mode for wind speed , smart LED display of settings, ambient air quality and battery life. They have also added a comfortable night light  and a noise level: <52.3dB

The best part for these features, is a good price of SGD 150! If you are looking for some air purification but you need the portability of putting in different locations in your home or even in your car, this is your best bet! 

Cart out here  

Besides carrying this air purifier, Starke Living also known for luxury  bathroom (https://starkeliving.com/shop/bathtubs/) and toilet bowl (https://starkeliving.com/shop/toilet-bowls/)

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

Share the article