A Winsome Life
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In Restaurants 5 Mins Read

Taang Shifu @ KSL City

Hello Everyone,
before I continue with today’s blog entry about an amazing and awesome restaurant, Baby and I are really happy to announce that we have crossed the 32,000 mark [in terms of total viewership since our blog was launched in December 2011]. This would not have been possible if not for the support of all you readers and we really want to thank all of you for your constant support.

As we mentioned in our previous blog entry, the months of July and August are really a peak season for us and we have alot of activities and events that are going to take place. Here’s a lineup of events that we are going to participate in for the month of July.

July-

Dinner with International Bloggers from Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Philippines

Far East Organisation’s Hotel Tour

Singapore Blog Awards Ceremony @ Singapore Flyer

Brave [Movie] Gala Premiere (TBC)

Food Tasting at Irvin’s Live Seafood House

Hence, we really seek your understanding if you haven’t heard/seen much updates from us.

Moving on, we are going to introduce to you this restaurant known as Taang Shifu that is situated at KSL City, Johor Bahru [JB].

During our most recent trip to JB, Baby and I went to KSL City for some shopping and eating. As we wanted to have a wholesome and sumptuous dinner, we decided to check out Taang Shifu.

Taang Shifu is a Chinese restaurant that serves wholesome food. From the name itself, one might probably mistaken it as a Chinese restaurant that only serves soup. However, besides nourishing soups, they too offer a wide variety of food choices that will definitely whet up your appetite.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Looking at the menu, they have a wide variety of food choices for you to choose from and not only that, the menu also describes how the food will provide you with health benefits.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Guava with Orange Peel is served as the appetiser and I must admit, I love the appetiser so much that I finished up the entire serving.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Wanting to reminisce the time we had at Taiwan, we ordered Tea Leaves Eggs and seriously, the portion was slightly alot for 2 persons. The eggs were very flavourful and cooked to the right texture.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Rice served with Mushroom, Scallop, and Broth. [This was my main course and the quality of this dish far exceeded my expectations. The broth was flavouful and nutritious and it complemented the rice very well. Combined with the taste of the scallops and mushrooms, this is a perfect dish for seafood lovers.]

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Mee Sua served with Abalone, Mushrooms, Broccoli, and Dried Scallops. [Baby loved this dish so much that she finished the entire serving; leaving only a mouthful for me to sample! The texture of the mee sua was firm and not soggy and the ingredients used were simply delicious.]

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Soup is a must for almost all of our meals. So, we ordered this really nutritious sea cucumber and dried scallop broth which was so good that we will strongly recommend it to anyone whom is thinking of dining at Taang Shifu.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

So much for all the food. But wait, here’s the best part. Check out the beverages and desserts we had!

Longan Tea [Left] and Winter Melon with Water Chestnut[Right]. The drinks were of high quality and tasted fantastic. The drinks are freshly made and that is what makes it really healthy.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Premium Bird’s Nest. [Well Baby had this dessert all by her own because I don’t fancy Bird’s Nest. The best part was, it was going for 1 for 1! So Baby had two portions of Birds’ Nest for the price of 1!]

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

For myself, I had the Guiling Gao with Pearl Powder. It is said to be good for skin complexion and I enjoyed the dessert alot. However, the sandy texture of the pearl powder didn’t quite appeal to my taste buds.

From Taang Shifu Restaurant @ JB 2012

Conclusion:

The food served at Taang Shifu is no doubt of the highest quality and they are extremely palatable. Not only that, the food are wholesome, nutritious, healthy, and most importantly, tasty! We will strongly recommend this restaurant to everyone whom are planning a trip down to KSL City. In fact, we are planning to bring our family members down to try this restaurant because they will definitely enjoy the food there [Cantonese people love soups and food that are served with great tasting sauces]. Oh, and the best part was, the total bill was not very expensive. While I shan’t reveal how much the total bill was, I will leave it to you readers to find that out for yourself [you will definitely be surprised].

And before I end off, the service standards there were flawless because the service staffs were prompt, efficient, and polite. We found the service staffs to be very attentive and service-oriented as they would go the extra mile to delight guests. The restaurant ambience was grand, warm, and lively too. It’s a pity that Singapore does not have a restaurant like this. Maybe Taang Shifu might consider expanding and opening up an outlet here in Singapore. =P

So, do check out Taang Shifu if you are planning a trip to KSL City!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Restaurants 4 Mins Read

Paradise Inn @ GreenwichV

Hello Everyone,
today, I will be blogging [in detail] about my dining experience at Paradise Inn @ GreenwichV.

Personally, I have frequented Paradise Inn [Serangoon NeX and GreenwichV] a couple of times but I haven’t got the chance to really blog about my dining experience there except for a short write-up during the GreenwichV Blogger’s Amazing Race.

So, here’s how my dining experience went.

The dinner at GreenwichV Paradise Inn was planned for quite sometime already and it was hosted by Baby’s sister, Jasmine. When we were there, many tables have already been reserved so it is strongly recommended that you make a reservation in advance, especially if you are planning to dine in big groups. What I really like about the Paradise Inn Outlet at GreenwichV is the Alfresco dining area because it is quite scenic given the green surroundings. Even the dining wares have a certain elegance and class to it.

From Paradise Inn 2012
From Paradise Inn 2012

The brand of dining wares they used are known as Luzerne [similar to the ones that even five-stars hotels use]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Well, for appetisers, we were served a small dish of braised peanuts and I don’t really have any comments on it because I personally felt that the taste was quite standard.

From Paradise Inn 2012

Besides chewing the peanuts while waiting for our dishes, we got so bored that we decided to take photos of ourselves.

As always, when I eat, I always look very “buay song” until…

From Paradise Inn 2012

I find something better to do [like checking out Facebook] when waiting for my food.

From Paradise Inn 2012

The photographer of the day is none other than Baby herself!

From Paradise Inn 2012

Baby with her Sister.

From Paradise Inn 2012

Promoting Paradise Inn’s Rather Classy Menu.

From Paradise Inn 2012

Here are the 11 dishes of food that we ordered for a table of 6 people.

Seafood Fried Rice [with Roe]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Wasabi-Mayonnaise Prawns [personally, I find this dish rather unique and I quite like the Wasabi-Mayonnaise. However, comparing this with the Salted Egg Prawns, I would prefer the Salted Egg Prawns.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Salted-Egg Prawns [I highly recommend this dish if you are looking for something that is unique in taste.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Stewed Dong Po Pork [this dish was quite flavourful but is also quite fattening too.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Boiled Apple Pork Soup [I’m not sure if its apple or pear that they boil that made the soup slightly sweet in taste.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Crisp-Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken [this is one of their specialties but to be honest, I find it quite salty for my liking.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Steamed Cod Fish with Sauce [this is absolutely quite a healthy dish and it is highly recommended to those who fancy Cod Fish.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Hot Plate Tofu with Minced Pork and Mushroom [quite average I would say.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Cai Xin [vegetables were slightly tough to chew and looks rather green.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Fried Ngoh Hiang [fried to perfection and is easy to chew on. Very flavourful and goes well with the sweet sauce.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

Fried Noodles [not really that fantastic but it’s still edible.]

From Paradise Inn 2012

At the end of the day, despite the hefty bill of $248++, we totally enjoyed the companionship of one another. However, much could be done to improve on the food quality because either they are too salty or they are just average. The service was excellent and the service staffs were very polite and helpful.

If you’re looking for a suitable restaurant [that serves Chinese cuisine] for your family gatherings/reunions, you might want to consider Paradise Inn. They have 13 outlets at various locations all over Singapore so do check them out.

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Gift Ideas 7 Mins Read

Vendors/Suppliers for Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Proposal Party

Hello Everyone, this is one long overdue post but nevertheless, here it is!
Here are the details of the vendors/suppliers whom I engaged for Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party

Meyson Jewellery

Many ladies and gentlemen whom are of the same age as me have absolutely zero knowledge about diamonds. In fact, most of the people whom I know are absolutely clueless about choosing diamonds; especially the gents whom are preparing or planning to propose. Well, I am not a professional in this area but I shall attempt to impart some basic knowledge I have about choosing diamonds. A friend of mine once asked me if diamond rings are still relevant in today’s context and my answer to him was a big, “Yes!”.

Ok, there are 4Cs you got to look out for when considering to purchase diamonds.

The 4Cs are Carat, Colour, Clarity, and Cut.

Carat is used to measure the weight of a diamond. The bigger the number of carat, the more expensive the diamond will be. However, the price of 2 diamonds that are of the same carat may differ greatly as there are factors such as Colour, Clarity, and Cut to consider.

Colour of a diamond is graded from the alphabet D to Z. Diamonds that are graded D in colour have the purest colour, that is, they are colourless and they are the best colour for diamonds. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. For diamonds that are graded E-Z colour, you can actually see that the colour of the diamond is tinted yellow or brown.

Clarity of a diamond is graded from Flawless [FL] to Inclusions Visible to the Naked Eye [I3]. Most diamonds contain very tiny impurities know as “inclusions.” An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the diamond. The fewer the inclusion, the more beautiful the diamond will be.

Cut of a diamond has a few varieties and they can be graded good, very good, and excellent. In fact, under the microscope, if the cutting of a diamond is perfect, you can literally see shapes of hearts and arrows. However, diamonds with rather fanciful cuttings tend to be quite expensive; especially those from Lee Hwa, Goldheart, and etc. Well, for Baby’s diamond ring, I specially got it from Meyson Jewellery [Serangoon NeX] because the price was extremely reasonable and their service were excellent. If you are planning to get diamond rings, you might want to consider getting them from Meyson Jewellery. And if you are going to the outlet at Serangoon NeX, do look up Angel [one of the retail staff] because she can really recommend one that your other half will like.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Party Blasters Setting up decorations can be a tedious task and especially time consuming. Hence, for Baby’s party, I specially engaged Party Blasters to do up the decorations and they have indeed done a really excellent job. If you are looking for a trustworthy, reliable, and creative decorations team, do check out Party Blasters as they have a wide range of exotic balloons that you can choose from. Better still, head down to their office [situated at MidView City] for a non-obligatory discussion. To check out the various decorations they have done for events, like their Facebook Pagenow!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Pine Garden’s Cakes I first tasted Pine Garden’s Cakes when I attended Winnie’s 21st birthday and I must say, Pine Garden’s Cake is absolutely delicious. The price of Pine Garden’s Cake is also rather reasonable and their service is prompt and efficient. There are also a whole range of flavours that you can choose from to customise the cake. If you are looking for cakes that not only taste delicious but one that appeals to the eye, you might want to consider Pine Garden’s Designer Cakes.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Eesha Eesha is a Taiwanese professional make-up artist and Baby gotten her contact from Cozy Cot’s website. Since Baby wanted to look really pretty for her party, Baby engaged Eesha’s service and Eesha was really service-oriented. When we reached Eesha’s place, she made us felt rather comfortable and even offered us drinks. Eesha also has a professional make up space at her place so you can be rest assured that everything is all professionally done. If any of you are interested to engage Eesha’s make up service, you can contact her at 81812528.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Foodlink Catering From what I heard, Foodlink Catering is a rather new food caterer and I had mixed feelings when I wanted to engage the services of Foodlink Catering. Even after the party, our guests had mixed feelings about the quality of the food. While the buffet line-up was pretty impressive, I personally felt that the food quality was perhaps average. The price per person is also not that cheap too. Hence, I perhaps would not recommend Foodlink Catering if you are going for quality food. In fact, Neo Gardenmight be a better choice instead.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Bloom Room There are many florists in Singapore that sells 99-roses bouquet and I happened to chance upon Bloom Room during an Internet search on Google’s website. In fact, out of the many florists that sells 99-roses bouquet, I engaged Bloom Room because of their extremely personalised service and their reasonable pricing as well. Jaclyn [the staff from Bloom Room] was very helpful and she even went the extra mile by offering me 3 ideas of 99-roses bouquet to choose from. So, if you are looking for a 99-roses bouquet for your other half, you might want to consider Bloom Room.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

No. 1 Costume Costume There are quite  a couple of costume shops in Singapore and the first time I heard of No.1 Costume Costume was when I performed for NDP many years ago. Although I did thought of checking out the rest of the costume shops apart from No. 1 Costume Costume, I decided that location was going to be the top consideration as I wanted to save the hassle of travelling to and fro. Moreover, No. 1 Costume Costume is perhaps Singapore’s largest costume shop  and they probably have the most widest range of costumes to choose from. If you are looking for a costume for a themed party, No. 1 Costume Costumeis one place you must visit!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Sticky Sticky’s first candy shop was at The Central, Clarke Quay and since then, they have flourished and opened other outlets in Cathay Cineleisure Orchard and Jcube too. Sticky’s candies are honestly perfect for doorgifts and not only that, their candies are really tasty and addictive. The best thing is, it is not very expensive! If you are sourcing for suitable doorgifts for your party, you might want to consider Sticky!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Gift Ideas 2 Mins Read

3 McDonald Land Hello Kitty Plush Toys Down! 1 More to Go~!

Hello Everyone,
3 weeks ago, I put up a blog entry about the launch of McDonald’s Hello Kitty plush toys and since then, I have been receiving tons of queries asking if I have extra Hello Kitty plush toys.

Well, I’m sorry to say this but I absolutely do not have any extra Hello Kitty plush toys because the ones that I have are for my own personal collection.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, the McDonald Land Hello Kitty plush toys are expected to sell out really fast and hence the reason why I encouraged everyone to get them on the day of the launch. Well, for this particular week, the Ronald Hello Kitty will be available on Thursday [that is in 2 days time!] and it is the last of the Hello Kitty plush toy that you can collect to make it a complete set [provided that you have collected the Hamburglar Hello Kitty, the Grimace Hello Kitty, and the Birdie Hello Kitty“!

Here are 4 tips for you to secure your Ronald Hello Kitty this Thursday before it is sold out:

1). Go for a McDonald’s breakfast early in the morning on Thursday!
2). Dine at a McDonald’s restaurant that is not so crowded!
3). Go for a midnight McDonald’s supper on Wednesday!
4). Call for McDelivery lunch on Thursday if you ain’t free to dine at the restaurant!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Here’s my personal collection thus far. 3 down, 1 more to go! And yes, it is a perfect gift for any girl who loves Hello Kitty plush toys!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Hope this helps!

Stay tuned for more updates from us.

God bless!

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In Restaurants 3 Mins Read

Suki Sushi Japanese Restaurant @ Cineleisure Orchard

Hello Everyone,
Baby and I recently dined at the Suki Sushi Japanese Restaurant that is situated at Cineleisure Orchard and seriously, that experience alone was enough to determine that we would never set foot in this restaurant ever again.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

Here is why:

1). The quality of the food was totally horrendous! Seriously, when one dines at a Japanese restaurant for a Japanese cuisine, one would expect that the food served is of the highest quality. Well, Suki Sushi Japanese Restaurant [Cineleisure Orchard] failed in this aspect and you would see why in the following photos that we took.

Look at all the Sushi we had. The fillings were not fresh at all and even lacks appeal! The rice was mushy and the seaweeds used were too soggy. And just a note here, the photographs of the Sushi were taken before we even laid our chopsticks on them. So, you can tell that the Chef who prepared the Sushi did a rather shoddy job.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012
From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012
From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

Yes… I was utterly disgusted by the taste.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

When I dine at Japanese Restaurants, it is always a tradition for me to order a portion of Chawanmushi [steamed egg custard] and seriously, the Chawanmushi at Suki Sushi [Cineleisure Orchard] lacked the flavour and taste. In fact, Umi Sushi’s Chawanmushi tastes much better and is even larger in portion!

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012
From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

The Miso Soup was served cold and it tasted really bland.  As always, I like my soups to be served piping hot so this Miso Soup was below par! The Miso Soup I make myself at home tastes way better than this!

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

Looking at the photograph and judging for yourself, you can tell that the Ramen Soup was totally unappetising. The soup was tasteless and the noodles were way too soggy.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

The Salmon Sashimi was perhaps the only best dish that we ordered.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

We waited for this Chicken Teriyaki for almost 20 minutes and guess what, the chicken was half-cooked! Not only that, we found feathers on the skin of the meat! The Teriyaki sauce was also insufficient and we expected better standards especially when we had to wait for so long!

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

The feathers are quite distinct eh! I almost puked after seeing the feathers.

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

2). The service provided by the restaurant service staffs didn’t quite meet our expectations. The service staffs were un-attentive and they took quite a while to respond to our requests. In fact, what was really unacceptable was the fact that the service staffs were so free that they gathered in the corner of the restaurant in group of 3-4 persons and happily chatted away in the presence of diners whom were still dining in the restaurant!

From Suki Sushi @ Cineleisure Orchard 2012

Honestly, for the price that we paid for this particular meal, we could have had better tasting food elsewhere. We were so disappointed with this dining experience that we WILL NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant to anybody. We even asked ourselves, “Is this place even a Japanese restaurant?!” Oh wells…

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Restaurants 4 Mins Read

Tajiyama Restaurant @ VivoCity

Hello Everyone,
Baby and I recently dined at the Tajiyama Restaurant that is situated at VivoCity and this is one place you absolutely have to check out, especially for all you fans of Japanese Charcoal Grill and beef lovers!

From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512

In fact, this was my second time dining there and we will definitely be visiting Tajiyama again!

Here is the extensive menu that Tajiyama offers

From Tajiyama 120512

Tajiyama only offers buffet from 1130 to 1630 hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and Public Holidays. And as you can see, it is quite pricey but despite the steep pricing, you can really expect to enjoy a wholesome weekend brunch. I plan to try their brunch when time and wallet permits.

From Tajiyama 120512

The restaurant has a rather zen feel to it and I quite like the spacious atmosphere. It is extremely comfortable to dine in large groups as well. But do make your reservations in advance because the restaurant tends to be fully occupied.

From Tajiyama 120512

Simple table setting.

From Tajiyama 120512

And yes, this is something worth mentioning. They have a sauce dish which contains 3 types of sauces in 3 separate columns. The first one on the left is for beef items, the middle one for seafood items, and the third one from the left is for all other food items like chicken and pork. Honestly, you can dip your meat in any of the three sauces because they taste superlicious no matter what sauce you dip them in.

From Tajiyama 120512

This is the high-performance exhaust system that takes care of the smoke from the Charcoal and the best part is, the oil doesn’t splatters all over the place when you grill your food.

From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512

So while waiting for our food to be served, Baby and I got a little bored and took some funny shots.

From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512

This I think is my most favourite picture of the year. Isn’t she just so adorable and cute?

From Tajiyama 120512

Here are the food items that we ordered…

Miso Soup– the portion is extremely satisfying for one person and you can even share it with another person too, if you can’t finish that is.

From Tajiyama 120512

and what we really like about the Miso Soup is that it contains loads of wholesome ingredients such as straw mushrooms, button mushrooms, and toufu!

From Tajiyama 120512

Tempura Prawns- the tempura prawns were fried perfectly till golden brown and it was crispy and juicy. The flour wasn’t rough on the mouth and the tempura sauce that goes along with it is extremely fragrant and flavourful.

From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512

Chicken Meat– the meat was well-seasoned and I believe Tajiyama uses a special recipe for the seasoning because the chicken tasted really unique, flavourful, and juicy after grilling. This has got to be one item that you have to try.

From Tajiyama 120512

Pork Meat– similar as the chicken, the pork was also very well-seasoned and they used a different seasoning sauce for the pork. The meat wasn’t that tough after grilling and the portion is quite huge.

From Tajiyama 120512

Honestly, it was really an awesome experience as we grilled the food ourselves and had quite a lot of fun doing so.

From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512
From Tajiyama 120512

If you haven’t been to Tajiyama yet, you got to really check them out. For this particular meal, we spent about $50 plus for 2 persons and yes, it is quite expensive especially if you are on a budget. But nonetheless, Tajiyama offers an excellent dining experience especially for groups and couples. If you are more adventurous, you are welcome to enjoy the al fresco dining area as the restaurant has an outdoor seating space that offers a panoramic view of Sentosa Island and Resorts World Sentosa. [Quite a romantic setting indeed]

Here are the restaurant details if you are planning to check them out:

Address
Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
#01-102/103, Vivocity
Singapore 098585

Tel: 6377 0070

Opening Hrs:
Weekdays (Mon – Fri) (12pm-3pm lunch, 6pm-10pm dinner)
Weekends (Sat, Sun & PH) (11.30am-4pm lunch, 6pm-10pm dinner

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Restaurants 4 Mins Read

Updates from A Winsome Life

Hello Everyone,
it is the time of the year again where we offer you some performance updates of A Winsome Life and how we have been faring thus far.

Major Exclusive Events That We Were Invited to Attend and Cover Till Date: 12

McDonald’s Hello Kitty Launch, 2012
Golden Village Jurong Point Re-Opening [Featuring Marvel’s The Avengers Movie], 2012
Greenwich Bloggers’ Amazing Race, 2012
Crocs Fashion Show, 2012
Hawker Kings’ Campaign at Food Republic @ 112 Katong, 2012
Evening Dinner/Cocktail Party At Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore Hotel, 2012
21 Jump Street Movie Invite, 2012
John Carter Movie Invite, 2012
The Lorax Movie Invite, 2012
Contraband Movie Invite, 2012
Real Steel Movie Invite, 2011
Blackberry Bold and Beautiful Event at Zouk, 2011

Major Public Events That We Attended and Cover Till Date: 10

Mosaic Music Festival at Esplanade, 2012
Wine Classics, A Wine Fair at Plaza Singapura, 2012
iLight Festival at Marina Bay, 2012
Career Fair 2012 at Suntec City Singapore, 2012
Bugis Street Art Project at Bugis Junction, 2012
F1 Race at Marina Bay Grandstand, 2011
COMEX at Suntec City Singapore, 2011
Voyage Night Festival at National Museum of Singapore, 2011
Night Lights Festival at Singapore Arts Museum, 2011
Singapore Toys Games Comics Convention, 2011

The above-mentioned events are all above and beyond our other normal movie reviews, restaurant reviews, and many other topics.

Since our inception in December 2011, we have had a total of 19,882 views so far and yes, we are definitely going to cross the 20,000 mark soon. The most number of views we had on 1 day is 1,007. Our average views per day currently stands at 128 and we are expecting the numbers to grow as the year goes by.

Well, what does all these facts and figures got to do with you?

If you have a product/event offering and you are looking for avenues to advertise your product/event, engaging bloggers like us can be a fantastic and terrific idea because the costs are relatively low as compared to traditional advertisement medias like your newspapers, radio, sms-es, magazines, televisions and etc. A simple advertisement on the local Straits Times can easily cost you a few thousand dollars while an online advertorial can easily cost you $2,000 per article per week.

So.. what are our advertising or marketing rates?

As of now, we are not charging a single cent for writing reviews, advertorials, and covers. For food reviews, we expect dining expenses to be covered. For movie and concert reviews, we expect to have complimentary seats. For covers on exhibitions that are arts-related [music, art, theatre and etc.] and events such as product launches and roadshows, we expect to have priority access. For product [health, electronics, clothing and etc.] and service reviews, we expect to have product trials and demonstrations.

Hence as you can see for yourself, it really doesn’t cost a great deal just to have an article published on our blog. However, we do have some precautions for you though; as we are an objective blog site, we are brutally honest with what we publish on our blog. This not only gives our readers/viewers a rather credible point of view from the consumers’ perspective but it would also allow for constructive feedback to be given by our readers/viewers so that you can improve your product and service offerings.

Some Information About A Winsome Life:

A Winsome Life is a lifestyle blog that covers a wide range of entertainment and lifestyle topics such as food, movies, finance, photography and many more!

About Melvin Lee:

Melvin Lee graduated from Shatec Institutes with a Diploma in Hotel Management and was the top student for the July 2007 Cohort. He enjoys serving the community, playing the guitar and drums, and is always on the move to check out the latest happenings in the local scene. Melvin also contributes to A Winsome Life as the main contributing blogger and he is never too tired to pen down his thoughts and opinions on wide-ranging topics. Currently, Melvin is pursuing his Honours in Marketing Management with Northumbria University, United Kingdom.

About Jacqueline Teo:

Jacqueline Teo completed her tertiary studies in the engineering field in 2008 and have been working in many MNCs ever since. She enjoys serving the community, checking out the latest fashion, and is always full of fresh ideas to bring about a transformation for A Winsome Life. Because of her love for photography, Jacqueline contributes to A Winsome Life as the main photographer. Currently, Jacqueline is working for C.A Technologies, an IT management software and solutions company with a deep expertise across all IT environments—from mainframe and distributed, to virtual and cloud.

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In Restaurants 1 Min Read

McDonald’s Smoothilicious Smoothies!

Hello Everyone,
if you haven’t tried McDonald’s latest Mango Pineapple and Strawberry Banana smoothilicious smoothies, you should try them out!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

I highly recommend them to those who are health-conscious and are looking for an alternative to the usual soft drinks.

So… what’s so special about these smoothies?

Well, these smoothies are FRESHLY BLENDED and they are made with REAL FRUITS and YOGHURT! [No kidding!]

And for someone like me whom really dislike the taste of milk or yoghurt, you can be rest assured that the smoothies isn’t what you would imagine it to be. In fact, they taste more like ice-blended fruit juices and do not have the ‘milky’ taste to it. In case you’re wondering how much they would cost, these smoothilicious smoothies are available at $3.45 for 12oz and $3.95 for 16 oz at ALL McDonald’s restaurants.

Last but not the least, no, these smoothies are not just a temporary promotion offering! In fact, these smoothies will become permanent beverage offerings that is part of McDonald’s efforts to provide wholesome food and beverage choices.

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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In Gift Ideas 3 Mins Read

Launch of MacDonald’s Hello Kitty

Hello Everyone,
thanks to OMY.SG and McDonald’s, I was privileged and honoured to be invited to an all-exclusive Hello Kitty Chill-Out Session just yesterday at the Alocassia Apartments McDonald’s Outlet!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Enjoying the Chill-Out Session with One Another!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012
From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

As you can see, majority of the bloggers whom attended the event were ladies. Only William and I were the only “thorns” amongst the roses. =X

So what’s all this hype about?

Well, for you “Hello Kitty” fans out there, if you haven’t heard yet, limited edition McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toys are coming soon to McDonald’s restaurants islandwide and if you’re an avid Hello Kitty Fan, you MUST check them out as they are only here for a limited time! I’m sure many of you would have remembered 12 years ago [year 2000], the Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies that were dressed in wedding costumes of different cultures were literally selling like McDonald’s HotCakes and many people were just dying to get their hands on the plushies!

Remember these Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies that were only available 12 years ago?

I’m sure you do remember the long queues of people queuing up just so that they can lay their hands on the Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies!

This time round, McDonald’s introduces its first ever McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toys featuring a series of four Hello Kitty characters each decked out in costumes that are inspired by McDonaldland characters! Each McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toy is available at $3.60 each with every purchase of an Extra Value Meal and you are entitled to purchase only one toy with every Extra Value Meal purchased. If you just want to purchase the plushies separately, they will cost you $9! So, purchasing the plushies with the Extra Value Meal is more value-for-money than purchasing it separately!

In order of availability from left to right!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Hamburglar Hello Kitty available only from 17 May to 23 May [Yes, the Hamburglar Hello Kitty plushie is out tomorrow!]

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Grimace Hello Kitty available only from 24 May to 30 May [this particular Hello Kitty plushie is by far my most favourite one because of its ultimate cuteness. I am so gonna get this one when it is out!]

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

See, you can even take off the hoodie [the top only] that Grimace Hello Kitty puts on.

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Birdie Hello Kitty available from 31 May to 6 June

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Ronald Hello Kitty available from 7 June to 13 June

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Check me out! Yes, I am darn sure you readers are envious!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012
From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

So…hurry and start collecting your McDonaldland Hello Kitty plushies from tomorrow onwards because it is while stocks last!

Stay tuned for our next blog entry about the McDonald’s Smoothlicious Smoothies!

God Bless!

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In Gift Ideas 5 Mins Read

A Rather Fruitful Johor Bahru Trip

Hello Everyone,
Baby and I recently went to Johor Bahru [JB] for a day trip and I must say, it was a really fruitful one as we [not really we, but rather I] bought loads of stuffs.

Here’s us fooling around with our Canon Powershot S100 before heading to the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Yes I’m trying really hard to act cute but it looks kinda wrong especially since I’m wearing the Superman shirt that the CG gave me for my birthday present.

From JB Trip 110512

Baby was trying to act sick and pale and she succeeded.

From JB Trip 110512

We parked our car at the nearby public carpark and it took us quite a while to walk to the Woodlands checkpoint. Seem so near but yet so far.

From JB Trip 110512

To start off the day, we had our usual lunch at our all-time favourite Hong Kong Cafe, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, that is situated at City Square. Seriously, the service at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng is rather exceptional. We haven’t encountered any bad experiences so far and whenever we go to JB, it is a tradition that we always visit this fabulous Hong Kong Cafe. The price is rather affordable and the quality of the food is superb. Not only that, the portion size is huge~!

From JB Trip 110512

For those of you whom subscribes to auto-roaming. Don’t forget to turn off the mobile data/3G setting or else you might end up paying un-necessary money. Yes, I know I looked abit awkward fiddling with a pinkish iPhone.

From JB Trip 110512

Act Cute Take 2

From JB Trip 110512

Act Cute Take 3

From JB Trip 110512

This Passionfruit Tea is something to try. It’s large in portion and not very expensive too.

From JB Trip 110512

The normal Traditional Hong Kong Iced Milk Tea

From JB Trip 110512

My all-time classic favourite, Nissin Noodle with Luncheon Meat and Sunny Side-Up Egg

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Baby ordered a Curry Pork Cutlet Rice served with Salad, Corn Soup, and Fruits. The Curry tasted quite authentic, spicy, and rather flavourful. The pork cutlet itself was also crispy and smooth.

From JB Trip 110512

Sweet and Sour Bacon Roll. It was our first time trying this and we must admit, we almost fainted when we saw the gigantic portion size. Nonetheless, the bacon roll was rather flavourful and its juices just oozes out upon chewing.

From JB Trip 110512

This is our all-time favourite Thick Peanut Butter Toast! Honestly, you can’t find this anywhere in Singapore and even if you do, it definitely can’t be as good as the thick toast at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng. In fact, we tried several “thick toasts” in Singapore and they just aren’t as thick and crispy as the ones we had at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng.

From JB Trip 110512

The total bill for lunch! It’s about $12 SGD per person!

From JB Trip 110512

So after lunch, we walked around City Square but unfortunately, due to the major renovation that they are undergoing, we decided to head down to KSL City instead. We took a cab and the journey cost us just $7RM.

Fatty Bom Bom Me!

From JB Trip 110512

Fair Lady!

From JB Trip 110512

Some City Scenery! Classic Ol’ Town Feel indeed!

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Upon Reaching KSL City

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

And well, after all the shopping and eating, we journeyed back to Singapore and here are some photos we took along the journey back to Singapore Customs.

Baby bought the infamous Kueh Bahulu for my Mum.

From JB Trip 110512

Some highway/causeway shots.

From JB Trip 110512

Just as there were many cars that were waiting to cross the Malaysian border, there were just as many cars wanting to cross the Singaporean border as well. Peak hour jam they say.

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Trying my best to shoot the City Skyline of Johor Bahru

From JB Trip 110512

As I’ve said. This JB trip was rather fruitful because Baby bought quite a number of stuffs for me! She bought me a rather classy Omega Seamaster Watch.

From JB Trip 110512

Yes, I know I’m hairy.

From JB Trip 110512

And she bought me an Armani Exchange T-Shirt!

From JB Trip 110512

So all in all, we had a rather fruitful JB trip and we just can’t wait to go down to JB again! Well, just a precaution though, when you visit JB, be wary of your surroundings. I am sure many of you would have heard of the various crimes happening in JB. Hence, if you’re planning a visit anytime soon, just be streetsmart and you should have an enjoyable time there.

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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