In one of the earlier blogs, we shared about the usefulness of SleepWiz™ eye masks which has become one of our must-bring essential items during travel especially for long distance flight to London andUnited States.
This time round, we have an opportunity to try out ErgoLush™mattress topper which has a positive effect on allevating back pain.
The first of its kind in Singapore, ErgoLush™mattress topperis a gel-infused memory foam mattress topper that does not retain heat like traditional memory foam. Small M tried and it made her such a happy girl by giving her a soft comfortable feeling akin to sleeping on a giant marshmallow, which molds into the shape of your body like a supportive cradle.
So we realised there are actually air vents promoting airflow within the memory foam to let your body remains relaxed and cool for a good night’s sleep.
ErgoLush™ provides other great benefits:
With the viscoelasticity of our memory foam, it absorbs kinetic energy from movements, so you remain blissfully asleep when your partner climbs into or out of bed.
Relieve bodily pains as it molds into a supportive cradle in the shape of your body, preventing excessive load-bearing by your hips/shoulders and diffuses this supportive pressure evenly along every square inch of your body.
Protects your existing mattress from everyday wear and tear, and cost a small fraction to replace
Direct purchase of The ErgoLush™ mattress topper can be made here. Apart from FREE shipping within Singapore, they even offer a 7-day free trial for all our customers!
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To pride itself as a reliable online florist that promises full refunds for all orders that arrive late is certainly a special florist that every customer should be amazed of. FARM Florist, a subsidiary of Masons Home Decor, takes pride in offering the highest quality flowers with afforable rates.
Their website – https://farmflorist.com/– is easy to navigate and explore. What really stands out are the friendly features that allow customers to sort by their choices and filter the price ceilings when shopping online. Thumbs up!
Over at FARM Florist, there are so many assortments of flowers that you can shop at ease on all occasions. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, giving flowers is a timeless romantic gesture that bounds to wow your other half.
FARM Florist has the knowledge and experience to ensure your flowers deliver on time and have you receiving the most gorgeous flowers that you have seen.
You may not be the first but you certainly won’t be the last. Bookmark FARM Florist and browse through the beautiful hand bouquets. Your best memories are created here 🙂
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This is our first trip to London and we were told that it is an extremely expensive city for vacation. All this while, we thought it wouldn’t be possible until we discover some London hacks that made our trip a reality.
For once, we realised apart from travelling with the usual prominent airlines there are actually options to travel with budget airline to London for an affordable price of $1.1K in total for 2 adults / 2 childs (one way) – Norwegian airline.
Journey to London
Norwegian airline offers a direct flight from Singapore to London without any stopovers. To ensure further comfort, inflight entertainment are available. Ear phones were not provided.
The inflight meals were simple and nothing fanciful.
As we booked the flight early, we managed to get the best seats which gave us more room.
The 14-hour flight was surprising smooth without any turbulence and we arrived at London Gatwick airport by 5:40am.
If you are travelling to London Zone 1 or 2, we would recommend you not to take the express train which cost about $20 per adult. Our travel from Gatwick to Islington/Highbury was horrid as we needed to change platforms during the morning peak hours.
Towing 4 big luggages with us up and down the subway stairs without elevators and waiting for multiple trains before squeezing in was no joke. The weather was about 10 degrees but we were already perspiring. We would recommend booking the airport transfer (Blackberry cars) instead as the price was almost the same with no hidden charges.
The train ride brought us to the Victoria station where we would need to buy Oyster cards to travel in the London Underground, or the “Tube”. In simple terms, this is a version of our MRT. London is segmented by 9 zones with the touristy areas being in Zone 1 and 2.
The morning crowd at Victoria station were beginning to build up.
We had our breakfast here before continuing our journey to the Airbnb.
This was already the third train ride. We were tired.
Finally arrived at Highbury & Islington station.
But not before taking a 5 min bus ride and another 2 min walk to our Airbnb apartment. For all the hassle, it would be wiser to take Blackberry cars next time.
Covent Gardens
Covent Gardens is one of the ultimate Instagram spots in London. An iconic area with thriving street arts, we heard that it is usually crowded with tourists. However, it was not that bad.
The streets were easy to explore and it was not uncommon to take a pause every now and then to soak ourselves in the historic architectures. Covent Garden is a popular tourist spot such that Din Tai Fung has recently established an outlet here.
Something similar we have seen back home.
The locals love coffee so much and very often cafes would be packed with people. The scent of fresh coffee permeated the cafe and we couldn’t help but to order a cup.
Address: 13 Floral St, London WC2E 9DH, UK
Leicester Square / Piccadilly Circus
As Covent Garden is located centrally, it is near to Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Google maps may not be reliable. Having these street directories made it easier for us to find our way around.
Not a fan of shopping but food tasting was our theme during this trip. Unlike the States, Christmas markets are common throughout Europe and UK.
Didn’t stay too long in the Christmas markets as some strangers kept looking at our belongings. We decided to leave and go into M&Ms World for safety reasons.
Address: 1 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DE, UK
Have you been to M&M’s World? It is situated directly opposite Leicester Square Christmas Markets.
The bright, colorful storefront would inevitably draw anyone in. The staff were friendly and helpful, even if you are not buying anything.
Abbreviation familiar to a tween.
Address: Leicester Square, 1 Swiss Ct, London W1D 6AP, United Kingdom
London Chinatown is close to Leicester Square. The nearest underground stations to Chinatownare Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Bus available are 14 / 24 / 27 / 29 / 134 / 168 / C2.
Eat all you can for $10.50.
We dined here over the next 2 days as the price was cheaper compared to other restaurants. Some restaurants open till 3am.
Address: 10 Wardour St, London W1D 6BZ, UK
Our jet-leg started to kick in. One final stop at Trafalgar Square before we ended the day. The attraction here is surrounded by museums, galleries, cultural spaces and historic buildings.
Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar.
Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, UK
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There’s nothing quite like getting out there, on the road, and traveling the world, viewing proceedings from the ground floor. But, when you are thinking about planning a long journey around the world, stopping over in many countries, are you going to do this by yourself, or with a group of friends? Usually, we would think about going as a group, but if you really want to experience the world first-hand, going around the planet on your own is the best way for you to broaden your mind. It’s been said a million times before, that travel broadens the mind, but if you really want to expand your horizons, mentally and emotionally, you have to explore the world by yourself, and so, how can travel broden the mind better when you are by yourself?
You Find Out What You Are Made Of
There is nothing quite like going somewhere by yourself, and having to rely on your skills and instincts to get you around. We can either feel intimated by a big and scary world, or we can embrace it, and really get involved. What you learn when you are travelling by yourself is that getting from one place to another isn’t as stressful as we once thought. In fact, even if you don’t speak the language, there is always help available, and you realise that a new environment isn’t scary and alien. And, even if you encounter a few difficult scenarios, you have to think that little bit more to get yourself out fo those situations. And once you’ve done this, you can realise exactly what you are capable of. By throwing ourselves into new situations, we embrace the whole sink or swim attitude to life. By doing this, and realising that when we make a little mistake that the world doesn’t cave in on us, we build our emotional strength.
You Develop Your Confidence
The stronger we get in an emotional sense, the more confident we feel. When we are stuck in our hometown, in a dead end job, or we are used to a certain pattern of living, we can feel somehwat hemmed in. Once you break out of all of these constructs, and you being to travel the world by yourself, you can reinvent who you are. This is one of the most enlightening feelings we can have in life. By going to a new country, we can completely change our personality, or try on new ones. Instead of being a shy and retiring person, or being a nosey loudmouthed person, we can’t try on a new “suit” and see how this different personality fits. And that’s a great thing when you are going from place to place, and relying solely on your instincts to get you by, in many ways, you might realise that the person you were isn’t the person you’d like to be. By going from place to place, and making new friends, even just for a night, you learn how to adapt to new situations quickly. You realise that these moments we have in life aren’t always about lifelong friendships, it’s about learning from others, and figuring out who we really are. These is no better way to understand who you really are than travelling and putting yourself into these new and exciting situations.
You Can Start Again
And by putting on a whole new personality, you may find a way of life that suits you more than the one you are used to. A lot of people travel from place to place, and they encounter so many new and exciting ways of living, there can be the temptation to stay in one place, possibly for the rest of your life. But the great thing about travbelling is that you can spend as long as you really want to in one particular place, and you can even rent a property, just so you really know in your heart of hearts if this is a place that you’d like to stay for the foreseeable future. Links like https://www.rumah.com/rumah-disewa/di-area-semarang-idjt28 shows you the various types of houses that are for rent in Central Java, and, on the opposite end of the spectrum spending prolonged periods of time in these places may help you realise where home really lies for you. By going all around the world, you may finally understand that there is no place like home. In this respect, you can start your life over again with a clean slate, wherever you end up, because you’ve been out there, and experienced what the world has to offer, and you’ve found what is really important to you and what you actually want out of life, whether it’s an adventure, or the simpler things.
You Learn New Skills
Naturally, as you explore the world and find new cultures and approaches to life, you learn how to navigate public transport, find great food recommended by the locals, and learn new skills within yourself. Coping skills are one of those all important tools that we need in life to tackle new and exciting horizons. Whether you learn through fellow travelers, or you naturally stumble upon new skills that you wouldn’t have considered before, these are all things you can utilise for your adventures across the globe. While something like meditation can be beneficial in every aspect of our lives (https://alifeofproductivity.com/meditation-guidecan give you some of the basics), when you are travelling across the globe, you need to find a way to relax quickly, but still have your wits about you. After a while, this idea of expanding your comfort zone means that you will thrive in situations that used to stress you out completely. By learning new skills, it’s not just about making these serve you well during your travels; you will learn how to implement them in other areas of your life, long aftet you finished your excursions. And this is the true benefit of broadening your mind while you travel.
You Will Feel A Great Achievement in Life
Last, but not least, you will feel a great sense of achievement. After all, you’ve learnt how to navigate “alien” worlds, discovered how to trust your instincts, and you’ve learnt how to apply so many new skills to get by, all of which adds up to a momentous achievement. And, these skills you learn are what will help you live a better life. Heading out across the world by yourself is a major undertaking for anyone, and many people will voice their concerns, but you will get to the core of who you are and what is really important to you. Whether this is by experience new cultures so you can look at the world a little differently, or these experiences you have accumulated has finally made you realise that home is where you will thrive, it’s hardly a surprise that the travel bug is something that so many people can’t shake. Some people don’t like to experience new things, they are more than happy in their bubble, but it’s these people who may not necessarily achieve much in life. Yes, this is a grand statement, but if you are missing something in life, or you want to discover what is out there as well as in you travelling is the simplest way to achieve so much. It’s been said before that travel broadens the mind, but it’s not just because you learn about new cultures, by going out of your comfort zone, you finally get to grips with who you really are.
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Taking out a home loan can be a nerve wracking experience, and a big deal for everyone. It is often said that home purchase involves the biggest capital outlay in a person’s life and especially in Singapore where home assets do not seem to stop appreciating, this is the hard truth that everyone has to come to terms with. However, taking on a debt in the form of a home loan, when researched carefully, can be your friend.
Before settling down in your dream home, here are the questions you should know the answer to before getting your home loan.
#1 Deciding between Fixed Rate vs. Floating Rate Home Loans
Unless you are paying in full for the property, you will be affected by changes to the interest rate. Home loans are typically offered in 2 categories:
a. Fixed Rate
Fixed rate packages maintain the same interest rate during a lock-in period of 1 to 5 years, regardless of market conditions, after which the interest rate converts into a floating rate. Should customers decide to refinance during the lock-in period, banks may impose penalties. Nonetheless, fixed-rate mortgage packages are favoured by many home buyers in view of their expectations of further interest-rate hikes and protects you from any upward interest rate movement.
b. Floating Rate
Floating rate packages have interest rates that fluctuate daily, usually pegged to the SIBOR and SOR indices. They can come with or without lock-in periods. Home buyers who opt for floating rates usually take advantage of the low interest rate environment and monthly instalment amounts. This is particularly usefil in a flat-to-declining interest rate environment.
To this end, home buyers should be mindful to choose home loan packages based on their needs instead of trying to take advantage of short-term interest rate movements.
#2 Affordability
Your current financial commitments affect your affordability. Here are some useful pointers to consider:
a. TDSR
Under the latest Government regulations in Singapore, your Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) cannot exceed 60% of your income. If you are already taking on a car loan, personal loans or credit card debts, it may affect Approval in Principle (AIP) from your bank of choice. The trick to increase your loan application chance is to maintain zero to low debt ratio.
#3 Fees and Charges
When it comes to home loans, you may be inclined to settled on the cheapest home loan rate, but do remember to compare the fees and charges applicable to the loan. Fees and charges are levied under these circumstances:
– Processing the loan application
– Withdrawl after accepting loan offer
– Late payment
– Amending the loan tenor
– Restructuring the loan
– Processing the loan application
Those fees could add up to a few thousand dollars, so it’s worth knowing how much your banks in Singapore might charge you. The amount you can borrow will typically be the same across banks. So, you are not obligated to go with a bank just because it has pre-approved your loan. It is smart to seek pre-approval from multiple banks so you have options before making a conscious decision on a loan to take.
Regardless of whether you are planning to buy a hdb or private property, a great home loan deal always come with making smart decisions by comparing home loans and mortgage interest rates online. A good place to start is Moneysmartwhich serves as an effective tool for online loan comparison which you can surf at the comfort of your home or anywhere you prefer, so long as you have your smart device with you. Moneysmart has come as a good choice for loan comparison. The browsing experience has been intuitive, with the website creating user experience at the forefront of their thoughts. I find the site easy to navigate, stored with current and useful information and it is definitely a breeze when comparing the latest home loan deals. You would know which site to bookmark and make a visit the next time you need information on home loan packages to assist you.
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You may have a pair of good quality leather shoes or boots but come a sudden downpour, they could be irreparably damaged. To prevent such situations from happening, you could protect your shoes by using Saphir Super Invulner Waterproof Spray. Introduced by the ShoeTree Project, this spray uses natural ingredients in place of silicone as the waterproofing compound, which is definitely one less health risk to take.
The waterproofing spray is imported from the world-renowned Saphir brand in France and there are several reasons why this is highly important for people who own leather shoes:
A waterproofing sprayprolongs the lifespan of leather shoes by preventing loss of its natural oils.Oils can be leeched out of the leather when water soaks in and evaporates afterwards. The loss of oils make the leather microstructure more brittle and prone to cracks.
What most people don’t realise is that most of the waterproofing sprays out there use silicone as the waterproofing ingredient. While this may be alright for fabric shoes, silicone is highly drying to leather and wil, rather counterproductively, reduce its lifespan. The Saphir formula uses natural ingredients that help leather retain its natural oils.
The slow-drying formula of the Saphir Invulner also does not leave visible uneven patches like faster-drying sprays do. When wearing leather shoes, you want them to look their best!
The ShoeTree Project is a startup on a mission to bring the stagnating, inaccessible shoe care industry stuck in physical retail of yesteryear no more than a few clicks away from doorsteps around Southeast Asia. One of the cooler innovations that leather shoe owners would love to try out would be its algorithmic Custom Kit Design Tool as shoe care is a rather esoteric field, many shoe owners do not know which are the right products that make their shoes last decades, so they end up missing out a crucial component of their shoe care kit, or overspending on solutions they do not need.
ShoeTree Project’s Custom Kit Designer utilizes a proprietary algorithm to recommend only products that a client requires based on his shoe type, typical environment, as well as desired finish – a truly personalized shoe care kit! Coupled with FREE doorstep shipping and FREE size exchanges, it is just like having a 24-hour, 7-day a week shoe care shop right outside your doorstep, complete with service staff to help you with product selection. These innovations are what allow them to deliver the traditional emphasis on quality (like their handcrafted American Red Cedar shoe trees and shoe horns made from genuine ox horn) at mass market prices almost half of those in retail.
Image Credit: ShoeTree Project
ShoeTree Project,bringing premium shoe care & sartorial advice right to your doorstep.
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