8 Ox-picious Items To Purchase This 2021

#1: SINGPOST’S OX-THEMED STAMPS

Last month, SingPost released a set of stamps that marked the arrival of the Year of the Ox. This year’s stamps featured two graphical illustrations of the ox by artist Lim An-Ling. She previously designed the 2020 Year of the Rat and 2019 Singapore Bicentennial stamp sets. The set of mint stamps has two denominations namely, 1st Local (S$0.30) and S$1.40. These stamps are part of a new collection of SingPost Zodiac stamp series.

#2: LIFEBOUY’S DISNEY TSUM TSUM OX HAND SANITIZER

Lifebouy released an exclusive hand sanitizer featuring the ox, rooster, snake, and Fu. This collection also offers designs with other Zodiac animals. It is up to you to choose which is the most “incredi-bull”. You can get your own hand sanitizer in Lazada, FairPrice, FairPrice Online, Watsons and Watsons Online for as low as S$3.25.

#3: PANDORA OX CHARM

I, for one, am a collector of Pandora charms. I am amazed by the wide selection of classic charms, collaboration charms, and limited-edition charms that Pandora houses. This year is no different! Pandora’s Chinese New Year 2021 Collection features an ox charm, a Fortune Cat charm, a mahjong dangle charm and other huat symbols. It retails from S$89 at sg.pandora.net.

#4: TWG TEA GREEN OF FUJIAN TEA

If you have S$48 to spare, you can enjoy the TWG Tea Green of Fujian tea pack. It is a blend of green teas from a remote garden on the celebrated Tai Mu Mountain of Fu Ding in Fujian Province. Let abundance and prosperity enter into your Year of the Ox by checking the nearest TWG Tea Salons & boutiques or by visiting TWGTea.com.

#5: SEPHORA OX COLLECTION

Are you looking for a beautiful yet cow-venient palette that can take you from day to night? Look no further than the Sephora Ox Collection Eyeshadow Palette (S$45)! It features highly-pigmented matte and pearlescent eyeshadows. You can pair your shimmering eye look with the soft pink satin lipstick in their Ox Collection (S$26). The Petal Pink Satin Lipstick has a smooth and silky texture. Get yours at sephora.sg.

#6: BIODERMA SENSIBIO H20 MICELLAR WATER (CNY LIMITED-EDITION)

After applying your makeup, you may cleanse your face with the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water. Its packaging showcases a grazeful ox. This CNY limited-edition product was designed for sensitive skin. You can buy this festive bottle at Watsons, Guardian, Lazada, and Shopee.

#7: STARBUCKS’ OX-THEMED COLLECTION

Starbucks welcomed the Lunar New Year with their ox-themed collection. It showcases a combination of mugs, tumblers, bearistas, and seasonal snow globes. All these products feature intricate ox prints and designs. The price of these products range from S$18.90 to S$62.90.

#8: CNY GIFT TINS BY YOKU MOKU

The 2021 Chinese New Year limited-edition tin box by renowned Japanese confectionery brand Yoku Moku costs about S$48. The box contains an assortment of cookies such as eight pieces of matcha butter cookies and eight pieces of Cigare. Cigare are delicate cookies rolled with a vanilla flavor and buttery crunch. These treats are packed in a beautiful red tin. Order yours at yokumoku.com.sg.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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How To Manage Your New Year Expectations

It is hard to believe the unprecedented year 2020 has come to a close. While things have certainly changed, people still develop expectations about future events. However, many people see the new year as a means to refresh a “frozen browser”. Change does not come overnight. View 2021 as a timeline for change. You will morph into the person you want to be as the days go by.

On that note, here are several tips to help you manage your life expectations.

LIFE HAS MEANING

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian Holocaust survivor, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a philosopher and an author. He founded Logotherapy, which looks at the beauty in suffering. He believes in man’s dedicated search for meaning. Defining what matters to you can help you manage your expectations. Working at home or being trapped in your own space can make you feel helpless. It helps to adapt to the situation that you are in. Humans are incredibly resilient and challenging circumstances such as the pandemic help as foster and nurture our relationships. Focus on that.

WORK RELATIONSHIPS TAKE TIME

If you have a specific list of expectations about how your co-workers should respond or behave around you, your work relationships will suffer. I am not referring to acceptable (e.g., meeting the deadlines) and unacceptable behaviors (e.g., sexual harassment) here. Instead, you must not expect the person to behave a certain way just because you desire them to. For instance, you cannot expect your co-worker who is not a “morning person” to greet you with a cheerful high-five every morning. You will be disappointed. Accept your co-workers as they are.

STAY IN THE MOMENT

Sports Psychology highlights that the body is capable of far more than what we believe. Athletes who applied Sports Psychology to their routines have practiced visualization for success. It is good to visualize a pleasant future, but being anxious about the future can diminish your well-being. Avoid contemplating about what the future effects of the pandemic. Instead, do your best to stay in the moment. Try meditation. Mindful meditation is the process of actively and openly observing one’s physical, mental, and emotional experiences.

SET SMALL TREATS

Open your 2021 calendar and set your monthly goals. Accomplishing each goal entails getting a small treat. As many of our plans for the year have been postponed, you may allow each family member to choose a monthly treat to boost their motivation.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Year 2020 taught us that not everything goes as planned. Instead of hitching your wagon to the assumptions of the future, re-direct your mind to the present moment. It takes self-acceptance, patience, and will to manage your expectations.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

What are your financial expectations for year 2021? Be flexible enough to embrace life’s surprises!

Sources: 1 & 2

 

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Great Alternatives To New Year’s Resolutions

Research has shown that less than 10% of New Year’s resolutions were accomplished by the participants. If these people were hyped by the power of the new year, why are they likely to fail by February? The primary reason why resolutions fail is its tendency to be intangible. Moreover, it comes down to how an individual manages his or her habits.

Instead of setting the bar high for yourself, consider the great alternatives found on this list.

#1: CHOOSE A WORD TO GUIDE YOUR YEAR

Select a word at the beginning of each year and use it as inspiration to dictate your actions. It is hard to believe the unprecedented year 2020 has come to a close. While things have certainly changed, the passion in your heart remains. Visualize and manifest the world you want to live in by using these words as a guide: present, gratitude, generosity, and prosperity.

#2: MAKE A BUCKET LIST FOR THE YEAR

Instead of setting unrealistic goals, you may write a bucket list highlighting the experiences or achievements that you want to reach this 2021. Create a list that contains both lighthearted and serious items. Your list may include going camping inside the house, making a monthly budget, or serving a delicious dinner at your parents’ house.

#3: CREATE A YEARLY CHALLENGE

A yearly challenge is a concrete and realistic goal that you want to achieve within the year. Selecting one goal allows you to put all your efforts into tackling it. Here are some examples of the challenges that you may accomplish this 2021:

a. learning a new language
b. writing a book
c. getting out of debt

#4: SET A NEW GOAL EACH MONTH

Goals are more manageable when you divide it into small chunks. Perhaps January will be the month that you will dedicate to self-help books. While, February will be the month to pack your healthy lunches. You may create a 12-month calendar that outlines each of your monthly goals. Increase your motivation by rewarding yourself at the end of each month.

#5: TRACK YOUR HEALTHY HABITS

Write down three healthy habits that you accomplished per month. Having a visual cue that displays your accomplishments will motivate you to keep up the good work. Stay flexible and leave a room for healthy habits to emerge each day.

#6: DEVELOP A MANTRA

A mantra is a statement that you repeat frequently with concentration. Develop a mantra that will help you feel more empowered and positive. Rather than deciding that 2021 will be the year you will save more money, you can have a mantra stating you will only “buy what you need”. When you are shopping, remind yourself of this mantra. Repeating this in your head will help your behavior to change in time.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

The statement “new year, new me” has turned into a funny cliché nowadays. 2020 was a disappointing year. Instead of looking at 2021 as an instant re-do of your life. Look at it as a timeline for change. Change will not come overnight. You will morph into the person you want to be as the days go by.

Sources: 1 & 2

 

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