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This year, we celebrated Valentine’s Day rather meaningfully and we hope to make it a tradition every year from now on to continue celebrating Valentine’s Day in such a special and meaningful way.
Yes, there were the usual gift exchange, flowers, dinner, and movie but apart from just celebrating the romance and love that we have for one another on Valentine’s Day; we decided to do something special and that is, to offer others the chance to live again!

And how did we go about saving lives?

Well, we went to the BloodBank @ Dhoby Ghaut and we donated our blood to save lives!

Sounds noble? Probably?

But that’s not the point. We thought of donating our blood on Valentine’s Day because we believe everyone deserves a second chance to love and to feel loved. With the unit of blood that we donated, it can save up to 3 lives for patients undergoing surgery and blood related illnesses and with the both of us donating blood together, we would have save up to 6 lives and that really matters to us!

If you are working or living near Outram or Woodlands, there are two other BloodBanks located there but the BloodBank that is centrally located would be the one at Dhoby Ghaut. In fact, the BloodBank @ Dhoby Ghaut is really convenient and easily accessible via the North-South Line and North-East Line Trains.

Is it scary to donate blood?

Yes, it probably would be for first-timers donating blood but when you donate blood regularly, the fear would subside and every time when you donate blood, your confidence will surly increase.

It was Jacqueline’s 4th donation and it was my 11th donation. Even though we’re regular blood donors, the fear of needles sometimes still exist and one tip we would give to first-timers to overcome the fear of needles is to not look at the needles but rather, to look away and listen closely to the instructions from the nurses as they will make you feel more relaxed and not so tensed up.

The processes involved in blood donation are really simple.

All potential blood donors will first have to register themselves by filling up a questionnaire. Following which, a medical screening will be done by a medical officer and you will have your blood pressure, height, and weight measured. Once you have been screened and cleared by the medical officer, you will then go for a blood test to determine if you are suitable to donate blood. If successful, you will then proceed for the blood donation where your blood will be drawn.

The entire process should take no more than an hour and you can even make an appointment to donate blood too. Prior to the actual blood donation taking place, the nurse will also prescribe you with some iron tablets that will aid your body in the replenishment of red blood cells. A normal healthy person can donate blood every 12 weeks [approximately 3 months] and so in a year, you probably will be able to donate up to 4 times!

However, before you go and donate your blood, make sure you satisfy the criteria for blood donation.

Currently, as of 14 February 2014, the blood stocks for Blood Type Group A and Blood Type Group O are on the low side. If you have Blood Type Group A or Blood Type Group O, we highly encourage you to step out with courage and donate blood to those whom really need it.

You too can make a difference and help save lives! To find out how you can donate blood and what are the criteria for donating blood, you can check out the Singapore Blood Donor Web for more information.

In today’s technologically-advanced environment, there are so many new ways that couples can communicate and interact to build stronger and lasting relationships.
We recently stumbled upon a mobile application [app], LoveByte, and we really like some of the features that the mobile app has to offer; especially to couples. The mobile app, LoveByte, provides a private space for couples to communicate and document their love journey. It is focused on encouraging busy people to make time for the things and people that really matter in life.

LoveByte allows one to have undivided attention for his or her significant other, unlike that of open social networks such as Facebook and Twitter which contain information and newsfeed of many other people whom may not really matter to you.

Here are some really cool features that LoveByte has to offer to couples:

Scratchcards!

  • Encourages both of you to engage at a deeper level by meeting offline and participate in activities together.
  • Send love coupons to each other to propose fun dating activities from LoveByte’s list of suggestions
  • Induce fun and excitement into your relationship by sending your partner scratchcards with little surprises.

LoveByte Scratchcards provide a wide variety of fun and interesting date ideas for couples; from exploring the outdoors, snuggly stay-in dates, to taking up life-enriching activities together. This unique and innovative way of helping couples alleviate the trouble of thinking about different date activities can definitely help spice up any relationship this Valentine’s Day.

Chat

  • Send cute stickers to express your emotions and love to your significant other.

Albums

  • Organise your photos into albums so that you can easily keep track of your sweet moments with one another.

Dates

Never have to worry about another “monthsary” or anniversary. The Dates function keeps track of all the important dates between the two of you. Sometimes we forget anniversaries unknowingly and end up upsetting our significant other. With the specially designed ‘Days Together’ counter, you will no longer let an important date slip you by.

Couple Profile & Customisable Timeline

  • Easily browse through happy moments in the form of photos, important dates, and notes on the customisable timeline.
  • Keep track and feel proud of the duration of your relationship!

LoveByte couples will have a shared Timeline, which allows them to record significant milestones in their relationships, such as first dates, meet-the-parents, and overseas vacations together. The Timeline also makes it hassle-free when searching for past photos, notes and dates because they are all available with a simple scroll down the app’s home page. As time passes, a virtual scrapbook will be produced with lovely memories never made to be forgotten.

Our Review of LoveByte Mobile Application:

The LoveByte mobile application is very useful for couples to communicate with one another and the features that are available on LoveByte is very interesting. Whether for couples whom are still dating or are already married, the LoveByte mobile app will definitely keep the romance and passion alive!

To make your relationship with your other half an even more fulfilling and interesting one, we highly recommend the LoveByte mobile app. We personally find the app very useful and if you feel the same way too after using it; don’t hesitate to share the love!

You can download the LoveByte mobile app from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

For more information about the LoveByte App, you can check out LoveByte’s Official Facebook Page for more information.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Last Thursday was Valentine’s Day and we celebrated the occasion with a fabulous dinner at LENAS Restaurant. We have previously blogged about LENAS Restaurant and we have dined there quite a couple of times. Since our previous Blog entry about LENAS Restaurant was quite sometime ago, we really would like to once again share about our excellent dining experience at LENAS Restaurant and at the same time, share our review of The Wedding Diary 2 movie that we caught at Shaw Cinema.
Here’s what we ordered while we were dining at LENAS Restaurant:

Salmon Sashimi & Hoegaarden Beer

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
The Salmon Sashimi was quite pricey but it was well worth it because of its thickness and freshness. Surprisingly, it complemented the Hoegaarden Beer pretty well.

Chawanmushi

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
Chawanmushi is nothing new and it tasted rather ordinary, very much like steamed eggs. The only disappointment was that the Chawanmushi was served cold.

Cheesy Chicken Cutlet with Waffles Fries and Coleslaw

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
Just by looking at the picture alone, you could see that the portion is really huge! Not only that, the chicken cutlet was of the right texture and was also very flavourful. The waffle fries and coleslaw that went along with the chicken cutlet was extremely satisfying for the stomach and it definitely whets up one’s appetite.

Spicy Chicken with Corn and Salad

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
Well, this dish fell slightly below our expectations. The presentation of the dish was fantastic but when it comes to the taste, it was slightly disappointing because the spiciness of the chicken weren’t spicy enough. In fact, the taste of the supposedly spicy sauce was more of sweet, sour, and spicy; unlike the sambal spiciness that we expected.

Matcha Ice-Cream with Red Bean, Dumplings & Mochi and a Glass of Iced-Tea

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Our Review of the Dish:
The Matcha Ice-Cream with the Red Bean and Dumplings were a very good way to end the satisfying dinner on a high note. However, we felt that the Mochi was a tad too sticky for our liking because we had quite a hard time removing the stuck Mochi in our teeth.

Our Overall Dining Experience:
Well, we had quite a bit of mixed feelings when it comes to the food because there were some dishes that were above our expectations while there were some that didn’t. The service was as usual, tip-top, and we have always enjoyed dining at LENAS Restaurant. The price was rather reasonable and we will definitely recommend LENAS Restaurant if you’re looking for a good place to chill-out and have a great meal with a bunch of friends. We will definitely return to LENAS Restaurant to tryout some of their other dishes!
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Wedding Diary 2 [2013 Movie Review]

The Wedding Diary 2 was released exactly during Valentine’s Day and I treated Baby to the movie right after our fabulous dinner at LENAS Restaurant [just as you have read above].

Movie Plot [as extracted from Shaw’s Website]:
Soon after marriage, Weijie and Zhixin face pressure to conceive. When it finally happens, amidst preparations for the Full-month celebration of the new family member, Zhixin’s dad Colin’s business meets with investment failures and he suffers a stroke as a result. Zhixin has to step up to take over Colin’s business.

Between ensuring that her mum Alison does not have a mental breakdown and tending to her young family, Zhixin has to run the company and deal with insubordination from the veterans. It pains Weijie to see Zhixin under such stress and he quits his job to be a stay-home dad.

Over in Penang, Weijie’s dad Ah Sai heeds Colin’s advice and expands his humble salted-fish business. As his workload increases and he shuttles between Singapore and Penang, the harmonious family starts to disintegrate.

Meanwhile, Alison is taken aback by the sudden appearance of Reese, who claims to be Colin’s illegitimate daughter. Zhixin cannot come to terms with having a half-sister and even suspects Reese of seducing Weijie. At the same time, Weijie faces much pressure being a stay-home dad taking care of Tou Tou. There is talk that he is living off his wife and the couple ends up in a big quarrel.

Amidst all these problems, one day, both Reese and baby Tou Tou disappear! Has Reese anything to do with baby Tou Tou’s disappearance? Will the couple overcome their differences?

Our Review of the Movie:
Personally, we found the movie quite humourous but at the same time, we also felt that it lacked the element of surprise. The plot was rather predictable and we probably had quite high an expectation of the movie that we probably felt that it didn’t match up to The Wedding Diary 1. Nevertheless, the movie touched on a topic that is rather close to our hearts and it is worth catching if you have the spare cash and time.

Here’s a photo of Aniu and Elanne Kwong when we saw them doing their movie promotion at KSL City Square, Johor Bahru.

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Movie Trailer:

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

Valentine’s Day is today and having planned for this very day three weeks ago, I am really happy that my effort is going to be paid off today. By the way, in case you’re wondering, this Blog Entry has been scheduled to be published at this time such that Baby doesn’t know that it is all a surprise. 🙂
Well, I have been thinking of doing something personalised for Baby and because I made a Heart-Shaped Swiss Roll Cake last December, I decided to bake her a Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chiffon Cake for this Valentine’s Day.

This was the Heart-Shaped Swiss Roll Cake that I made last December. Not sure if anybody wants the recipe but I will probably blog about it when I have the time.

From Heart Shaped Swiss Roll Cake 2012

& this is the Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chiffon Cake that I made to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Baby.

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Again, I’m not very sure whether I would want to blog about how I made the Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chiffon Cake and I will probably do so if there are tons of people asking me for the recipe.

Besides the Surprise Heart-Shaped Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Baby and I are having our Valentine’s Day Dinner at LENAS [Serangoon NeX] and a Bottle of our favourite Moscato D’Asti to go along with our dinner. So romantic right?! [hehe]. If you’re wondering why we chose to go to LENAS, it’s because we absolutely loved the place, the food, and the people.

We have blogged about LENAS before so you can check out our review via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2011/08/18/lenas-restaurant-nex/

Also, we have blogged about our favourite bottle of Moscato D’Asti by G.D Vajra and you can find out more about it via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/12/02/we-have-a-bottle-of-moscato-dasti-g-d-vajra-to-giveaway/

What’s Valentine’s Day without gifts right? So during the third day of Chinese New Year [while Baby was still sleeping soundly in bed], I headed over to Raffles’ Cards n Such to buy NICI’s Jolly Mah Sheep Bride and Groom.

I’m pretty sure she will love this gift a lot because we have a whole lot of NICI Plush Toys in my room! This is our current collection of NICI’s Jolly Mah [their Sheep Community]. They are really cute and we have even named them!

From Valentine’s Day 2013

By the way, the NICI Jolly Mah Sheep Bride and Groom was the one and only pair that was available at Raffles’ Cards n Such and I am really glad that I gotten it just in time for this occasion! They have a whole range of other NICI products too and this is perhaps the best place to hunt for NICI’s Plush Toys!

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Well, I’m pretty sure Valentine’s Day will be a blast and since this Blog Entry is a surprise as well, here’s my declaration of love for her:

Dearest Baby,

thank you for all the sacrifices that you’ve made. From the first day I met you, I knew that you were the one for me. Having gone through so much in our relationship over the last two years, I really do treasure and cherish the time that we spend together. I still remember those days when I was still in Officer Cadet School [OCS] during National Service [NS] and how you would always come over to my place to prepare with me, the cyalume sticks and dummy grenades that I need for my outfield training. In every milestones of my life, whether its NS, OCS, or ORD; you were there with me and I really appreciate having you in my life.

You have taught and shown me what “it is more blessed to give than to receive” means and because of you, I have also learnt the importance of finance management. Well, on this Valentine’s Day, I hope that you like what I have prepared for you and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, every single day, every single minute. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love you!

With Much Love,
dEaRdEaR

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Well, I hope this isn’t mushy for all you readers.

On a separate note, 3 of our Winsomelifers should be receiving the Sticky Ties tomorrow on Valentine’s Day and we really enjoyed organising the giveaway that was proudly sponsored by Sticky Ties. In case you’re wondering what Sticky Ties are, check out our blog entry about Sticky Ties via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/2012/12/28/stay-sticky-with-sticky-ties/

From Valentine’s Day 2013

Last but not the least, we are currently giving away one Toast Box Voucher worth SGD $5 to TWO lucky winners. All you have to do is just answer some simple questions via the following link: https://awinsomelife.org/current-blog-giveaway/

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

Valentine’s Day is just 11 days away and for most couples like us, Valentine’s Day is a rather special day for us to spend lavishly and shower our loved ones with gifts of love, gratitude and appreciation. So, I have been thinking really hard about how I am going to plan a romantic Valentine’s Day Date with Baby and to begin with, I started embarking on the hunt for flowers!
Before I begin; in my honest opinion, flowers are a perfect gift for the ladies; unless of course, she is one whom don’t really fancy flowers. But truly, flowers does brighten up a person’s mood [especially ladies] and it is a perfect gift for ladies to receive. What’s more, your other half will definitely be the envy of others; especially in an office setting!

Well, I am no newbie when it comes to ordering bouquet of flowers on the Internet and so far, Humming is the only online flower retail shop that left the most positive impression on me. The last time I placed an order from Humming was just 5 months ago when I wanted to give Baby a really sweet surprise and well, it was a really pleasant surprise for her indeed. I got her the “In Love With You” by Humming and it consists of a Me To You “Love” Cushion Tatty Teddy in a bed of beautiful Roses and Statices.

The Me to You Teddy Bear is just so adorable right?!

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

Baby named the Me to You Teddy Bear as Love Bear!

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

This time round, Humming was really kind to sponsor me a bouquet of flowers from their latest Valentine’s Day Collection that they have launched and I placed an order for the “Precious Petals” hand bouquet. The “Precious Petals” hand bouquet consists of 4 Stalks of Pink Roses, 4 Stalks of Bandung Roses, and 4 Stalks of Red Roses with Pink Hydrangea and because there are 12 Stalks of Roses in total, it basically meant “Be Mine” or “Heart to Heart” in the language of flowers. So, this is a perfect hand bouquet to give to a girl if you’re planning to ask her to be your girlfriend.

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

The bouquet of flowers that I placed an order for arrived at the stipulated date and time and well, Baby was really surprised that she rang me up and asked why she received a bouquet of flowers when it was not even nearing our monthsary! So guys, the lesson here is that if you’re planning to throw a surprise for your girlfriend, do it randomly so that it catches her off guard. 🙂

The Romance Torch that ignites the Flames of Love; so strong and fiery that I was so stunned!

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

I really wonder…

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

Here’s a photo of Baby “Zi Lian-ing” with the pretty flowers from Humming.

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

Well, for all the gentlemen out there, if you’re planning to propose to your girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, Humming’s “99 Kisses” is the best hand bouquet to give with the proposal ring! Not only will it attract the greatest attention, but you outrightly declare to the whole world that you will love your [fiancee-to-be/wife-to-be] till you die! So, if you’re searching for a 99-roses hand bouquet for proposal, you can consider’s Humming’s “99 Kisses”!

[Photo Courtesy of Humming]

From Humming Valentine’s Day 2013

If you’re interested to find out what other hand bouquets that Humming has to offer, do check out their website via the following link: http://www.hummings.com/cart/eshop/by_category/show/Valentines%20Day%202013_398_/

Also, Humming not only has flowers specially for Valentine’s Day but they also have Hampers and Gifts for other occasions such as Chinese New Year, Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and even for Housewarming too!

To be kept updated about Humming’s latest promotion and updates, do like Humming’s Facebook Page and follow them on Twitter!

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!
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About Humming Flowers & Gifts

“At Humming Gifts, we do everything with you in mind.”

Humming Flowers & Gifts Pte Ltd (previously Humming House) was incorporated in Jan 2007. They are one of the leading gifting companies in Singapore specialising in customisable flowers and gifts. Their suite of over 900 flowers and gifts ideas all come with greeting cards for that extra personal touch.

Humming’s Flowers and Gifts Catalogue 2012 alone features over 600 flowers and gifts ideas. An expert in local gifting customs, Humming has built a loyal customer base of individuals and corporations for over more than a decade. They aim to further strengthen their brand and remain committed to introducing new and unique gifting experiences. Humming continues to pride itself with providing unparalleled service, innovative and exciting ideas for customers – ‘With you in mind’. Humming’s invaluable knowledge in local gifting customs, allows the company to create truly unique gifting experiences for any occasion.