Monday, 14 November 2016

Phuket: Day 1 - The Life Co.


I have never heard of The Life Co. Phuket until my girlfriend invited me for a stay with her while she was there for a detox retreat. 

Well, I have never done a detox in my life before as I thought it was too much trouble and never really saw the need to, so this time, I decided that I should join her as a companion (supporter) for a few days to find out more, while taking a break from childcare (which I really needed)!

You can think of this as a wellness journey or wellness detox retreat cum holiday. 
Simply:
- decide on which detox treatment you prefer; 
- how many days you want your detox to last - 3 days? 7 days? 1 month? Or even more;
- get on a flight and check in to The Life Co. 

They are not just an accommodation/hotel, they are a wellness community, a wellness centre and support centre for chronic illness all rolled into 1! 

Besides accommodation and catering to your detox meals all day, everyday (customised to you), they also have all the facilities of a wellness spa in the resort that includes massage rooms, pools, gym, steam room, infra red sauna etc. On top of these, they plan alot of wellness activities (i.e. morning walks, yoga classes, meditation classes etc.)  throughout the day for you to really get connected to yourself, de-stress, enjoy and love yourself. 

As if these are not enough, they also have an in-built clinic with doctors you could consult with to analyse your body/blood and ensure you take the right detox treatment. I have learnt that detox also comes in various intensities that include colon cleansing & vitamin C infusion (via IV drips) etc. (There is more to detox than just drinking juices!)


So, my day started with a mis-comm with the airport-hotel transfer company that I have arranged via expedia, but thank God there was a very helpful agent who saw me idling and wandering around, so she helped me with contacting my tour agent and soon enough their representative found me and sent me off in their van. 

Phuket Transfer Agent: Tour East

Cost: SGD$30 for 2-way airport - hotel transfer

The distance between the airport and The Life Co. must have been short as it took less than 15 mins for me to arrive there.

Agents are no longer allowed to clutter the arrival hall so there is a designated area at the exit where there was a mass of agents holding up sign boards of their guests name. Sadly, I couldn't spot mine and waited aimlessly at the artificial grassland. 


Upon arrival, I was greeted this wellness wall painting.

The Life Co.'s reception area. Cosy and clean.

A few steps away would be the Vegan cafe cum restaurant. 
(Yup, this is the only type of food served here, Vegan Food!)

An example of their menu.

Around the cafe, you will spot wellness posters to remind you of what is really important in your life.

And also a notice board that says what are the day's and the next day's activities so that guests are aware and can opt to join in any of them (majority without having to pay extra e.g. daily morning walks & yoga classes) 

Another few steps away would be the "lake view" of the resort. 

This consists of a cluster of privately owned villas and a stetch of villas that is owned by Life Co., all surrounding a mini lake. 

(Obviously, the cloudy skies didn't do justice to the beauty and serenity of the place)

Lazy chairs to laze around in, randomly positioned in front of the lake.

Yes, a much better photo shot of the view.

The walkway that leads to the different villas (aka "buildings") as well as pavillions and relaxation spaces, overlooking the lake, all belonging to The Life Co. 

Along the walkway, the first pavillion is the Massage Sala, where guests could pay for a relaxing massage with lake view.


Then their hotel representative explained to me, they classified their villas into 3 buildings, 
1. Therapy building
2. Clinic building 
3. Club House

Each villa for a specific purpose and with a mini pool situated right in front of it.

THERAPY BUILDING

Here is the first building is known as "Therapy Building" which houses the steam room and infra red sauna that is exclusive to female guests. (But when I was there this building was under maintenance, so female guests could co-share the steam room and sauna in the next building with the male guests)

This is the Yoga pavillion a certified instructor will conduct 1.5hr of yoga session every morning, rain or shine and resort guests can just come and join the sessions without additional charges. 

CLINIC BUILDING

Right behind the Yoga Sala is the Clinic Building which also has a mini pool right in front and 2 levels of fully operated facilities.

Level 1: 
Steam Room, Infra Red Sauna, Lockers, Shower Rooms and Colon Detox Treatment rooms

Level 2: 
Clinic operated by Dr Thomas Lodi, IV stations for the infusion of Vitamins (as part of the detox program) as well as some other more targeted Treatment rooms.

The mini pool good for a dip.

Super well-equipped "spa centre" where the steam room and sauna is located. 

They also have multiple shower cubicles with towels, bath robes, bedroom slippers, so guests need not bring anything but themselves.

And I thought it was pretty cool an idea, to infuse water with various vegetables like celery and cucumbers. You could find such vegetable-infused water jugs everywhere around the villas to ensure you are well-hydrated.

45 degree steam room

55 degree sauna


They also have this super cool "sonic" machine which is said to help you shake off the weight and calories if you manage to stand on it 30 mins x 2 daily. 

Too bad I only found out about this on my last day! LOL

Colon Cleansing Treatment Room

IV drip stations


CLUB HOUSE

The final buildind is known as the "Club House" which houses a Gym and a Meditation Room for Mental Wellness activities. 

Similarly, right in front of the building as a pavillion space, but it was not designated for any purpose "yet" - perhaps an event space?

Entrance to Meditation Room. 
These huge round stickers are almost found everywhere in the resort as a reminder to enjoy being in the present.

Meditation room area where they have mental wellness practical lessons. 

Gym


So, here is the basic twin-sharing accommodation which my friend very kindly shared with me.  

The total occupancy of the resort runs at about 80 pax, so there are about 40 rooms ranging from basic ones like this to suites which actual villas with  mini pool right in front.

It is simple & comfortable room area with it's own walk-in wardrobe, toilets and vanity area.


And here is the view from the room, overlooking the lake.

And for the sake of showcasing, this an example of the detox meal they have customised to fit my friend's diet.




By the time I was done roaming around, I was rather done for the day and decided to practice the "sleep early - wake early" policy, 

It is the first holistic wellness centre cum resort I have ever seen and I was pretty impressed with all the treatments, service and facilities they offer though I did not sign up for a detox meal package.

To learn more about detox, what they have to offer and their resort accommodation packages, please visit their website here.

*P.S: This is an un-sponsored post and all opinions are solely my own.

Monday, 7 November 2016

It is well with my Soul

I was particularly touched by this hymn "It is well with my Soul" that we sang in church one of the past Sundays and went to youtube to listen to this song - this is an edited version of the original hymn beautifully sang by Kristene DiMarco & Bethel Music. 


Lyrics:

Verse 1
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard


Chorus
And through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
And through it all, through it all

It is well
And through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me


Verse 2
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea


Chorus
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well
It is well

Bridge x3
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name (repeat last line during 3rd run)
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul

It is well it is well with my soul x3




As I went on to search for its lyrics, the original version and what inspired the original writer, Horatio Spafford, on the writing of this hymn popped up.

I couldn't finish this story (real life story of Horatio Spafford) without crying about a bucket of tears, because of how tragic the outcome was and how he, having lost all his beloved children, "still" chose to praise and worship God in his darkest moments and even wrote such a powerful hymn "It is well".
I use the word "still" because many times, when bad things happen, people who believe God will inevitably question where God is, why didn't He stop it and ultimately, many turn away, convinced that God is not there; and people who don't believe God will just have 1 more reason to remain skeptical.

But nothing can be further from the truth. That God didn't cause that to happen. That God IS there. That God is watching and that God WILL give you the strength to raise above the situation with a peace that nobody can understand.

So, even though all things may not seem well, be encouraged, be heartened, it is well with Christ. It is well.


Lyrics:

  1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
    When sorrows like sea billows roll;
    Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
    It is well, it is well with my soul.

    • Chorus:
      It is well with my soul,
      It is well, it is well with my soul.

  2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
    Let this blest assurance control,
    That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
    And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

  3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
    My sin, not in part but the whole,
    Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

  4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
    If Jordan above me shall roll,
    No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
    Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

  5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
    The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
    Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
    Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

  6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
    The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
    The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
    Even so, it is well with my soul.



I'd close with this beautiful verse...

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, 
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:7



Wednesday, 2 November 2016

DIY: Teepee Play Tent (Photoshoot Concept 2)



Now, what is a Teepee?

As quoted from wiki: A tipi (aka tepee or teepee) is a cone-shaped tent, traditionally made of animal skins upon wooden poles. 

This Tee Pee concept was inspired by my photographer friend Ben, who sent me some photos of how his friend did a DIY Teepee tent for her daughter to play in.

I was instantly fascinated with how simple and picture-perfect such a backdrop would be, both for playing and for photo-taking, hence I took the idea further by surfing the net to find out how to build a Teepee. You will be amazed with what resources are available on youtube and google for all kinds of DIY projects! 

It actually isn't hard to DIY this. And the best past is that I have all the materials at home to create this (well, sort of, as I simply substitute the materials needed with whatever I can find). I really do not wish to spend more money on props for photo shooting especially since I already have a Concept 1. Click here to read more about that.

Materials needed:
  • Long Wooden Poles (or bamboo poles) x 3 - I have some tall, wooden "branches" which are home decor vase fillers standing in the corner of my house, so I used that. 
  • Curtain / Big Clothe / Nylon Canopy x 1 - I own 1 Nylon Canopy that resembles a mosquito net from Ikea hidden in one of the cabinets!
  • Big Clothe / Blanket x 1 
Method:
  • Set up the 3 poles in a triangular cone-like shape and secure with ropes or twines at the top.
  • Secure the end of each pole (the part that touches the ground) with either blue tack or some sort of heavy weight to prevent it from moving around.
  • Fold the curtain/cloth neatly around the cone-shaped structure.
  • Place a big clothe at the base like a carpet and WALA! you are done!
  • Decorate the tent with any of your favourite items, from flowers to vases, to buntings - once again, you can always google for more inspirations and create a mood board you like

EASY-PEASY!


So this is the finished play tent for Hannah! 

(aka Concept 2 for her Cake Smash Photoshoot)




The key to any picture-perfect photos lies in the details. So make sure you ad many of them. They can totally by personalized - just like the 2 soft toys there - they are my favorite korean toy called foodie!


My favorite shot of her!

Kids' feelings are always written over their faces!
 






Photo Credit:
Benjamin Lim
E-mail: benlimkk@mail2world.com

Please feel free to email Benjamin directly for a quote on the photography package!




Friday, 28 October 2016

Hannah's 1 year old Cake Smash Photoshoot (Photoshoot Concept 1)



I never knew there was such a thing called Cake Smash photo shoot until I chanced upon a random youtube video earlier this year, featuring a cute little girl playing with a giant cupcake. 



Since then, I have been looking out for photo studios, cake smash cakes as well as the appropriate backdrop and attire for Hannah's first Birthday Cake Smash. 

Unfortunately, many elements from photography studios, to the cake for cake smash are kinda out of my budget for my current lifestyle; besides, I really wanted the Cake Smash to be uniquely belonging to a theme specially made for Hannah, hence I decided to take on the challenge of doing a FULL DIY Cake Smash with the support and help of a very good friend of mine - Benjamin who is also a professional photographer. I'd be sharing his contact at the bottom of this page so that you could link up with him for your photography needs. 

When I got the photos for the session, I was extremely happy and pleased to see how it all turned out. It was exactly how I wanted it to look like (if not, even better!).

In fact, I had 2 different photo shoot concepts and will only be talking about Concept 1 here. 
(Concept 2 will be featured in a separate blog post.)

CONCEPT 1

CONCEPT 2

In this post, I am sharing not only the awesome shots from the Cake Smash, but also some DIY tips on how to put everything together!

Deciding the Venue?

Since it is a DIY, I thought the best place would be at home for multiple reasons - Not only are we able to clean her immediately after the smash up, it is also a familiar environment that she has already warmed up enough to have free play (which is great for capturing those candid moments), and since it is as home, it is easier to do a massive clean up after deliberately dirtying the floor (as compared to if you did it outdoors). 

What is the theme?

Identify a theme to the photo shoot. It doesn't have to be complicated, like a zoo theme or a nautical theme, it can be as simple as just a color theme, say a blue and silver, or pink and gold. Something manageable for DIY.

For me, I wanted to use pastel pink but I didn't want an overkill with pink, and since I love green and in this case, mint green, where I found the the 2 colors extremely compatible. 

With that in mind, I googled and Pinterest 1 Year Old Cake Smash and created a mood board (i.e. the one below) of the images I liked. (With internet, it is super easy to be inspired!)   


Think about the backdrops and attire and action on them

Now that the theme has been decided on, it gets easier to rule out & shortlist the various elements for the photo shoot like what backdrops are required & what dressing will match.

Then, we put those inspirations and thoughts into actions.

To make it more specific, a checklist was created:
  • DIY Tu Tu skirt - materials from Spot Light and Daiso. 
  • DIY Ribbon Garland, accents of pink, mint & gold - materials from Minton Ribbons @ 36 Arab Street.
  • DIY Giant Cake Smash Cup Cake 
  • Ordering Balloons of Mint, Pink & White shades.
  • Cake stand - random display boxes I found at home
  • 3D O-N-E wooden block - materials from Spot Light
There was only 3 items that needed DIY - easy peasy!

And there you go! We are ready for the Cake Smash Shoot!

It may look like extreme hard work, but frankly, if you start early, this is really manageable with just 1-2 late nights! (Other than baking that Giant Cup Cake!)

DIY Tu Tu Skirt created especially for Hannah.




DIY Garland Backdrop

I love the combination of colors here!


DIY Giant Cake Smash Cupcake


And so, the photo shoot results!








I'm amazed with how she used her tongue to taste the cake and refuse to use her hands.




The look of disgust when I stuffed her hands into the butter cream!



This was such an endearing experience for me, as a mum, and I am so glad I did this shoot to capture some very precious and candid moments of her at this stage in her life, her eyes that twinkle with wonder at every new thing she sees.

After all, she will never be this small again...

Photo Credit:
Benjamin Lim
E-mail: benlimkk@mail2world.com

Please feel free to email Benjamin directly for a quote on the photography package!





Thursday, 27 October 2016

DIY: Rainbow Jellies




The first thing that came to my mind when I thought RAINBOW jellies = Alot of work. Think - layers upon layers!

 And indeed it took a fair bit of effort to assemble; but, I must say the success rate is pretty high, and you really don't need much ingredients, you need time!

______________________________________________

Ingredients and Items needed:

1. Singlong brand Konnyaku Jelly (250g/packet) 
2. Coloring (only need 3 primary colors - red, blue & yellow - as those will be able to create the secondary colors like green & purple)
3. Measuring Cups
4. Measuring Spoons (for accuracy)
5. Chopped Fruits (optional)


______________________________________________

Run a Trial Test:


Before I did my actual Jellies for the Birthday celebration, I ran a trial test to make sure I got the right kind of jellies and the right kind of results. Hence, to prevent any ad-hoc crisis, I strongly encourage anyone trying this to do a trial before hand.

As seen here, I tried 3 different brands of jellies that easily available in local supermarkets, but Singlong was my preferred choice, both on cost and quality. 

Tortally was EXTREMELY soft and took a long time to harden, so this is not the best product for this project, however, I do think Tortally will taste yummy cos it is so wobbly and soft!


Many tutorials on youtube featured having a white jelly between the colors, but I just couldn't get the right mix of white jelly, hence I ditched the idea and thought, why not just go clear - it will be less a hassle, no need yoghurt, sour cream or coconut milk (all these were recommended ingredients to add to the jelly to create a white jelly).


As seen, when the jelly was first created, the layers do not blend in and looked very raw (middle picture), but once it all cooled down in the fridge, they blended in super well, and looked just as pretty as I wanted, except that I thought 4 colors sis not cut it as a "rainbow", and was determined to add 1 more color for the real thing.

______________________________________________

First, plan it on a paper:


Yes, I am more of a visual person, so I needed to draw it and plan the measurements well, besides, to make this rainbow, alot of maths is involved. Now I know why I studied math in school!




1. Decide the container you will be using to create your jelly, you can make jelly cups (like mine), or you could even make container style - I choose jelly cups that measure 150ml / cup. These were purchased from SKP.


2. How many colors do you want in your cup? 

I needed 5 layers of colors, from the bottom starting with PURPLE - CLEAR - BLUE - CLEAR - GREEN - CLEAR - YELLOW - CLEAR - RED. 

Since my cup is only 150ml, accuracy in the measurements are key. So every colored layer needs to be 20ml, every clear layer needs to be 10ml.


3. How many cups are you making?

I planned on 20 cups, so that means:
Each layer of color jelly: 20ml x 20 cups = 400ml 
Each layer of clear jelly needs to be 10ml x 20 cups = 200ml


4. Be prepare that you need to make a total of 9 layers (as indicated in point 2), which means mixing the jelly separately for 9 times and pouring them into the cups 9 times.

Think:
Boil Water >> Add Powder >> Add Colouring >> Pour in 20 cups >> Quickly place in fridge to cool AND REPEAT THIS x 9 times!

**Important Note: You can only start to prepare the next layer once you have placed the cups in the fridge. Preparing too early will only lead to wastage as the jelly cools really fast!

And NOPE, you cannot make all the clear jelly at once, cos you need to allow time for the previous colored layer to set before pouring in every next layer of clear jelly. The jelly mix would have all stiffen up once you wait. 


5. Measuring the exact amount of water and powder mix for each layer. 

Singlong Jelly comes in 250g pkt and it required 1250ml of water to dissolve the powder. 

If you work out the sums:
1250ml = 250g powder
100ml = 20g powder 
200ml = 40g powder
400ml = 80g powder

(Based on my measuring cups, 2 x 1/8 cups = 40g of powder)

*Important Note: You can use any other preferred utensils to measure, but for me, using the cups was highly accurate as compared to just a regular spoon as a spoon cant be leveled like a cup can, and you need to be fast when preparing each layer, so I will recommend you use a cup as well) 

______________________________________________

Actual Method:

Once you have worked out the steps, as above, all you need to do is simply follow the plan closely, this is all about physically doing it according to the plan.

1. Create the bottom layer = Purple; 
- prepare 400ml water in a pot, add in 80g of powder and stir till it boils, 
- add in coloring (blue plus red)
- once well mixed and no bubbles, use 10ml measuring spoons to scoop and transfer into the cups
- once all 20 cups are filled, refrigerate

2. Create the next layer = Clear; 
- prepare 200ml water in a pot, add in 40g of powder and stir till it boils
- once well mixed and no bubbles, use 10ml measuring spoons to scoop and transfer into the cups
- once all 20 cups are filled, refrigerate

*Note: You can add in the fruits at any point you like.  


3. Repeat Step 1 and 2 until you are done with the top layer (red).

_____________________________________________________

So as you can see from picture below, there are fails too (most likely for the clear layer since this only contains 200ml of liquid). 

If you are too slow, they harden up really fast and you cannot transfer it anymore.

Hence after my experience, I will encourage you to make 300ml of clear jelly instead, just so it will not solidify that quickly.


TADANG! The fruits of my labour!



Finally, I think 5 layers is minimum for it to look Rainbow enough!


Have fun and enjoy DIYing!