Getting Wiser.....not!



I have been unwell a few times this school hols - it really sucks! No energy to upload photos, no mood to do work....all I wanna do is chill.

Right now, while still recovering from flu, I am having a bad toothache.

It has been going on for about 5 days now and the initial days were really a pain in the a**.

I have heard so many horror stories regarding wisdom teeth extractions and I seriously wished that would never ever happened to me.

That remains a wish still because I just came back from the dentist today and he hereby announced that I have gum inflammation plus 3 wisdom teeth waiting to be extracted!!! Worse, this must be done in 4 stages which means prolonged agony.

Say..WHAT???!?!??!!?!?!?!?


I already HATE going to the dentist and now I am expected to go FOUR times.... Oh gosh.....


My gums are pretty inflamed (due to the position of one wisdom tooth)  at the moment so the dentist did not advise to do any extractions yet. He did some scaling and polishing of all my teeth to prevent the problem from escalating.

Even that I had to ask for numbing cream ... for practically my entire mouth. I seriously have an extremely low tolerance of pain for anything that goes around in the mouth. YIKES!

However, it did help that the staff and dentist at Q & M Tampines One were extremely nice, friendly and genuinely very caring. The counter staff were very welcoming. The dentist and his assistant nurse told me to stop them every now and then if I could not withstand the pain as they would not want any patient to feel uncomfortable.And, the dentist really did ask me every now and then if he could proceed, if I needed a break , if I just wanted to take a breather. Such a sweetie,

SO different from my horrible experience at their Whitesands branch where their PRC receptionist was curt and rude, and the dentist nowhere near the standard of just now.

Anyway, I am due for the first extraction next week - I'll probably try to get an appointment on Friday so that I can have the weekend to recover.

Ciao for now.



Back home!



I survived the school trip!!!

Get organised - Finding Homes!




I am a naturally messy person. Not messy in my work or outlook but very much messy and disorganised in the way I keep my things.

I would start with arranging things nicely but after that , I just dump everything in any space I have. It would not be visible though because everything is tucked away in boxes or drawers but if you look inside, you can seriously faint. Not joking.

My husby is the exact opposite. 90% of his things are organised and he knows where to find his receipts, belongings etc. I basically just lose everything. Maybe reading all those 'How to Keep Yourself Organised' books really did help.

Even his work cubicle is soooooo much nicer and neater than mine! I get quite jealous whenever I go over to his school and sits at his desk.

I'll show you mine first.


That stack of papers has been there since forever!

Another stack....perhaps they are meant to be permanent fixtures at my cubicle :P

Boring boring....super boring. I shall go find ribbons to spice things up a little. 

And now you will see his......................


Seriously? It looks like a toy shop and everything is neatly filed and placed in separate shelves at the side. Oh Wow... and check out his cool phone !

His advice to me was everything must have a home. It is much easier to clear any mess when we know where every single piece is supposed to go.

That's my main problem actually. I would just dump my things in any storage space available. As long as it looks nice and neat from outside, I don't really care about how it looks inside. Heh. So unladylike yah?

I have tried to improve slowly though and it has worked whenever my things have their proper homes. Amazingly though , I have managed to keep up with the neatness (only when the homes are specific).

Recently I bought this inner scarves organiser from an online seller Sue Tariq. .. and I am seriously recommending it to anyone out there who wants to their inner scarves or socks to be neatly arranged and easy to grab!

This used to be how I stored my inner scarves. I do suffer from mild OCD where everything that I wear must match. Pink shawl must have its own pink inner scarf and the shade must be similar. That explains the numerous number of inner scarves I have. But see...so messy! 

I like how the stripes remind me of one of the COACH designs :P

Each slot can contain 2 inner scarves for me - I roll them. There are 36 slots together so definitely enough for my 48 inners !

Neat or what??? When I took the photo, some of my inner scarves were still in the machine. After putting them in, I had about 5 slots left . They were used for my socks :)
I super love my inner scarves organiser. The measurements are just right to be placed in one of my drawers. It has been a few weeks now and they still look neat. This is definitely for keeps!

Another shop I would like to share for great storage boxes and home products etc would be Howard Storage. Husby and I have bought many things there  - from soap dispensers, laundry basket to even toilet paper holders. I love their designs and their functionality as well. 

Aesthetically pleasing yet practical - best combo ever! 

I have been wanting to purchase this acrylic organiser for my make up but they cost $135. I thought it was little too expensive so the plan has been shelved so many times.. until recently when I noticed the price went down to $68.75! Yeah!!!


The one at the back is recommended for jewellery but I use it to store my make up instead. The lipstick holder costs about $15  (cannot remember exact price). I originally bought the lipstick holder for my mum until I realised that she only has two colours that she rotates each day so I decided it would be a waste to give that to her :P 

I then spent about half an hour going through what I had and  throwing out those I rarely use or  were past their shelf lives. Oh god...the amount of nonsense I stored!

It is seriously  very therapeutic doing such things ...and I love the end product!


The lipstick/cream holder on top left costs about $25. I like how the organiser has a flat top - that enabled me to add on the separates.  


From top to bottom:
 Lipstick ,handcream , eye cream, liners
blushers and individual eyeshadow pots
concealer, highlighters, more eyeshadown pots
foundation, pressed powder, two-way cakes
eyeshadow and lip palettes



Now I really understand what the husby meant when he said that life is easier when everything has its own home. I no longer find myself digging through my 3 make up bags to find just that one item now that I know where everything is. The see through acrylic case makes it even easier as I can see the items before even pulling out the drawers.

I feel so neat (at least only in this are) that it feels surreal.... hahahahah.... told ya I am a naturally messy person so this is a HUGE progress for me!

One of the compartments in my wardrobe (yup, I have no dresser)... super much neater than how it used to be.
The black round Anna Sui inspired container is where the many rings go to,  the two candylicious cans (bought from Candylicious store at USS)  are for my flower and ribbon brooches, and the brown box is for my other brooches.
Notice the photo frame?That's of bestie and I after our graduation. We went to some makeover studio...hahah....we looked kinda funny there!

As I have mentioned, we love going to Howard Storage! I can spend a long time inside looking at everything and imagining which ones I would need for the home (but we all know that women always end up buying unnecessary things, agree?)

But the things there are a little pricey and I always have to think twice or thrice , and make two or three trips, before deciding if I should get them. There is no point waiting for sales because they rarely have them. :(

My friends and colleagues (and if you follow me on Instagram) would know how crazy I am over bags, shoes and accessories! Again, all I did was dump them into a big box until I decided to get the stands from Howard Storage.


This faces my bed and has been filled up , to my joy. Our bedroom is pretty simple so I love how these colours brighten up the place. Some were gifts while others were bought from anywhere and everywhere. My favourite places would be Louvisa, Diva and ALDO.
The stand was about $26 each.

As for the mister, he opted for this stackable storage boxes from the same place. There is no cover and you can just buy more and stack them up, when necessary. 


If you had noticed, together with my make up strorage, there is a 3-level wooden box. It works the same way as husby's one... just stack but you can buy the lid separately as well.


The interior  of each level varies... you can get those suitable for storing rings, necklaces, cuff links etc.. My third level is the same as the one on the right. Again, I've forgotten the price but it should be about $20 -25 per level. .. got to buy all separately.


We really like this Howard Storage store. If I have the moolah, almost every imaginable storage in my house will be from there.  Our only wish now is for it to embark on some VIP / membership loyalty perks that we can enjoy ... hehe...

Well, that's a small part of me that has been organised (and still going on strong) . I hope to work on my toiletries storage next  and then to the more ambitious area - the kitchen. I have very little time left though - school hols are coming to an end - so please do not expect too much . Heh

Hope this helps a little for similarly messy people out there!

Remember, get homes!

Do Not Call (DNC) Registry - Ease the headaches!

Is this something familiar? 




Do you get such messages through SMS or whatsapp? How about calls from telemarketers?






I do and they irritate the hell out of me! 

I am sure we are all used to such spam that come through the email.... and it is easily solved by sending them all to Junk Mail folder.  But how do we handle the texts that come to our mobile phones?

I have been getting a frustratingly increasing number of such messages and I really wondered how to get rid of them all. Some give us the options of 'unsubscribing' . ... as if I have the time to unsubscribe individually to all! Worse, I don't even remember subscribing to any, in the first place! Then , there would be those that give us no choice of unsubscribing and we just have to live it. 

Housing agent, tuition agencies, useless advertorials.......urgh! I have not included those endless telemarketing calls from unfamiliar numbers that I do (unfortunately) answer at times. 

Thank goodness...this may be the answer to getting rid of the spam texts and advertorial calls!


The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)

This PDPA governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal data by private organisations. As individuals, we reap benefits such as having greater control over how our personal data is being collected, used and disclosed and also being able to access and correct our personal data held by these organisations. 

One way to avoid unwanted texts and calls is through the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. 

I was fortunate to be at the pre-launch talk to find out more about this process (thanks Omy!). We were  first showed a video on how our personal data is collected and disclosed by various organisations . You will be surprised to know that most of the time, we do not even realise that we are making ourselves vulnerable to these organisations through our own everyday acts. 




As you can see from the video, we are probably giving away own personal information every other hour thus, making ourselves easy preys for the telemarketers. However, you can now take charge of that and register yourself with Do Not Call (DNC) Registry and be rid of the unwanted texts and calls!

What is the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry? How does it work?

The DNC is a national database for subscribers to register their Singapore telephone numbers if they choose not to receiver unsolicited telemarketing messages.

It consists of 3 registers: 
1. No Voice Call register 
2. No Text Message register 
3. No Fax Message register (apply with your land line even if you do not own a fax machine) 

Starting from 2 January 2014, organisations MUST check the DNC Registry before making any telemarketing calls. Unless clear consent has been obtained by us (consumers) , they CANNOT send unsolicited messages to telephone numbers that have been earlier registered on the DNC registers.

Isn't that a breather for those who are constant victims of such activities? (I honestly do get a lot ... and I always wonder how in the world these organisations obtained my number!)

SO, wait no more. Register now... save yourself the redundant headaches! 

To make our lives easier, there are 3 registration methods ... just choose the one most convenient for you!


Online Registration (I am all for online!)
You will be required to enter the OTP (one-time password) sent to your device.



You will see this notification when you have successfully registered. 

SMS Registration
Send "DNC" to 
78772 - All 3 registers
78773 - No Voice Call
78774 - No Text Message 
78771 - Menu for more options (including to de-register) 

Toll Free Number Registration 
Call the following numbers:
1800 248 0772 - All 3 registers 
1800 248 0773 - No Voice Call
1800 248 0774 - No Text Message 
1800 248 0771 - Menu for more options 

[Do use Online or SMS method if you subscribe to Caller -ID blocking]


Some things to note! 

You may still receive telemarketing calls/texts after registration : 

a) Within 60 / 30 days after registration
b) If you have given any clear consent to any organisation (before or after registration) for telemarketing 
c) If the organisations involved are not local


This may seem very new to many of us so PDPA Singapore is organising talks for consumers to be further enlightened :)


Upcoming Consumer Talks


The Personal Data Protection Act and What It Means To You 
Date: 15 January 2014, Wednesday
Time: 7.00 - 8.30 pm
Venue: Central Public Library 
Fee: FREE



Knowing Your Choices : Personal Data Protection Act & Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act
DAte: 18 January 2014, Saturday
Time: 9.30 - 12.00 pm
Venue: NTUC Centre
Fee: $5 (exclusive GST)
To register: Visit www.case.org.sg/seminars.html


Fret no more, hop over and register!

For more details, hover on to www.pdpc.gov.sg

Protect yourself from the unwanted!




Under the Weather



I am feeling so miserably sick.

It has been a few days now and I think I am getting the full blown flu already.

I need to get well - there is a lunch date tomorrow with the ex-colleagues and  a blogger event tomorrow night.

Please please get well, Fairy.

There is still the school trip to Hong Kong to think about.


CUSTOMISED WARDROBE PART 2 - UP WITH THE NEW AND SUPER LOVING IT!



From my previous post on my customised wardrobe, someone asked if I was going to have a walk-in wardrobe. As much as I wanted to say 'yes', sadly the answer is 'no' - we do not have a spare room for that and I would not settle for a teeny-weeny walk-in wardrobe just for the sake for having one.

The person actually replied,"Then it is a customised cupboard, lah. Not wardrobe!"

Oh please.... To put it simply, a cupboard refers to any kind of storage unit and you can have it in your kitchen , living room , storeroom etc to store whatever kinds of knick-knacks. A wardrobe is exclusively a place to store your clothes. It comes from the French word 'armoire', which means a free standing closet used for storing clothes. Now there are variations to the type of wardrobe one can have , for example, walk-in , built-in and customised.

Thus, wardrobe is basically a subset of the bigger group 'cupboard'.  TSK.

Anyway, it took them a week to get the wardrobe ready and finally, it was time to put it up in the room.

The dense me did not realise it would take more than a few hours to put everything together ... I thought it would take them an hour max. Thank god I did not arrange for anything else that day. It was pretty exciting, I tell you, to see  every little progress of our little wardrobe.

So have you guessed the colours?


Let the work begin!


I was basically stuck in the living room doing my own thang...and kept peeping every few minutes. Haha... that defines anxiety.

It was really pretty exciting to watch the workers bringing in the different parts... I saw everything from scratch. From the clear glass doors to the white shelves to the bright colours, god, I just wished they would finish in ten minutes or so! Haha.... if only there were magic to replace all those screwing and knocking!

Finally , after what seemed like ages , our lil wardrobe was ready!


.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


TA DAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I love the coloured sliding glass doors - so glad we decided on those. 
The single-standing cupboard was kind of like an afterthought. 

Do you like the colours?

I love them - so bright and cheerful! Our built-in wardrobe and furniture in the master bedroom lean more towards dark wood and bronze-gold finish so I wanted colours for this room.  A little unconventional and may not go well with some people but that's alright. My home , my wardrobe. Haha.


I always like to take my photos from a slight angle - don't ask me why! Anyway, a friend commented the colours make it look like a children's playroom. That's good actually... plan for the future :) 


This may sound weird but it was a rather enriching journey, planning our new space. We had wanted to just buy a common wardrobe off the shelves but that would mean we would have to make do with whatever interior that comes with it, rather than catering to our needs. Although it wasn't much, proper planning was essential to ensure that space is maximised to its potential.

I decided that I wanted more shelves (of different sizes) to make space for all the curtains, bedsheets etc etc, and less of the clothes rail.








Yellow hangers from Daiso!

'Heavy duty' things go to the bottom of the wardrobe - curtains and bedsheets.

Soon, it filled up.... I am quite a sucker for bedsheets ..must remind myself to stop buying!

Since we have too many baju kurungs , all are folded and go to the shelves. That includes my dresses. Only the ones in more delicate fabrics are hung. Somehow, I feel that saves space! 

Soft Closing Mechanism for the sliding doors - We did not ask for it but we got it! No more irritating sounds when closing the doors.

You would have noticed the opened orange shelves on the left. I initially wanted them on the right  but after studying our room space and beams, our contractor suggested them to be on the left instead. Eventually, they turned out more than fine and since the shelves do not have any door, it is good to hide them a little.






I had to give to away at least a hundred shawls and scarves. There were just too many and as long as I do not get rid of some, I won't be able to buy more , even with the new space.

Initial count was 258 but I am only left with these for now ...





It is definitely easier to have access to my shelves without the doors, especially when I am in a rush to grab my shawls. After a few days though, I got a little irritated. Since the shelves are tucked away in a corner and blocked by the separate shelving (go back and see photo if you have no idea what I am talking about :P) , it was too dark for me to locate the shawls I want or to see if the colours match my clothes. 

As always, my dad came to the rescue! He bought me LED lights that can just be stuck onto the walls of the shelves to give me the amount of light I need.

$8.50 each from any shops selling electronic goods. 


Problem solved!


No more squinting in the dark! 


And yes, I promised my bags that they would have a new home and would no longer have to squeeze and fight for space. Promise carried out! 

Still  a little messy... will sort it out when I have a bit more time. Whenever that is :) 
I realised that when I can see all my bags, I tend to try to use all of them as often as possible. Otherwise, I always stick to my usual ones. 



Needless to say, we are satisfied with what we get for a very reasonable price. 

A friend of mine engaged Mr David Seah from MU Designs to do up her Duxton apartment and recommended him to us. What makes it all very personal is that unlike the bigger companies which outsource most of their jobs, MU Designs does all the carpentry on their own. Mr Seah would also personally come to view your place before giving a quotation, keep you updated of the progress of your project (no matter how small) and finally comes down to monitor the installation itself. 

If you have any home projects in mind, do consider this very friendly man. You can hop over to the website http://edleuro.com/ or contact him directly at 96693287. 

Ok , bye! I need to to do the laundry! 




REVIEW: Ivy Restaurant - Halal French Cuisine!



Unfortunately this year, the husband's birthday fell on a weekday. Even more unfortunate was the fact that he was supposed to be involved in a long meeting that would only allow us to have a celebration at night. Already dampened by the fact that I could not carry out our annual go-out-the-whole-day kind of celebration, I was having problem finalizing dinner venue.

We both love to explore different places for food and I was wrecking my brains to decide which restaurant to go to have a simple dinner. 

Just in time, I got an invitation from a Ms Novell Goh for a food tasting session at Ivy Restaurant for that same night.....for authentic HALAL Southern French Cuisine!

Although many Halal food establishments have been set up in Singapore, I have NEVER been to a French restaurant before (deprived much ? :P ) . There was a Halal one in Haji Lane some time back but it has since closed down. Therefore without a second thought, I said 'Yes'!


[There are special benefits for you lucky readers at the end of this post so read on!]


This photo was taken right under the umbrella because the rain was just so so heavy! 

We did Maghrib prayers in the musollah located at the Beach Carpark (a small but very comfortable and well-lit room). We then walked in the heavy rain towards Siloso Beach till we reached Siloso Beach Resort. You can choose to take the tram from Beach Station but a little walking (less than 10 minutes) won't hurt, especially if your final destination is great food for the tum tum!

Warmly greeted by Ms Novell and Ms Hui Ping from their PR firm , we were taken on a tour around the place by the very friendly Mr Khamil Hyder, the Sales & Marketing Manager of Ivy Restaurant. 

It was evident that Ivy Restaurant was designed to give its customers a warm and relaxed feel. We were seated at the al fresco area that faces the popular Siloso Beach. With the lush greenery surrounding us ,dark wood finishings and warm lightings, it sure gives you a cosy and romantic feel, especially in the evening. 

Just perfect for any special occasion with your friends or loved ones!




According to Mr Khamil, when there isn't any need to set up tables, this area is used by Muslim patrons should they need to perform their obligatory prayers. 

What shall I call this? The verandah?  Anyway , this place is used when the first level is fully utilised or when there is any booking for event. I went to their Facebook page and saw the settings for a recent wedding...So sweet! You can either get them to find the decorators etc for you or you can just book the venue and do up the place yourself. That explains their  simple design; to allow diners to do up their own wedding / birthday  themes. Very practical, very smart move indeed.




We were eager to see what they were going to serve for the night.  As wine is an essential ingredient in French dishes, I was intrigued to know how they taste like without the use of wine (Not that I know what it is like with wine! Hahaha....).


For starters,we were served the CRAB SALAD. 

CRAB SALAD
With caramelised leeks, truffle honey, figs chutney and a hint of avocado puree

The more I look at this photo, the more I feel the compelling urge to taste this again....

The Crab Salad was soooooooooooooo good! I was a little skeptical as I am not much of a vege lover (read: leeks) but it was too delicious for me to bother about those veges. The mixture of the avocado puree and truffle honey made a unique combination - I can seriously remember how that tasted like! Oh, I love those orangey thingy at the top but I had no idea what it was. We later found out it was caviar. So that's how caviar tastes like.... slurrrrpppppp.....



Next starter ... Pan Fried King Scallops  

Pan Fried King Scallops
with parsnip puree and herbs

Both husby and I agree that this is drool-worthy and give it four thumbs up! I love scallops but sometimes the way they are cooked takes away the natural taste of the scallops. These scallops here were plump, tender and delectable and I really took my own sweet time chewing it. If we were to go back to Ivy (which we probably would), this is a must-order item. 

We were then served with two of their main courses. 


Pan Fried Seabass

With sauteed mushrooms, baked cherry tomatoes , flat beans. spinach and carrot puree.


Another favourite! So far, I have introduced 3 and all 3 are my favourites ?? :P  On a serious note, I was initially skeptical when I saw the mushrooms and the greens underneath the seabass but this is one example of how a good presentation does wonders to whet your appetite.

I totally dig it, veges and all! In fact , the sauteed mushrooms and spinach were so tasty that I feel they really added on to the taste of the crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-on-the-inside seabass. I left out the flat beans though..that's not so bad, is it?


Sirloin Steak

with chunky chips and mixed salad

Their Sirloin Steak is one of their more popular items on the menu. Just like all the other dishes, the Chef only uses fresh and good quality ingredients and this includes beef dry-aged for 150 days. We were told that the sauce takes three days to make from scratch.

Perfect stage between medium and well-done. 

I am not too sure if the sauce is to my taste - I would have preferred it to be a little more peppery but that could just be me. The other blogger and her mum who were seated with us love the sauce! However, I was more than satisfied with the perfect texture of the steak. ... and I was secretly wishing for another set of the crunchy fries. Fat and served warm - great to munch on, on that cold and rainy night.

I was feeling quite full at that point (yes, I get full easily but will soon get hungry again....) but I couldn't wait for desserts. Desserts always make me happy!


                                 Vanilla Crème brûlée


For all those with a sweet tooth, this would be perfect for you! Husby likes this a lot and finished up my share.... hehe.. there is just so much sweetness I can take with my desserts. 
                             

Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice-Cream

It was really sweet of them to surprise us with a birthday message for the hubby. 
Chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream can never go wrong.  This was a perfect one to end the meal with..

That's us with another blogger and her mum, and the Chef who truly deserved our compliments that night.

I was impressed with how Chef Piotr described his journey in sourcing out for suitable ingredients that will not compromise on the taste of the restaurant's fusion Halal French cuisine, even with the absence of wine. And did you know that he trained / worked with Gordon Ramsay, that famous culinary Guru? 


That's Mr Khamil and Chef Piotr. Do look for Mr Khamil for any queries on venue booking etc.


You really should consider Ivy Restaurant for your next special occasion - birthday, anniversary or corporate event. In fact , if you are just hanging out at the beach or roaming around Sentosa, this would be an ideal place to chill and have a meal because they are perfectly fine with guests coming in casually dressed. Fuss free!

Now, here comes the best part for you readers!

From now till end of the year, you are entitled to 10% off ala carte items for each visit to Ivy Restaurant.
All you have to do is mention "I'm a reader of Haryani's blog!" when you are there and you get that 10% off. Super effortless! (ok...so now my real name is out :P . But I'd still very much liked to be known as 'Fairy Queen')

Wait....there's more!

I have FIVE 20% DISCOUNT VOUCHERS for 5 lucky readers! 
All you need to do is to give me your name and email address in the comment box below this post, and I'll get in touch with you to get your mailing address. First come, first served :)


So where?

Ivy Restaurant Pte Ltd
Siloso Beach Resort 
51 Imbiah Walk (opposite WAVEHOUSE)
For reservation , call : (65) 6271-7008
Opening hours: Tue 5:30 - 10pm, Wed-Sun (12:30 - 10pm), Mon (Closed)
Price range : $30 - $50 ++ per person . Set menus are available at $38 and $45 only.

For more information, visit  http://ivysingapore.com or their Facebook page

I hope I have managed to whet your appetite and evoked your curiosity because this is definitely a place worth going! 

Cheers.