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Mid-Autumn Festival 2021: Special mooncake flavours, including one with mala chicken floss to try

We have more than a month to this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival! To be exact, we will be celebrating it on Tuesday, 21 September.

If it has been a tradition for the family to gift mooncakes or gather together for a tea session, then you’ve landed at the right article. We will be sharing with you some of the most special mooncake flavours, including one with mala chicken floss to spice up the festival.

Ready to get started? Let’s roll with the list!

#1: Mala Chicken Floss & Salted Egg Yolk Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake

Image Credits: Birds Of A Feather

Contemporary Sichuan restaurant Birds of A Feather has come up with their mooncake box of 4 (S$68) with these 2 flavours:

Mala Chicken Floss & Salted Egg Yolk Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake
Single Yolk Macadamia Nuts Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake

The former promises a harmonious blend of Sichuan spices with a pleasant mild spicy note and a heavenly combination of salted egg yolk and chicken floss. Not a fan of mala? You can present this as a gift to a friend or relative. The majestic black box with intricate gold illustrations will make a premium presentable present for that special someone.

Click here to preorder your Birds Of A Feather Mooncake Box.

#2: Sakura Shrimps with Peanut Mooncake

Image Credits: Shangri-La Singapore

Yes, we kid you not with this concoction of savoury sakura shrimps and crunchy peanuts. It’s one of the limited-edition mooncake gift boxes designed by local designer Benny Ong. The box of four consists of:

Assam Tea with Almond Mooncakes
Sakura Shrimps with Peanut Mooncakes

At the time of writing, there’s an ongoing promotion which will cost you only S$100.30 (usual price: S$118). Check out more limited-edition mooncake types such as Aged Mandarin Peel, Rose & Red Bean Paste Mooncakes, Mini Custard Bird’s Nest Mooncakes, and more here.

#3: White Rabbit Truffle with Cranberry Paste Snowskin Mooncake

Image Credits: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Take a trip down memory lane with Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s White Rabbit Truffle with Cranberry Paste Snowskin Mooncake. Everyone’s favourite milk candy will be joining hands with a rich truffle filling and tangy cranberry paste to reward your tastebuds.

For those who love all things truffle, here are other flavours to try:

Cognac Truffle with Chestnut Paste
Salted Egg Truffle with White Lotus Seed Paste
Champagne Truffle with Milk Green Bean Paste

Place an order here.

While it can be tempting to eat your fill, remember that mooncakes are high-calorie foods and should be eaten in moderation this Mid-Autumn Festival. We will leave you with some numbers so you can plan your intake accordingly:

Image Credits: CNA

Have a blessed Mid-Autumn Festival to come. 中秋节快乐!

In today’s extremely competitive world and educational system, one needs to perform well in academics to help one succeed.

But the thing is, even the best schools fail to cater to the individual needs of their students. In fact, according to a report, 76% of students feel anxious when taking an exam even if they’re “well prepared.”

That’s because every student is different and has various learning capabilities. Some students can easily understand the lesson, while others need that extra guidance (and push!) to know the lesson well.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the benefits of hiring a home tutor in Singapore:

Learn At Your Own Convenience

One of the biggest benefits of home tuition is the convenience that it offers.

With education and learning right at your door, you’ll get to learn at the comforts of your home. This gives you the flexibility to decide what your preferred days are to get tuition.

Students can also discuss with their tutor things like the tuition place, time, and days.

Personal Attention

A home tutoring service is usually on a one-to-one basis. Meaning, students are getting full attention that’s otherwise available in a room packed with 20 or more students.

Students don’t have to worry about failing to grasp a concept as fast as their peers. By increasing focus on the student, a professional tutor can work on areas for improvement. This also allows them to work at the learning pace of the student.

Because of the undivided attention given to them, students can also clear out any misconceptions that they might have.

Positive Learning Environment

Many students usually hesitate to ask questions to a teacher. Some are embarrassed to let the teacher re-explain the concept to them.

This isn’t the same with home tutoring. A home tutor will be the one who will encourage a student to ask questions and will re-explain a concept if needed. As a result, students feel more confident and open up their concerns with the tutor.

Detailed Feedback

At school, a teacher might miss out on important subtleties. Often pressed for time, they might miss correcting every student’s faulty areas.

On the other hand, home tutoring allows the student to analyze and then work on their weak spots as they go.

A professional tutor will usually provide detailed productive feedback, which will motivate students to improve and do better on their work the next time.

Improve Performance

As mentioned earlier, if students are weak on a particular subject, they might need special attention to enhance their performance. But this doesn’t often happen in school.

With home tutoring, students can get their tutor’s undivided attention and have more time to work on a particular subject or concept.

Apart from tutoring on subjects, a home tutor can also mentor the student, helping them develop great time management and study skills. Doing so improves the students’ overall performance.

Work With The Best

More often than not, schools don’t give the students the chance to choose their teacher, affecting results.

One of the primary benefits of a home tutor is that one can pick the best tutor on a particular subject. You have the option to consult with home tuition agencies as you choose the best tutor.

This is important because a great tutor can easily understand the student’s needs and give them the right guidance.

Final Thoughts

If you’re struggling with your studies, home tuition may be necessary to help you get a quality education.

That’s why you need to work with the best professional tutors who will cater to your needs and assist you with your studies.

Seniors, do you know that 3% off your grocery’s expenditure can go a long way towards stretching your retirement budget? A recent study published indicated that single elderly Singaporeans need $1,379 a month to meet basic living standards. (Source: Straits Times) Therefore, 3% off the grocery bill can really make a meaningful difference in savings during one’s retirement. Thankfully, Giant is extending its promotion of 3% off on weekdays for Seniors (aged 60 and above) from 30 July to 31 December 2021!

3% off for Seniors on weekdays*

Previously, Giant has been providing 3% discount to seniors who shop at its stores from Monday to Friday, which was supposed to end on 30 July 2021. To further help senior citizens stretch their dollar through these challenging times, Giant has decided to extend its popular senior citizen’s discount programme all the way to 31 December 2021!

Let’s not forget that this 3% discount is in addition to the everyday savings across hundreds of daily essentials under Giant’s “Lower Prices That Last” campaign. Thus, senior citizens can rest assured that they can get the most value from shopping at Giant.

Prioritising Health and Safety

By extending this popular weekday promotion, Giant is encouraging seniors to come and shop during weekdays when it is off-peak and the stores would not be as crowded. As a caring retailer that put customers’ health and safety as a top priority, Giant is also working to establish permanent dedicated priority checkout lanes at all Giant hypermarket and supermarket stores to shorten waiting time for seniors. This will be on top of Giant’s existing priority shopping hour every Tuesday and Wednesday from 8am to 9am for them. All these in-store measures are implemented to ensure that Giant provides a safe shopping environment for seniors, especially as they are more likely to shop for their groceries physically.

Yes, children and grandchildren, you can be assured that your parents/grandparents will enjoy a safe and convenient shopping environment at Giant.

An Affordable Grocery Chain

During a period whereby the economy is uncertain and inflation impending, extending 3% off groceries for our seniors every weekday is definitely a strong sign of commitment from Giant to remain an affordable grocery chain that seniors can trust for VALUE and FRESH products. Indeed, it’s the little things that make a Giant difference! Share the good news with your loved ones today!

*Terms and conditions apply.

Four Ways To Cultivate The Winning Mindset

Known for its prestige and diversity, the 2020 Summer Olympics is an ongoing international multi-sport event. It is currently being held from 23 July to 8 August in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympic athletes that represent their countries are no strangers to pressure. These athletes spend almost their entire lives to train for their events. Can you imagine their overwhelming emotions moments before the competition with the world watching their every move?

Olympic athletes know that challenges and setbacks are natural parts of life. However, the way we handle stress sets us apart. Physical training and mental toughness are crucial to success. Fortunately for us, mental toughness can be developed over time.

On that note, here are some strategies that you can employ to cultivate the “winning mindset”.

#1: MANAGE YOUR MINDSET

Olympian and Sports Psychologist Nicole Forrester studied how some Olympic athletes achieve their aspirations while others fall short. She observed that differences appear through mental skills training. She describes mental skills as the key to help athletes elevate confidence, manage stress, and block distractions. In fact, mindset was listed as the reason why Canada’s swimmer Penny Oleksiak secured the Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“If you dream and you allow yourself to dream, you can do anything.” – Clara Hughes, one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians

#2: GROW YOUR TALENT

Do not rely on talent alone. Steve Canal, author of The Mind of a Winner, once said: “We all are good at something, but a winning mindset understands that the difference between making it a hobby, or a business is the discipline and work you put behind it.” Growing your talents involve discipline and hard work. You need to pour your attention and efforts to improving and applying the talents that you have.

Consistent top performers do not rely on mere talents. They continuously work on their craft and investigate their weaknesses. Then, they find ways to target and improve these weaknesses.

#3: SEEK MOMENTUM

To become successful, you must be aware of the factors that involve your path. Moreover, you must be willing to pour all your resources to achieve it. You need to create a strong momentum to keep developing a winning mindset.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

This momentum can start by having a great purpose. For instance, a businessman can stay motivated by the idea that achieving a specific goal would help the business flourish.

“This moment is not about me, it’s really for my country, it’s about all my coaches, my friends, my family that believed that when I was a six-year-old kid that I could do it.” – Joseph Schooling, Singaporean swimmer & Olympic athlete

#4: TAKE ACTION

No matter how strongly you envision something, you cannot think your way to success. You must act! Many business leaders spend their time analyzing their next move that they become risk-adverse and stagnant. As a result, these people can miss out opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Innovation and upgrades are necessary to keep up with the contemporary world.

Pushing yourself beyond your perceived limitations will help you become a better (tougher) version of yourself. After all, most winners take risks and step out of their comfort zones.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Remember that winning mindsets are not innate. They are developed!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Amidst the pandemic that the whole world is facing, the need to keep one’s home clean has reached top priority, even for busy people. However, how can you keep your house squeaky clean while going green?

Cleaning your house, regardless of its size and type, is a never-ending process. But due to time and budget constraints, ensuring your place’s upkeep can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are ways of doing cleaning responsibilities without denting your wallet. All the more, this article will present sustainable cleaning activities that will surely benefit you and the environment.

Let us start!

Come Up With a Green Source

Did you know that most cleaning materials contain harmful chemicals that can affect you, your family, and the surroundings? Good thing, an increasing number of businesses have come up with several non-toxic variants of go-to cleaners. This somehow simplifies the shift from conventional to green products.

How to know if the cleaning supply is green? You can check if the label has EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) or Green Seal Stamp. Still, you should be wary if you see generic assertions like “environmentally friendly” or “eco-safe” because not all products having these labels are true to their claims.

To be sure, avoid cleaning products containing dangerous ingredients, such as phosphates, phthalates, chlorine, ammonia, glycol ethers, and ethanolamines.

Reduce

To donate or not to donate? Let’s face it, not all items we want to declutter have a resale value. This is why some turn to donate their items instead of directly selling them. However, you can try handing your items to a thrift store or even consignment stores if you have high-quality accessories or clothing to donate. Doing this allows you to remove unwanted objects and, at the same time, earn money.

Reuse

Most people know the 3 Rs of waste management –reduce, reuse, recycle. Yet, many of us go directly to the third R. So, before jumping ahead, let us consider the second R.

Reusing means the repeated use of an item or finding a new purpose for that item without treatment. For example, your old drinking glasses in bulk hidden at the corner of your kitchen cabinet can be reused as office supply holders, succulent planters, flower vases, or catch-all bowls. Another, you can reuse your old makeup brushes for crafts, paintings, or dusting electronics with tiny parts.

What’s excellent about repurposing is that instead of tossing your old stuff into the trash, you can still salvage it and have a better use.

Recycle

As you continue your cleaning routine, look around your home and office to see how you can set up things for easy recycling. For instance, is there a place in the bathroom or anywhere around the house where you can place recyclables, such as paper, paper rolls, and plastic containers and bottles? Putting a designated container for your recyclables is a reminder of your green cause. In addition, this will make you eager to recycle disposable things as much as possible.

Use Plants to Get Rid of Pests

Don’t you hate it when small animals and insects are pestering the peace of your home? Luckily, there is an alternative way of getting rid of pests apart from using harmful chemical sprays. A strategic placing of plants around the house can help you get rid of them. This is because just like us, there are scents insects and animals cannot stand.

As proof, you can install a few mint herb pots in places where you have a mice problem. This is because mice don’t like spearmint or peppermint. On the other hand, spiders don’t like citronella, so you can add a few drops of citronella oil to any essential oil burners and place them near where you have an issue.

Have a Minimalism Attitude

Moving forward, try to embrace the concept of minimalism. Buy only the things you need to prevent producing clutter. Why don’t you consider making a wish list? Like when you find something you want to buy on an impulse, simply add it to the list. Then, if some time passes, say about 30 days, and you still like it, allow yourself to purchase it.

Share the Good Practice

Last but the most important tip is to share your cleaning routine success with the people around you. The more people involved in sustainable cleaning, the better. Here are a few ideas to start:

Remember, sharing is caring, so get your family and friends involved. Also, you can swap reusable and recyclable resources with them.
You can start organizing stuff swaps in your neighborhood to help rehoming items that were decluttered.
Set up an annual sustainable spring cleaning challenge in your community.

Conclusion

While staying safe in the comfort of your home, you can learn how to deep clean your indoor space sustainably. Keep in mind that careful planning on the things you need to do and use when cleaning is crucial. This is to ensure that you do not harm your health or the environment in the process.

Did you find the tips helpful? Do you have others to add? Let us know! Leave a comment in the box below. We wish you a stroke of good luck in your sustainable cleaning endeavors!