Royce Nama Matcha Chocolate


At $15 available in all Rocye chocolate, I was disappointed with the barely there taste of matcha. The white chocolate is overwhelming and abit too sweet. Its nice to have it when its cold.

Get it from the link below or here.

     

                                             



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LOTTE OTONA NO TOPPO UJIMATCHA


I purchased this from Junction 8 NTUC. It comes in 2 packs, with each pack containing several pieces of the pretzel with matcha filling.



The pretzel can be quite heaty as I found my throat to be quite dry after finishing 1 pack. Nice to munch on a hungry tea break.







Source : Tanesei

BOURBON PETIT CHOCOCHIP MATCHA


Yummy chocolate chips mixed in with green tea bite-sized cookies. At just $1.95, you can finish the whole roll in just 1 setting.

Its abit dry, with small chocolate chips in the cookies.

I would not say its particularly fantastic but its nice to have it around when you are itching for some bite-sized green tea munchies.


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Kabaya Careme Quattro Rich Matcha Maccha Green Tea Milk Chocolate



Kabaya Careme presents this yummi flavored Quattro Rich Matcha Green Tea Maccha biscuit with yummi milk chocolate. Rich in taste and a must have for all Matcha fans. A newly released Spring special from Kabaya.

Containing 6 pieces in a box, I purchased this product from Junction 8 NTUC. It has 3 layers, namely a matcha layer followed by milk chocolate and finally the biscuit.
The taste is a mixture of bitter + sweet crispy biscuit.





Get your source from Amazon :
Kabaya - Quattro Uji Matcha


Source : Tsunami

Washi Tape Usage


Decorate your polariods with Washi Tape. Read more about it here.

OR decorate it as part of the wrapping paper.


Read more about it here.

DIY : FOSSIL Sterling Necklace


Picture above from Fossil.




Remaking it in DIY fashion from PS I Made This

If you have keys that you do not need anymore, now you know what to do....

Bourbon Petite Matcha Langue De Chat


I have previously shared its older packaging that looks really similar but the ingredients were slightly different. You can read it here.

With a hint of matcha flavour, the outer biscuit tastes like Langue De Chat. Really yummy and at $2, you can't get enough of this.

How The Rich Think

1. Average people think MONEY is the root of all evil. Rich people believe POVERTY is the root of all evil."The average person has been brainwashed to believe rich people are lucky or dishonest," Siebold writes.

That's why there's a certain shame that comes along with "getting rich" in lower-income communities.

"The world class knows that while having money doesn't guarantee happiness, it does make your life easier and more enjoyable."

2. Average people think selfishness is a vice. Rich people think selfishness is a virtue."The rich go out there and try to make themselves happy. They don't try to pretend to save the world," Siebold told Business Insider.

The problem is that middle class people see that as a negative––and it's keeping them poor, he writes.

"If you're not taking care of you, you're not in a position to help anyone else. You can't give what you don't have."
3. Average people have a lottery mentality. Rich people have an action mentality."While the masses are waiting to pick the right numbers and praying for prosperity, the great ones are solving problems," Siebold writes.

"The hero [middle class people] are waiting for may be God, government, their boss or their spouse. It's the average person's level of thinking that breeds this approach to life and living while the clock keeps ticking away."

4. Average people think the road to riches is paved with formal education. Rich people believe in acquiring specific knowledge.

"Many world-class performers have little formal education, and have amassed their wealth through the acquisition and subsequent sale of specific knowledge," he writes.

"Meanwhile, the masses are convinced that master's degrees and doctorates are the way to wealth, mostly because they are trapped in the linear line of thought that holds them back from higher levels of consciousness...The wealthy aren't interested in the means, only the end."
5. Average people long for the good old days. Rich people dream of the future."Self-made millionaires get rich because they're willing to bet on themselves and project their dreams, goals and ideas into an unknown future," Siebold writes.

"People who believe their best days are behind them rarely get rich, and often struggle with unhappiness and depression."

6. Average people see money through the eyes of emotion. Rich people think about money logically.

"An ordinarily smart, well-educated and otherwise successful person can be instantly transformed into a fear-based, scarcity driven thinker whose greatest financial aspiration is to retire comfortably," he writes.

"The world class sees money for what it is and what it's not, through the eyes of logic. The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities."
7. Average people earn money doing things they don't love. Rich people follow their passion."To the average person, it looks like the rich are working all the time," Siebold says. "But one of the smartest strategies of the world class is doing what they love and finding a way to get paid for it."

On the other hand, middle class take jobs they don't enjoy "because they need the money and they've been trained in school and conditioned by society to live in a linear thinking world that equates earning money with physical or mental effort."

8. Average people set low expectations so they're never disappointed. Rich people are up for the challenge.

"Psychologists and other mental health experts often advise people to set low expectations for their life to ensure they are not disappointed," Siebold writes.

"No one would ever strike it rich and live their dreams without huge expectations."

9. Average people believe you have to DO something to get rich. Rich people believe you have to BE something to get rich."That's why people like Donald Trump go from millionaire to nine billion dollars in debt and come back richer than ever," he writes.

"While the masses are fixated on the doing and the immediate results of their actions, the great ones are learning and growing from every experience, whether it's a success or a failure, knowing their true reward is becoming a human success machine that eventually produces outstanding results."

10. Average people believe you need money to make money. Rich people use other people's money.

Linear thought might tell people to make money in order to earn more, but Siebold says the rich aren't afraid to fund their future from other people's pockets.

"Rich people know not being solvent enough to personally afford something is not relevant. The real question is, 'Is this worth buying, investing in, or pursuing?'" he writes.

11. Average people believe the markets are driven by logic and strategy. Rich people know they're driven by emotion and greed.Investing successfully in the stock market isn't just about a fancy math formula.

"The rich know that the primary emotions that drive financial markets are fear and greed, and they factor this into all trades and trends they observe," Siebold writes.

"This knowledge of human nature and its overlapping impact on trading give them strategic advantage in building greater wealth through leverage."

12. Average people live beyond their means. Rich people live below theirs.

"Here's how to live below your means and tap into the secret wealthy people have used for centuries: Get rich so you can afford to," he writes.

"The rich live below their means, not because they're so savvy, but because they make so much money that they can afford to live like royalty while still having a king's ransom socked away for the future."

13. Average people teach their children how to survive. Rich people teach their kids to get rich.Rich parents teach their kids from an early age about the world of "haves" and "have-nots," Siebold says. Even he admits many people have argued that he's supporting the idea of elitism.

He disagrees.

"[People] say parents are teaching their kids to look down on the masses because they're poor. This isn't true," he writes. "What they're teaching their kids is to see the world through the eyes of objective reality––the way society really is."

If children understand wealth early on, they'll be more likely to strive for it later in life.

14. Average people let money stress them out. Rich people find peace of mind in wealth.

The reason wealthy people earn more wealth is that they're not afraid to admit that money can solve most problems, Siebold says.

"[The middle class] sees money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The world class sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind."
15. Average people would rather be entertained than educated. Rich people would rather be educated than entertained.While the rich don't put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they appreciate the power of learning long after college is over, Siebold says.

"Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful," he writes.

"The middle class reads novels, tabloids and entertainment magazines."

16. Average people think rich people are snobs. Rich people just want to surround themselves with like-minded people.

The negative money mentality poisoning the middle class is what keeps the rich hanging out with the rich, he says.

"[Rich people] can't afford the messages of doom and gloom," he writes. "This is often misinterpreted by the masses as snobbery.

Labeling the world class as snobs is another way the middle class finds to feel better bout themselves and their chosen path of mediocrity."
17. Average people focus on saving. Rich people focus on earning.Siebold theorizes that the wealthy focus on what they'll gain by taking risks, rather than how to save what they have.

"The masses are so focused on clipping coupons and living frugally they miss major opportunities," he writes.

"Even in the midst of a cash flow crisis, the rich reject the nickle and dime thinking of the masses. They are the masters of focusing their mental energy where it belongs: on the big money."

18. Average people play it safe with money. Rich people know when to take risks.

"Leverage is the watchword of the rich," Siebold writes.

"Every investor loses money on occasion, but the world class knows no matter what happens, they will aways be able to earn more."
19. Average people love to be comfortable. Rich people find comfort in uncertainty.For the most part, it takes guts to take the risks necessary to make it as a millionaire––a challenge most middle class thinkers aren't comfortable living with.

"Physical, psychological, and emotional comfort is the primary goal of the middle class mindset," Siebold writes.

World class thinkers learn early on that becoming a millionaire isn't easy and the need for comfort can be devastating. They learn to be comfortable while operating in a state of ongoing uncertainty."

20. Average people never make the connection between money and health. Rich people know money can save your life.

While the middle class squabbles over the virtues of Obamacare and their company's health plan, the super wealthy are enrolled in a super elite "boutique medical care" association, Siebold says.

"They pay a substantial yearly membership fee that guarantees them 24-hour access to a private physician who only serves a small group of members," he writes.

"Some wealthy neighborhoods have implemented this strategy and even require the physician to live in the neighborhood."
21. Average people believe they must choose between a great family and being rich. Rich people know you can have it all.The idea the wealth must come at the expense of family time is nothing but a "cop-out", Siebold says.

"The masses have been brainwashed to believe it's an either/or equation," he writes. "The rich know you can have anything you want if you approach the challenge with a mindset rooted in love and abundance."
Source : Yahoo

5 Home Cleaning Solutions

Lemon Juice - Lemon juice has high intensity of acids that helps in cleaning and removing tough stains. Use lemon juice for floor cleaning (avoid marbles), plastic items, grout cleaning, white tiles, faucets, and dirty dishes. You can simply cut the lemon into two and rub it against the dirty surface to clean it. You can also apply lemon juice to a stained area and let it rest for thirty minutes before washing it off with cold water. Want whiter laundry? During the rinse cycle, add half cut lemon juice and get shinier and whiter clothes.
Baking Soda - Having trouble with a clogged drainpipe? A simple ingredient in your home can help you get rid of it. Use one cup baking soda and one cup salt and pour it in the pipe and let it sit for at least thirty minutes. Pour warm water and unclog the drainpipe. Alternatively, you can use a solution of baking soda and white vinegar to unclog the pipe too. A mixture of toothpaste and baking soda is great for cleaning window frames and wooden furniture.
Vinegar - This is a very common ingredient present in our homes at all times. Keeping a gallon of this will be helpful in various home cleaning procedures. Mix white vinegar with water and use the solution to clean wall tiles and flooring - including wood flooring. You can also clean the carpet with the same solution and get amazing results. You can also use it in your refrigerator after wiping as well as in your washing machine to avoid bad smell. Moreover, you can create a very effective glass cleaner solution by mixing water and white vinegar in equal proportions. Can you see stains on your wooden furniture? Mix 1 quart of water (warm) with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 4 tablespoons of vinegar to clean the furniture.
Hydrogen Peroxide - While hydrogen peroxide is amazing for white surfaces, using it on colored surfaces can often cause discoloration. This homemade cleaning solution is extremely suitable for cleaning bathroom tiles, white flooring, white sink and bathtub.

Dishwashing Detergents - Kitchen countertops can be effectively cleaned with cleaning detergents. Regardless of the material, you can clean both granite and/or marble countertops with detergents to clean stains. You can mix the detergent with water and clean stains with water. Do not forget to wipe it with water after every cleaning session to avoid accidents. A dishwashing detergent is best for marble as hydrogen peroxide, vinegar and lemon solutions can be used on marble surfaces.

Uses for Your Glasses Case

General Item Container

They are the right size and build to hold loose change, spare keys, lost screws and nails. They are also the perfect size to create mini first aid kits. Sewing kits can also be contained by putting a few small spools of thread, a couple of needles, thimble, small pair of scissors, a few pins, and a very small pin cushion. Because they are small and portable, you can create many of them and stash them in different places where you may need them, such as the glove box of a car, the bathroom, the shed or the garage

Beauty and Feminine Item Containers

Hard glasses cases are suitable makeup holders. You can separate the type of makeup that you have and stash them in your purse for easy access. A mini manicure set can also be created by putting a file, nail clipper and even a mini bottle of polish inside. Cotton swabs are also useful in these containers. Glasses cases can be used as tampon or pad holders, even if they are soft glasses cases. Travel-size items like shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion can be housed within a glasses case as well.

Kid's Items

Glasses cases are suitable for crayons. A travel crayon set can be created using a hard or soft case. Other kids' toys can be housed by a glasses case like mini figurines, marbles, small rubber balls or even portable game system cartridges. Kids can have fun customizing their case with fabric, paint, markers or stickers

Source : Ehow

Bourbon Mini Bit Matcha Green Tea Milk Chocolate



$3 for 6 pieces. Super expensive, even though its uber delicious. Matcha Milk Chocolate with just the right sweetness.
Sharing with my hubby, we polished off all, in 1 sitting. Who wouldn't?

Photobook Mart Experience

Have anyone ordered from Photobookmart before? I chanced upon a groupon deal and seeing so many people have signed up for it, I decided to sign up for my very first photobook deal.

After hearing so much from a male colleague of mine, who did a yearly photobook for his family, I thought it would be fun, though I am not sure which shop he ordered from. I always thought that for a guy who is willing to spend such precious time doing things for his family, is an endearing sweet moment.

How tough can it get, or so I thought? With a little bit of homework done for selecting the photos and including captions for selected pictures as well as some history on the places I have been to, I was on my way to creating my perfect book!

Its not cheap. I paid $49 for an album supposingly worth $103. Several months later, I saw a similar offer for just $29. Sigh.

The starting route was a steep learning curve as I tried to navigate thru the downloaded software. The customer service replies have been prompt and helpful but impersonal and brief. Its like writing emails to a robot who replied with an automated short answer. Nonetheless, its not the worst I have encountered so I should be glad. What is most important is that my questions have been replied.

Once you get the hang of using the software, its actually quite fun but tedious process. One mistake I learnt is not to get the pictures too near the binding because I only realized that after I received my book and its too late. I thought so long I kept the pictures on the dotted line, the pictures would be fine but the dotted line only served as where the book binding is. Gee.

An advantage of using the photobookmart is that someone is there to oversee the process before sending it for printing. A background picture of mine was corrupted and a lady wrote to me, asking me to re-load the pictures but there were no instructions on how I can re-load it because my groupon code have been used and I cannot use it to enter in the checkout box.
Just wondered why they cannot tell me about my pictures being so near to the binds?

The uploading after the end of the project is a nightmare! 5 hours later, the computer is still trying to upload my album to their website. I wrote in to Photobookmart and their robotic answer is that my images may be too big. I can' believe that is presumed to be my fault because you, as a photobook company is in a business where speed and bandwidth are of utmost importance and heavy images are bound to happen, how can you blame it on a consumer who did not even utilize to the maximum of 40 pages?

With the current better cameras in the market boasting of bigger megapixels, I am supposed to compress all my pictures just to suit your slow server? It certainly sounds ridiculous and lame to me.

After 5 hours, where I woke up in the middle of the night to finish off the last step in keying all the details before sending it off for printing, I receive an email 2 days later to be informed that one of the pictures has a corrupted background. With no instructions on how to re-load it, I read the website again and found a simpler way to upload the files to the server. This time round, it took 3 hours. Still long, but better than waking up in the middle of the night.

3 days later, I still did not receive any replies from the lady to confirm if she have received my files despite sending 2 emails to her. Sigh. On the phone, she was friendly and polite and assured me that she would revert back to me.

Later in the day, I was told that my file is still corrupted. Sigh. I decided to change the picture of the background to minimize all these to-and-fro emails which are time consuming and thankfully, everything has been alright thereafter.

I received my book and other than the pictures being so near to the binds, I am a happy customer. The paper is akin to a magazine texture and style. I only wish that I can incorporate more pictures to the cover page. Currently I can only include one picture in the center of the cover page. And I also hope that their customer service can be further improved.

As a Singaporean, we are so used to things being efficient, making us an impatient lot.

Fabric Bracelets



1) Cut the cord long enough to fit around your wrist with enough slack to slip over your hand (like a bangle bracelet).
2) With your favorite fabric glue (one that's really sticky like fabri-tac) or hot glue, glue the ends of your rope to create a circle.

3) You can chose to tear the fabric strip so that it gave a bit of a tattered edge,
4) You will need a long strip about an inch wide.
5) Gluing as your wrap, go around your bracelet a couple of times.
6)  This will help hold everything together as well as give it a nice look.
7) When you get to the end, tuck and glue on the inside.
Source : MaryJanes

Fabric Hair Clips

An awesome inspiration from PinkLittleLadies
 
-Scrap Fabric
-A cup to trace, choose one that is the size you would like your flower to be.
-Fabric cover buttons
-Barrette or alligator clip
-hot glue gun
-Stapler
 
1) Cut 8 circles out using a pattern created using your cup and some paper. Fold the circles in fourths and Staple at the point
 
2) Cut a small circle of felt or fabric and glue the pieces onto it. I glue four on, making sure the tips are a little overlapping, then glue the next four on top of the cracks ( meaning not right on top of another but between two of them)
 


3) Cover a button following the directions on the package. Glue the button in the center, use lots of glue. Then glue the clip onto the back.




 
 
 

Fabric Flower



1) Cut out 8- 2 1/2" squares from each color



2) Fold a square in half, then fold it again to make a smaller square
3) Cut the outer edges(not the folded edges). It will almost look like a heart shape


4) Pinch in the middle and stitch 2-3 times. Keep adding the rest of the pieces to it



5) End result of her beautiful fabric flower. Check out her blog for more inspiring ideas.




Source : TeaRose

Fabric Covered Bracelet

Yet another talented lady....



1) Fold the right sides of the fabric together, sew the fabric end to end using 1/4" seam allowance. Turn the tube inside out. Press the seam with an iron.

2) Slide a bead into the tube, then stick a needle through the tube above the bead and wrap it around the tube several times then tie it off. Remeber to hide the knot. Repeat until all the beads are in the tube. I used DMC floss and picked the color that I wanted to bring out of the fabric. I could have chosen red or light brown too

Source : Tearose

DIY Collar Accessory

I am never one to sew so I like simple DIY.  I constantly get inspired by folks who recycled their items. Here's one for sharing. Do check out her blog for interesting finds. She is a really talented lady who prove that you don't have to spend alot to look good.





Source : ThriftyCloset

Love Rain


"Love Rain" depicts a 1970's pure love and a love from the present day at the same time. It shows how the children of a previous ill-fated couple, who met in the 1970s, managed to meet and fall in love. Seo In Ha and Kim Yoon Hee, an art student and a shy beauty, met and fell in love with each other during college in the 1970s but unfortunately their love was fated to never be. Now in the present 21st century Korea, Seo In Ha's son, Seo Joon (a liberal photographer) meets and falls in with the daughter of Kim Yoon Hee, Jung Ha Na, a cheerful and energetic girl who's personality is different from her mother's. Will their love for each other keep them together or will they have to face the same fate as their parents?

A new show. It looks so promising at the start, with all the sad songs, rhythms, melodies. The occurence of rain every time the couple met is so teary and nostalgic. The scenery is romantic and cinematic. A refreshing plot of the old and new couples.

The drama reunites director Yoon Suk Ho and screenwriter Oh Soo Yun of "Autumn in My Heart" and "Winter Sonata" for the first time in 10 years. And I watched both shows, liking Winter Sonata much more than Autumn in My Heart.

I skipped the first few episodes of the 1970s pure love because I am more interested in the present day romance by Jang Geun Suk and Im Yoon Ah. I can't help liking Jang Geun Suk in his previous 2 dramas, namely "You're Beautiful" and "Mary Stayed Out All Night" and now in "Love Rain" He just has this rocker chic appeal. And he looks good in some of his dressing in this show.



I couldn't bring myself to watch it when its nearer the end of the drama, because its just so draggy and deadly boring. And besides, the ending plot is kind of predictable.

Yoon Ah, from Girl Generation is very sweet and pretty, when she let down her hair.

Baby-Faced Beauty


The story of Lee So Young, a 34-year-old woman who's saddled with family debt and only has a high school qualifications, but dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Her youthful appearance is her only advantage; she is mistaken for a 25-year-old university graduate and subsequently lands her dream job when she's hired by a fashion design company, where she meets Choi Jin Wook, a man who looks more mature than his young age.

I know. This is an old show. Well, cable TV was doing a re-run of this show recently. I missed it the previous time, thinking it was not appealing. As always, I have been proven wrong.

Its just so funny. After a long day at work, sometimes you just need a comedy to make you laugh away all the blues and stress. I don't like silly acts or people trying too hard to be funny. But this show is really hilarious.

I have watched Jang Nara in My Love Patzzi many years ago and its refreshingly to see her yet again, after so many years. The male lead, Choi Daniel is endearingly sweet towards her and is always helping her when she's in trouble in the company. He's also funny and cute in the show.

I like the maturity level and cool demeanour appeal from Ryu Jin, I thought he's hot. :)
His wooing of Jang Nara in the show, is nothing worth to mention because its nothing much. I actually hope that more can be developed in this area, it would be so interesting but nevertheless, its still a fine show of its own. I like it very much!
The kind that leaves a smile on your face and made you feel that there is a sense of emptiness after you watched the last episode.

UHA High Concentrated Matcha Candy


Picked this up from a Chinese convenience shop in People's Park Complex. Of all places, lol.
This hard candy with a soft gummy texture is a mixture of rich milk green tea with a tinge of butter flavour. Reminded me of caramel taste whenever I had it on my tongue. Left a drying taste in the mouth, thereafter.


                                             



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My Girlfriend is a Nine-tailed Fox



On one day after Cha Dae Woong ran away from his grandfather, he accidently freed a nine-tailed fox who was closed in a painting for about 500 years. He didn't realize what he has done, until the Gumiho (nine-tailed fox),who took the form of a beautiful woman, appeared in front of him. Dae Woong was really frightened that he ran away from her and fell on the riverbank.Since he was severely injured, Gumiho came to save him and gave him her most precious bead to share with him the mystic fox' strength, as she owes him her freedom. Gumiho then asked him if he can help her become human and how to act like one. In return, she allowed him to use her bead for him to shoot for his dream action movie despite his body's severe condition. As time goes by, their mutual relationship grew deeper as they start to fall for each other.

The multi-talented Lee Seung Ki is the male lead in this show. I had read about the raving comments on this show, yet after I watched episode 1 on my iphone, I wasn't too impressed with it and found it so dull that I decided to stop watching it.
Cable TV was showing it a few months later and viola, the initial impression of a lousy show was rapidly taken over by a renewed interest. Its touching, romantic and full of sincerity. You can't help but feel the love between them. Everyone is just so frank and straight-forward.

You've Fallen For Me (Heartstrings)


Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band “The Stupid.” Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets
 Lee Kyu Won.

Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won’s grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather’s expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. As her friends are fans of “The Stupid”, she was forced to go to the band’s concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him




The couple looks good, don't they? The male lead, Jung Yong Hwa also acted in "You're Beautiful" but he just wasn't outstanding then. But in this show, he really shone. His looks, his profile, his acting. I like the pictures here, because its very cheerful.

I didn't think the plot was excellent but its watchable, with the eye candy. Some of the episodes were just draggy and boring but others were sweet. I couldn't stand Park Shin Hye's dressing in the show, its non-trendy most of the time, except when she's in dresses.

Avoid The Tax Man

Reduce the amount of taxes you have to pay:


Donations

Cash donations: Besides helping a charity that is close to your heart, cash donations have, until 2015, the added benefit of getting tax deductions which are 2.5 times the amount you donated. What this means is that for every S$1 you donate, you get S$2.50 off your taxable income. The only caveat is that the charity you donate to has to be recognised as an Institution of Public Character (IPC). To check whether the charity that will be benefiting from your public-spiritedness is an IPC, you can visit the Charity Portal here.

Shares donations: Similar to cash donations, donating shares to your favourite IPC-status charity will garner you tax deductions of 2.5 times the assessed amount of the shares.

Land and artefact donations: If you happen to have a spare old stamp lying around or hold the deed to a piece of land in Singapore and are not sure what to do with it, you might want to consider donating it, either to an IPC charity (land) or to an Approved Museum (artefact). The value of the artefact or the land will be assessed by the respective organisations and voila, your taxable income will be decreased by 2.5 times the value of your donation.

Public Art Tax Incentive Scheme (PATIS): Public Art Tax Incentive Scheme (PATIS): If you’re a budding artist who wants to have your art displayed or you love a piece of art so much that you would like to adopt it, then you can revel in the fact that you can get tax breaks under this scheme. Administered by the National Heritage Board, PATIS encourages you to contribute to the art scene in Singapore by giving you tax deductions at 2.5 times the value of your art piece. For more information on how you can contribute to PATIS, visit here.

Reliefs

Besides donations, you can also get your taxable income reduced by claiming for the numerous reliefs available. Here are some lesser-known reliefs that you might not know you’re entitled to.

Course fees relief: Course fees relief were introduced to encourage people to continually upgrade themselves so as to remain gainfully employable their whole lives. Aimed at the working professional, the relief can be claimed as long as the course, seminar or conference leads to an approved academic or professional qualification, relates to the trade or business the person is in, or does not relate to the trade or business but is now relevant due to a career change. You can claim up to S$5,500 of the course fees as tax relief.

Unfortunately, IRAS does not have a specific listing of approved academic and professional courses but a general rule of thumb is that if the course, seminar or conference is not for leisure or to acquire general skills and knowledge, like mastery of the Microsoft Office suite, it is claimable for course fees relief.

CPF cash top-up relief: Instead of giving money to the tax man, why not give the money to yourself or to your loved ones? The CPF cash top-up relief scheme allows you to do just that, while evading the tax man at the same time. Your relief will be matched dollar to dollar, depending on how much you top up, either to your or to your loved ones’ account. Take note that you can only get up to a maximum of S$7,000 tax relief for each category.

Working mother’s child relief: Workings mothers in Singapore, rejoice! As a way to encourage mothers to re-enter the workforce, they can claim tax relief for each child that they have, up to a maximum of 25% of the mother’s income, depending on what order the child is born in. The best bit: This relief can be claimed on top of the more commonly known Qualifying Child relief, which is a tax rebate for married parents who have kids.

Check out more on Donations and Reliefs
 
Source : Yahoo

Fashion Business with a Cause

Rag trade businesses that go to the aid of single mothers, abused women and also against child trafficking.

(1) Mother and Child Project
Founder : Anna Tsang, 51
Since : March 2006
Sell : Jewellery pieces, casual shirts, pants and up-market silk dresses
Price range : $29 to $150
Where : Dinky Doodles, 33 Bali Lane (2nd floor) between 1pm to 8pm
Mother and Child Project shop, Simei Care Center, 10 Simei Street 3
St Andrew's Cathedral, every first Sunday of the month
Support : Women with low education, minimal family support and children below age of 7

(2) Big Is Gorgeous
Founder : Sharmilah Begum, 34
Since : January 2006
Sell : Plus-sized pieces from XL to 8XLs, special orders for larger sizes that 8XLs
Price range : $30 to $280
Where : Big Is Gorgeous, 03-00, 20 Peak Seah Street
Support : Plus sized women

(3) Bloom Enterprise
Founder : Diana Saw, 37
Since : September 2006
Sell : Eco-friendly bags handsewn out of recycled rice bags
Price range : $9.90 to $79.90
Where : Order online on Bloom Enterprise, riverkids project or contact Marie (pansies@gmail.com)
Support : Single mothers

(4) The Singapore Shawl
Founder : Shelley Siu, 64
Since : 2004
Sell : Hand-sewn shawls and scarves
Price range : $12.90 to $1500
Where : #01-07 Singapore Flyer
Gift Shops at Ritz Carlton, Goodwood Park Hotel, Fullerton Hotel
Discover Singapore at Changi Airport Terminal 1 & 2 Departure Halls
Robinsons The Centerpoint
Robinsons Raffles City
Support : Single, retired, divorcees and retrenched women

Affordable Clinical Check-ups

Singapore Cancer Society :
- free clinical breast examinations to screen for breast cancer and free pap smears to detect cervical cancer
- free screening test for colorectal cancer that checks for blood in stool for Singaporeans & PRs aged 50 and above

Health Promotion Board :
- subsidised health screening programmes
- Singaporeans and PRs aged between 50 and 69 can undergo mammograms to check for breast cancer at subdised rates at most polyclinics
( Singaporeans : $50 PRs : $75 Full fees : $100 )

Mammobus :
- mammograms for women

Pastries at reduced prices

Many bakeries sell breads, pastries and cakes at reduced prices just before they close shop for the day


1) Shangri-La and Goodwood Park hotels - 50% off sliced cakes and pastries after 6pm and 8pm respectively
2) Conrad hotel - 1/2 price for muffins, donuts and pastries after 930pm
3) La Tanglin Boulangerie at Tanglin Mall - 1 for 1 offer on pies, donuts, buns and breads after 8pm
4) Crystal Jade bakeries - 40% discount on 1kg cakes, 30% on 500g cakes and 20% on buns after 830pm

Warehouse Gems

With the recent economic gloom, don't we all wish to be able to get things at a cheaper price? And thats where the warehouse sales come in.

Other than following my links on the right panel, here are some other places which were provided in Sunday Times.

Shenton Publication
Add : 1085 Eunos Ave 7A #03-06
Tel : 67470601
Opening Hours : Noon to 6pm, Sun to Wed
Whats hot : More than 1000 books on a wide range of subjects from 80% off

Super Coffeemix
Add : 26 Senoko Way
Tel : 67531809
Opening Hours : 9am to 530pm, Mon to Fri
Whats hot : Sell all the manufacturer's products with some products at competitive prices

Swee Lee
Add : 150 Sims Drive, #02-00
Tel : 68463610
Opening Hours : 10am to 7pm, Mon to Sat
Whats hot : Musical instruments & sound systems

Tai Hua
Add : 12 Jalan Besut
Tel : 62659911
Opening Hours : 10am to 4pm, Mon to Fri
Whats hot : At wholesale prices which is 10% to 20% lower than retail shops

Tee Yih Jia
Add : 1 Senoko Road
Tel : 68809899
Opening Hours : 8am to 5pm, Mon to Fri
Whats hot : Pastry skins, roti prata and glutinous rice balls at 10% to 30% lower

Toyogo
Add : 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park Lorong 8 #01-1207
Tel : 62518747
Opening Hours : 10am to 7pm daily
Whats hot : Plastic items

Bee Cheng Hiang
Add : Senoko South, off Admiralty Road West
Whats hot : Bak Kwa at 10% discount, promotions on pork floss and prawn rolls

Fragrance Foodstuff
Add : Woodlands Terrace, within Woodlands East Industrial Estate
Whats hot : 5% factory discount

BreadTalk Green Tea Sponge Cake


Knowing that I am a big fan of green tea, my mum bought this sponge cake from a pack of 4 different flavours from Breadtalk. I never think of buying it, everytime I saw it because it doesn't look appealing to me.


Boy! How wrong was I! This sponge cake, with a subtle taste of green tea is unbelievably soft. You have to try it to believe it. I am not a sponge cake fan, and even I was won over. Looks indeed are deceptive.

Sakae Sushi Green Tea Mousse Cake


Whenever I had meals at Sakae Sushi, I always get tempted by their Matcha desserts but never once did I try them except for last night, over at Kovan branch. I regretted spending $5.99 over this tiny scoop of mousse cake above. And its really bad!
Being a Matcha-lover, I tend to be biased at times, since I love anything with green tea.

The term" mousse" cake reminds me of something soft but light and creamy but this is totally different. The matcha mousse cake is directly served from the fridge so its cold and icy. I can literally feel the tiny ice in this tasteless cake. Its hard since its frozen and there is a tiny layer of sponge cake at the bottom. Probably because of the ice, the whole cake tasted more like ice than the matcha flavour. There is just a slight matcha taste, hardly distinguishable. And look at the dull green colour, will you eat that for $5.99? Give me a break!

49 Days


Shin Ji Hyun was enjoying absolute bliss as she was about to marry her fiancé, Kang Min Ho, but her perfect life is shattered when she gets into a car accident that leaves her in a coma. She is given a second chance at life by a reaper, but it comes with a condition: she has to find three people outside of her family who would cry genuine tears for her. In order to do this, she borrows the body of Yi Kyung, a part-time employee at a convenience store for 49 days

I can't remember who recommended this show to me. But it was not on my priority list to watch it when I first read its story summary. It just seems so blah. Then again, I have been proven wrong for so many times.

I had some time at home recently so I thought I would just watch 1 episode and see how it was. Needless to say, I was hooked. I love the show. I teared, I cried, I got emotional. It was such a touching show. And I fell hard for Han Kang, a character portrayed by Jo Hyun Jae . The indifference he trying to show even though it was so obvious that he was clearly interested in her, is just so adorable. The love, care and concern he had for her, all the time is just so uber-sweet and very touching that it never fail to bring tears to my eyes. And of course, he looks yummy in whatever he wore, especially the suit in episode 12, even though I didn't like how he matches his outfits. It wasn't as well-groomed as I thought it should be, but because of his build, it does still looks pretty good on him.

He has this gentle, easy and approachable manner which would make a very good guy friend as well as a boyfriend material in his role as Han Kang, which made many ladies swoon for him. The marshmallow bit underneath his trying-to-be-indifferent outlook made him all the appealing.
And being true to life, he's also so nice in real life as his character. Just check out the story here. How can anyone not like this guy?

And then I started thinking, if I do pass on, will I be able to get 3 genuine tears from the people around me? Its sad when I reflected on that, as I realized that I don't actually have many friends. Friends who will tear for me, genuinely from the heart. I have good friends who have been there for me, who shown more concern to me, than my own sister. I should feel happy. I am.
But when I thought of my colleagues, it seemed that I am such a failure. Colleagues who have left and colleagues who were retrenched, no longer kept in contact with me anymore. It takes 2 hands to clap, so after awhile, I thought it was time to let go, when they don't bother.

Personally, I really like this show. I can literally feel the effort from the scriptwriter, with the story's twist and turns, making an unexpected closure in the end. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Producer: Choi Moon Suk
Director: Jo Young Kwang (조영광)
Screenwriter: So Hyun Kyung

Watch online
Listen to the OST and on your HDD
Read the synopsis 

Scent of a Woman


A woman, Lee Yeon Jae, is given the grim prognosis that she only has a short time left to live. She decides to quit her job at a travel agency and live her life to the fullest.


Have you watch this show yet? Its going to be shown on cable TV every Wednesday and Thursday. I watched the entire show on iphone, on my way to work every day. Save time! Then again, my eyes probably suffered alot from the small screen on the phone.

Lee Dong Wook has good bods, you can't deny that. You can check out his body and the interview here. Promise me that you won't scream!
I have high expectations for both seasoned actors, especially Kim Suh Ah whom I really like in "My Name is Kim Sam Soon"  While I really like the touching love and concern from Lee to Kim, but I couldn't feel the sizzling chemistry during their dance.

The plot does make one pause, we should be living our lives to the fullest everyday, but how many of us actually do that? I know that in my mind but well, doing it is another story. I have so much things I want to accomplish but where do I get the moolah from, if I am not born with a silver spoon?

Ghetto Justice 《怒火街头》


This story is about a lawyer (Kevin) who once used various unscrupulous means just to win all the high profile law cases. Subsequently, his consciousness got the better of him and he changed his ways, set up a ‘village’ law firm together with his cousin (Jazz) and good friend (Sam) in order to help the poor and common people. His relationship with another lawyer (Myolie) got strained when the two of them have differing views about handling the law cases.


Its totally unlike me to fall in love with HK dramas but this show is really good. Other than my favourite eye candy, Kevin Cheng ( he still looks good at 40! ), all the other actors and actresses put on a good and realistic show for us. Amid the friendly batter of friendship among the 4 dudes, I love all the court stories, with a touch of realism and how Kevin with its wits and intelligence always manage to win the cases.

Birdie Buddy


Birdie Buddy tells a story of former pro golfer and how he leads two women to become the next golf queens. John Lee (Lee Yong Woo) is the first Korean to win a PGA title, but stops playing and becomes a golf course tester. Min Hae Ryung (Lee Da Hee) is raised to become an elite golf player and always placed in the best environment for golf. In contrast, Sung Mi Soo (Uee) is from a poor background, but with her bright personality and determined efforts, attempts to become an elite golf player.


In my standards, I thought the show was pretty blah. It started with some excitement in the beginning but fizzled off in the end. The love story is not telling enough, I couldn't feel the chemistry between both leads and felt abit let-down by the draggy love story.
One sees alot of legs in this show too, because both female leads in the show wear shorts most of the time. Lovely gams, I may say.

Bye Bye 2011

Its the last working day of the year. How can I not reflect back on what I have achieve this year? Its easy because there's none. Seriously.
I am such a non-achiever that I am amazed at myself at times. The same goals and resolutions that I had in 2010 remained the same as 2011 which again is going to be carried forward to 2012. Utterly depressing!

I seemed to face obstacles one after another that I almost wish that I change my name. When I see others getting what I want that easily, I wondered what went wrong with my methodology in trying to attain that? I wish that I can say that I have succeeded in at least something but well, its not meant to be.