Sport Climbing / Bouldering Equipment & Gear Shops in Singapore

Now that I have passed my Singapore National Climbing Standards {SNCS} Level 1 cert, I really wanted to make sport-climbing {or rock-climbing as most laymen call it} a regular thing.

And if I was going to do it regularly, I might as well invest in proper equipment to do it properly. My plan was to just get the bare essentials first, then continue to rent other gear from climbing gyms as I slowly build up my arsenal of necessary climbing equipment as I get more experience and exposure.

For your info, most climbers would recommend the following as necessary climbing equipment for sport-climbing beginners:

• climbing shoes
• climbing harness
• chalk
• chalk-bag
• carabiners
• belay device

Knowing what to get isn't difficult. There are many different brands and models out there, so deciding what type and where to get them can be difficult though.

As I get more proficient in sport-climbing I may do more reviews on the equipment & gear I get to help you decide on what type to get for each essential item, but for now I can help you with where to purchase them with this list of  Sport Climbing / Bouldering Equipment & Gear Shops.

It includes brick-and-mortar shops in Singapore, and online shops that deliver to Singapore. I've also included some of the brands each shop carries, especially for harnesses and shoes as those are the bare essentials to get starting out.

I don't think this list is exhaustive, and if you know of any good shops that I should add into my list, feel free to contact me.

*****

1. All Sports Equipment
Add: 52 Ubi Avenue 3 #04-44 Singapore 408867
Tel: +65 6337 7728 / +65 6848 9489
Open: Mon - Fri, 9.30am - 5.30pm
Brands: Five Ten, Butora Petzl, Petzi
Website: http://www.allsports-equipment.com/

2. Backcountry {online, based in USA}
Brands: Petzl, Cypher, La Sportiva, Black Diamond, Maxim, North Face, Blue Water, Five Ten
Website: https://www.backcountry.com/

3. Campers’ Corner
Add: 51 Waterloo Street, #01-01, Singapore 187969
Tel: 6337 4743
Open: Mon - Sat, 12pm - 8pm. Closed on Eves, CNY, Christmas & New Year
Brands: Arc’teryx, Singing Rock, La Sportiva, Mad Rock
Website: https://www.camperscorner.com.sg/

4. Crank Factory {online, based in Singapore, aka Climb Asia on IG}
Add: Frontier Building, 52 Ubi Ave 3 #05-31, Singapore 408867 {visit by appointment only}
Tel: 6747 5473
Brands: Ocun, Roca, Bluewater, Trango, Metolius, La Sportiva, EB, Evolv, So iLL
Website: https://crankfactory.com/
*Self-collection available at Frontier Building

5. Gear Express {online, based in USA}
Brands: DMM, Edelweiss, CAMP, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Beal, Blue Water, Five Ten
Website: http://www.gearexpress.com/

6. Gorilla Gym Shop {mini All Sports Equipment}
Add: 750B Chai Chee Road Viva Business Park, #01-02 Singapore 469002
Tel: +65 6243 0386
Open: Mon closed, Tue - Fri 2pm - 8pm, Weekends 11pm - 6pm
Brands: Five Ten, Butora Petzl, Petzi
*beside the multi-storey carpark and behind Harvey Norman
Website: https://gorillaclimbing.com/

7. Ground Up Climbing Gym Shop {NOT former Climb Asia shop}
Add: 60 Tessensohn Rd C/o Civil Service Club, Singapore 217664
Open: Mon 5pm - 11pm, Tue - Sun 12pm - 9pm
Brands: La Sportiva, Ocun, Evolv
Website: http://www.groundupsg.com/
 
8. Kinetics Climbing Gym Shop
Add: 511 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218153
Tel: 6291 5045
Open: Mon 4pm-10pm, Tue - Fri 1pm - 10pm, Weekends 10-7pm
Brands: Edelweiss, La Sportiva, Red Chilli, Scarpa, Wild Country
Website: http://shop.kineticsclimbing.com.sg/en/

9. Mountain Equipment Co-op {online, based in Canada}
Brands: Edelrid, Black Diamond, Arc'teryx, Mammut, Petzl, Beal, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Evolv
Website: https://www.mec.ca/en/

10. Outdoor Kaki
Add: 11 Woodlands Close, #05-27, Woodlands 11, Singapore 737853
Tel: 9181 2893
Open:  Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm {contact them to visit at other times}
Brands: ClimbX, Salewa, Kailas
Website: https://www.outdoorkaki.com/

11. Outdoor Life
Add: Novena Square #02-60/67, 238 Thomson Rd / Plaza Singapura #04-18B/30/31
Tel: 6255 4814 / 6904 4726
Open: Sun - Thu 11am - 9pm, Fri - Sat 11am - 9.30pm {Novena} / Daily 10am - 10pm {Plaza Singapura}
Brands: Black Diamond
Website: http://outdoorlife-pte-ltd.webshopapp.com/

12. REI Co-op {online only, based in USA}
Brands: Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Evolv, Five Ten, So iLL, Scarpa, Tenaya, Petzl
Website: https://www.rei.com/

13. Rock, Stock and Barrel {online, based in Singapore, also Onsight Climbing Gym Shop}
Add: Onsight Climbing Gym, 100 Guillemard Road, Guillemard Village, Singapore 399718
Tel: 6348 8272
Open: Mon - Fri 11am - 10.30pm, Weekends 10am - 9pm
Brands: Ocun, Ophir, Zephir, Tenaya
Website: https://www.rsb.sg/
*Self-collection available at Onsight Climbing Gym

14. Sierra Trading Post {online, based in USA}
Brands:  CAMP, Black Diamond, Mad Rock, Edelrid, So iLL, Evolv, Five Ten, Scarpa, Cypher
Website: https://www.sierratradingpost.com/

15. Steep and Cheap {online, based in USA}
Brands: Black Diamond, Wild Country, La Sportiva, Mammut, Salewa, Metolius, Blue Water 
Website: https://www.steepandcheap.com/

16. Trekkinn {online, based in Spain}
Brands: Arc'teryx, Salewa, Black Diamond, Mammut, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Ocun, Wild Country 
Website: https://www.trekkinn.com/

*****

As with all sports, it's important to build up your strength and endurance levels to perform better, so gym time is definitely needed. Do check out my list of Home Gym & Fitness Equipment Shops in Singapore if you want to work out at home, and follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

If you need someone who can help you to plan your exercise program according to whatever equipment you have and your individual needs, motivate you and make sure that you're keeping to proper forms and techniques, I'd of course recommend my personal trainer, Superman, whom I've been training with for 2+ years.

*Note: This is not a paid review or advertorial. All opinions are my own. 

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Chic, Gender-Neutral Personalised Baby & Toddler Gifts

When I saw My Baby Gift's new gender-neutral white & black collection, I screamed with delight and immediately thought of my sister and niece #auntylovesyou

Let's be honest. Not every parent like the traditional pink or blue for their little girls/ boys because it may seem too "loud" or too stereotypical. My sister is one of them and prefers muted, cool neutrals like white and grey when shopping for my niece.

I'm usually more of a "vibrant colours" kinda person but I must admit that a neutral palette makes everything seem more stylish, chic and contemporary. Plus, when you do add bright colours as accents, it makes the colour more dramatic & pop even more!

Unfortunately though, when searching for newborn or baby gifts, a lot of them come in those colours.

Even My Baby Gift started out with personalised newborn & baby gift hampers for girls and boys in pink and blue, which we did get for Baby J {girl} and Baby R {boy} previously to welcome them to the world, but I'm glad they've added this new white & black unisex collection to their online boutique.

It will certainly appeal to parents like my sister, or even to those that wish to gift a hamper to would-be parents who do not know the gender of their kids yet!

Oh, Alissa told me that sometimes she personalises baby gifts with the family name, rather than the name of the child, so that it may be kept as a family heirloom and future siblings can use it too. I think it's a brilliant idea and would certainly work well with this classic, gender-neutral white & black collection!

Lil J isn't a newborn or a baby {although she always will be to my sister like how Lil Pumpkin is to me?! heh} but a cute little toddler coming to 3 years of age.

She will be attending preschool childcare full-time soon and I reckon that getting her some personalised gifts with her name from My Baby Gift will come in handy because of, you know, lost prevention... hahaha （⌒▽⌒ゞ

Every parent knows to label their child's personal items once they start going to school. Stick-on labels can get torn off or drop off after some time, and even permanent ink smudges or fade, but with My Baby Gift personalised items, the child's name {maximum 10 characters} is carefully embroidered on the gifts, and not just "printed" or "embossed" on as some personalised gifts are... which in turn makes them more long-lasting especially after multiple washes.

Note: The default embroidery thread colour for the gender-neutral collection is black. However, if you'd like to have the child's name embroidered in another colour, it is possible at no extra charge.  

Her specially-curated hamper came with the award-winning personalised Multi-Stars Blanket, a matching personalised Multi-Stars Pillow, a personalised Towel Bib, and another of their best seller - the Birthday Bunny with Lil J's name and birth date!

Yes, the Birthday Bunny now comes in chic white & grey as well to match the gender-neutral collection. I hope that this sweet, fluffy friend will keep my niece company and provide comfort for her in the new environment ❤

If you remember, Lil Pumpkin has one as well and was quick to snuggle up to Lil J's bunny when I opened to check the hamper. The bright girl was also quick to point out that this new bunny's ears didn't squeak when pressed like the earlier version she has. Didn't notice until she mentioned hehe.. 

My Baby Gift personalised blankets, pillow, towels are big enough for toddlers aged 3-4 years old too!  Since Lil J usually wears long pants and socks at her childcare due to her eczema, she doesn't need a very thick blanket... but something lightweight and compact to pack in her sleeping bag daily.

The 100%  cotton Multi-Stars Blanket really is made of a beautiful quality - breathable, light and soft. Very gentle and suitable for Lil J's sensitive skin. I can see why Harper Bazaar raved about it to be super-soft and even gave it an award!

I like that the grey colour will not show dirt or stains easily too. Same goes for her pillow which has a 100% cotton cover that's easy to remove and wash.

This is the 3rd time we've gotten stuff from My Baby's Gift and as usual, I'm pleased and amazed at their fast and efficient service. Just 2 working days from order to delivery of lovely, personalised gifts! 

However, if you require next-day, same-day or weekend deliveries, that is possible too with extra charge.  They also deliver overseas via TNT and that takes about 1-2 working days. Find out more information about their personlised gifts and hampers from My Baby Gift website. Be sure to check out their sale page for a good deal!! You can use the flash promo code below for extra discounts too.

They just revamped their website to make it more user-friendly, and added new items like personalised jumpsuits, body suits with pants sets, burp cloths etc. to their shop. My Baby Gift really is one of my go-to places when I need to get something unique and memorable for family and friend's dear newborns, babies and toddlers. I just wish I knew of them while Lil Pumpkin was still a wee bub herself!! (*^▽^*)

Promo: Quote "NEWSHOP" for S$10 OFF any purchase from My Baby Gift to celebrate the launch of their new website. Valid even for sale items, until 31 May 2018 only.  

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Family Ice-Skating @ The Rink, JCube

During the March holidays, I brought Lil Pumpkin to ice-skate at The Rink, JCube. It was one of our most fun thing we did ever, I reckon!

Lil Pumpkin said that she wanted to skate during the March hols but I can't skate for nuts. I can't really balance that well you see {only learnt how to bike in my 30s haha} and I want to do activities with her, not just watch her do it, so decided that the next best thing to do was to bring her ice-skating as there are very helpful skating aids to assist people like me, who can't skate, enjoy the experience..

There are 2 places that you can ice-skate at in Singapore - The Rink at JCube and Kallang Ice World at Kallang Leisure Park. Both places use real ice in their rinks.

You used to be able to ice-skate at Marina Bay Sands {MBS} on a pseudo-ice synthetic surface. However, since 22 Dec 2017, the rink at MBS is now permanently closed and has been taken over by a new digital art exhibit that lets visitors create art with their footsteps, watch fishes swimming underneath their feet, or set off fireworks.

I heard that the pseudo-ice surface was really slippery compared to real ice, and not many people liked to skate there because it didn't feel like ice-skating at all, and it was very open since it was right smack in the middle of the mall so no loss over it closing I guess.

After researching, I decided to head to The Rink with Lil Pumpkin even though it was much further away from home compared to Kallang Ice World.

See an overview of our whole experience there in the video above. If it's not working, check it out on my YouTube channel.

Although Kallang Ice World has free skate aids and is more private as only paying visitors can see you skate {The Rink is open for viewing to all}, some reviews on Tripadvisor said that staff service is horrendous, skates are too worn and the place is in dire need of upgrading. Oh dear.

Didn't want to risk it and since we were at Kallang the day before for rock-climbing already, we headed to The Rink for that day's 12.45pm session. It took us about 1.5hrs to reach there via public transport.

The Rink is Singapore's first and only Olympic-size ice skating rink. Our National Skating Associations {NSA} train there and it also hosts events and activities such as recreational ice skating, and international tournaments in ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, and ice curling so the ice rink must be kept to a certain standard for sure.

We arrived about 12 noon and since The Rink is on Level 3 of JCube, I went to get lunch for Lil Pumpkin first from McDonald's at Level 1, then go to Daiso on Level 2 to get us some gloves as I couldn't find our pairs at home.

Went to buy our tickets about 12.20pm from the sales counter there was no queue. The guy staff was helpful and explained that ice-resurfacing was going on now for about 15-20mins so we could buy our tickets, but it's better if we enter at 12.45pm after that as your 2 hr 15 mins time limit starts the moment you enter the admission gates and the time you use to wait for the resurfacing will eat into your play-time.

Note: After people skate a while the ice melts and gets chipped off so ice-resurfacing is done to clean and smooth the rink's ice surface.

Quick lunch before today’s icy escapade! ☃️❄️⛸🌸 #sakuraharuka #motherhood #holidayfun #p3pumpkin #sgkids #therink

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka) on Mar 14, 2018 at 9:36pm PDT

Lil Pumpkin had her lunch while waiting and when we went back to enter at 12.45pm, there was already a long queue at the sales counter. Thank goodness we bought our tickets earlier!!

But then even after we entered, we still had to queue about 5-10mins to exchange our shoes for our ice-skates. On hindsight, we should have entered about 12.30pm to get our skates and try them on as that takes up some time, especially with the holiday crowd.

Ice-skating #OOTD today✌🏻Mad love for comfy hoodies & sweaters nowadays and happy that this super-thick #IvyPark oversized hoodie came into good use even in sunny Singapore 😬❄️ I actually brought @lovelilpumpkin’s bike/ scooter helmet just in case as I saw online tt the rink rented helmets out {S$5 for 2-hrs} and thought tt it was commonly used.. because, skating. Turns out nobody was wearing them & she didn’t want to be the only one wearing it 🙄 Surely I cant be the only one tt was worried abt safety??! 🌸 #sakuraharuka #ailovesocks #motherhood #holidayfun #therink #aifitnessdiary #pumpkinfitnessdiary

A post shared by アイ・サクラ  (@aisakuraharuka) on Mar 15, 2018 at 3:58am PDT

Despite Lil Pumpkin's objections about getting skating aids {"No need Mummy, I know how to skate!!"}, I rented 2 Snowman skating aids for each of us.

So glad I did as they were a lifesaver!! They cost S$10 each for 2 hrs rental which is a little steep but well worth the money as we could enjoy skating, without worrying about falling or hanging on to the rink edges for dear life.

I was thinking of getting the Seal skating aid {S$15 for 2hrs rental} as one person can skate while the other person sits on it to get pushed around but Lil Pumpkin didn't want it at all.

Oh well. It's more fun when the both of us are skating together anyway.

Lil Pumpkin had roller blading lessons twice in school before as an after-exam activity. But ice-skating is a whole new experience for her... and me too!!

She was really excited to try it out though and at the beginning wasn't steady at all {again, thank goodness we had the Snowmans!!} but just about 30 mins in, she was ready to try and skate without the aids.

Actually after trying out a few times without the aid, she was adamant not to use it and wanted to go around the rink without it, even if she had to go slower.. she also encouraged me to try and skate without the aid which I did, but I still preferred to use it hehe.

I must say though, that Lil Pumpkin has good balancing skills {unlike her mummy haha} and picks things up pretty fast. By the end of the two hours she could ice-skate around the rink herself without any support, even though her technique isn't very efficient. The video above was taken just before we left The Rink at the end of our session.

We didn't take any breaks and spent the whole 2 hours on the ice rink. A good thing that I rented a locker {S$2 for one-time use} too so didn't have to worry about checking on my bag if I had placed it on the spectator stand with nobody else to look after it and risk losing my valuables.

It was pretty crowded since it was the March holidays, but there was still enough space to skate around comfortably and most visitors were also amateurs and did not skate around too fast or recklessly.

Confession: I'm reeeeaaaaallly paranoid about us falling down with our hands on the ground and someone skating over and slicing off our fingers with the ice-skates' blades accidentally!!

I saw on their website that from 1 Apr 2018, The Rink started selling a multi-visit savers pass with a 6 months validity period - the Skater's Play Pass.

With it, an adult admission ticket is only S$9.80 {U.P. S$14} and a child ticket is only S$8.40 {U.P. S$12}. Pretty good value-for-money and if we lived nearer, I think we would get it and go more often as we really did have a fabulous time for our first visit!! Will definitely be back again!

Tips:

• Check the public skating sessions schedule in advance before going. I suggest visiting just after the ice-resurfacing sessions to enjoy your full play without interruption.
• Minimum age for ice-skating is 3 years old, but kids between ages 3-5 years old needs an adult with them on the ice.
• Smallest skate boots is size Euro 27 and biggest skate boots is size Euro 47.
• Each admission ticket allows for one-time entry into The Rink. If you exit and would like to re-enter again, you will have to pay for another admission ticket.
• Toilets, snacks and drinks vending machines are available on premise.  
• Rent a locker if you have nobody to look after your belongings. Better safe than sorry.
• If you're not sure whether to rent skating aids or not, you can skate a while and get them later from the sales counter. No need to get them when you purchase the tickets.  
• Penguin aids are for really small kids {below 1.2m}, Snowman and Seal aids are for bigger kids and adults.
• Remember the unit number of the skating aid{s} that you rent. Although you can paste a name sticker on them during rental, once you let go of them in the rink, people tend to want to "borrow" and will skate away with it.. so with the unit number it's easier to recognise in the crowd.
• At least 2 staff are in the rink at any time {wearing yellow tops} and will help you up if you fall down, or help you to find your skating aid if you happen to lose it in the rink.
• During peak periods, rent your ice-skates early as your shoe size might run out if it is very popular e.g. adult sizes 8-10
• The Rink sells socks at S$2/pair for adults & kids, and gloves at S$2/pair for adults & S$2.50/pair for kids. Socks are mandatory but gloves are optional. 
• Wear long, thick socks as the skates might be abrasive, especially if you're skating for long periods. No need for thick winter coats, but a thin windbreaker or fleeced long-sleeved hoodie and long pants/ tights would be comfortable.
• The Rink also rents out helmets at S$5 each for 2hrs, but nobody wears them. I actually brought Lil Pumpkin's scooter/bike helmet for her to wear but she didn't want to when she saw that nobody else had one on.
• For convenience, you can purchase tickets and rent equipment one week in advance on The Rink's online website. For online purchase, you will receive a redemption voucher via email which you need to print and redeem your admission ticket at The Rink’s self-ticketing kiosk.

The Rink at JCube
2 Jurong East Central 1, #03-11, JCube
Open daily usually 10.30am - 4.30pm
*Check public skating sessions schedule on website for details as it differs daily due to NSA training sessions.
Website: http://www.therink.sg/

Note: This is not a paid advertorial or sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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My Baby Gifts - Personalised Hamper Gifts for Newborns & Older Siblings

My friend's cheeky baby boy is turning 1 soon. I've watched him grow up the past year and wanted to get him something really special so turned to My Baby Gifts again to order a gift hamper with items personalised just for him.

With My Baby Gift personalised items, the baby's name {maximum 10 characters} is carefully embroidered on the gifts, and not just "printed" or "embossed" on as some personalised gifts are... which in turn makes them more long-lasting especially after multiple washes. 

We gave one to Susu's darling daughter, Baby J, when she was just born and were really pleased with the service and quality of the products so immediately thought of them again when we wanted to get another personalised baby gift hamper.

Thankfully, they did not disappoint once again.

My Baby Gift is an online luxurious baby gift boutique offering personalised baby hampers & unique babies gifts that deliver directly to the hospital, or home within 2 working days.

They carry well-loved brands such as Sophie & Friends, Petit Bateu, aden + anais, GAIA etc. You can choose from standard hampers or create your own perfectly customised hamper according to what you think the recipient will like, right from the comfort of your home. You can also personalise the items with the baby’s name for that extra personal touch. Best part is, the personalisation service is FREE!

My Baby Gift recently won 2 awards at Harper Bazaar Junior Most Loved Baby Care Awards 2017 for Best Gift for a Baby Shower and Best Baby Blanket. Congrats!!

This time, we created a special hamper with the award-winning personalised Stars Blanket {raved by Harper Bazaar to be super-soft & gets softer with each wash!}, a matching personalised Star Pillow, a personalised Baby Bodysuit, and another of their best seller - the Birthday Bunny with Baby R's name and birth date!

I reckon most people turn to My Baby Gifts for their creative and unique newborn baby gifts and hampers.

However, most of the personalised gifts are also suitable for older babies {body suits & socks fit those up to 1+ year old}, and the personalised blankets, pillow, towels are great for toddlers aged 3-4 years old too!

Recently, they also launched a gifts & educational product category for kids up to 7 years old. In here, you can find Djeco educational games, Skip Hop backpacks & lunchbags, Omy giant colouring posters, HABA toys and much more.. which makes it so much easier if you wish to buy gifts for the baby and his/her older sibling{s}.

Having a new baby around can be tough on older siblings, especially kids under 5 who are used to having lots of attention from Mom and Dad. You can help make a new big brother or sister feel important, too, with a special sibling gift. I know some of my friends do it with a little note saying it's from the baby to help set the stage for future acts of brotherly and sisterly love ❤

Even the personalised Birthday Rabbit makes for a lovely "older sibling gift" and keepsake.

When we ordered the hamper for Baby R, we got one for jiejie Lil Pumpkin too in the sweet girl version since she loves cuddly bunnies and personalised gifts haha..

My Baby Gift will deliver the hamper within 2 working days to Singapore addresses. I totally forgot about this when I was ordering Baby R's gift and wasn't in a rush really, since his birthday is in April hehe... but was pleasantly surprised when I received an email 1-2 days after I placed the order that it was ready and sent out!

However, if you require next-day, same-day or weekend deliveries, that is possible too with extra charge.  They also deliver overseas via SingPost and that takes about 7-10 working days. Find out more information about their personlised gifts and hampers from My Baby Gift website.

Can't wait to give this to him next month!! I might do so earlier actually haha.. 

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Fitness Finds - Gaston Luga Backpack for Gym + {Promo}

I've had my current Reebok gym bag for ages and I reckon it's time for a change. A chic change for something that doesn't just look like it's fit for the gym, but versatile enough to bring out and gai gai with too haha. Something that combines style with functionality...

And ta-dah! Here is my new gym bag, the Gaston Luga Clässic in Pink & Black #excitedmuch

Gaston Luga is a Swedish brand {I really like their metal name plate haha} and the bags aren't sold locally... you have to order in directly from Sweden {see below for my 15% OFF promo code!} but they have free DHL Express courier delivery to Singapore and you get 20% OFF as tax rebate {on top of my readers' discount} since we are not part of the EU.

It's made of strong & thick cotton canvas for durability and has a flap cover with 2 front leather straps held by strong magnets for easy access to the main compartment, which is doubly secured with a drawstring opening.

At 15L big, it's a pretty deep space that can hold all my shower accessories, extra clothes, gym shoes and gear like gloves, towel, skipping rope etc. If you have a laptop, you can use the big back pocket with a special laptop cushion to protect it on the go. It can fit a 13-15" device.

There’s definitely plenty of room for all your necessities, with some to spare.

There's also 2 smaller pockets inside for smaller belongings like keys, protein bars, headbands and loose change to keep everything well organised.

In the front there's also an outer zipper pocket under a smaller flap with leather buckle straps for closure where I put my mobile, EZ-Link card and iPod & earphones for easy access, and on the back there's also another hidden pocket for keeping items e.g. tickets, safe yet accessible.

The adjustable shoulder straps are also made of the same canvas material and I think if they were slightly wider and padded they would be more comfortable, especially when carrying a heavier load, but they still feel all right and probably look more stylish this way.

I'd have also liked if the canvas material had a water-resistant coating or if the inside of the bag was insulated to keep my stuff dry when it rains... would be very useful especially in our tropical climate where sometimes it can suddenly pour like crazy :P Nonetheless, the bag holds up pretty well even in light rain and since it's fabric material, it doesn't get damaged as easily as leather bags.

The canvas material is also easy-to-maintain and washing it requires minimal effort since you can just hand-wash with cold water and lay flat to dry.

The Clässic backpack reminds me of those vintage, rugged rucksacks which I like. It's minimalistic and as a classic design, goes well with almost any outfit, any time of the day. A very nice piece to add to my bag collection hehe.

I can be wearing just my gymwear, or a simple denim dress, or even a fancier outfit and it still doesn't look out of place. It’s reliable and practical, but at the same time stylish and chic.

New pink gym bag is pink 🤗💕🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #trngwithb #ailovesocks #newweeknewgear #gastonluga

A post shared by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Jul 16, 2017 at 4:54am PDT

Gaston Luga Clässic backpacks also come in other basic, easy-to-match colours like Black & Black, Navy & Brown as well as Olive & Brown. Guys might prefer these colours more, compared to the Pink & Black, I reckon haha..

Oh, when I last checked yesterday, the website still lists Yellow Peacock and Red & Black but they are phasing out those colours and are unavailable... so sad because I really love the red bag!!

Anyway, if you're looking for a new gym bag, or a bag for school, hiking, or even work, do check this out on Gaston Luga's website. It costs S$299 but if you'll pay only S$203.32 after discounts from my promo code below, and tax rebate i.e. you save S$95.68!! Really excellent savings.. and if you use it as an everyday bag, pretty good value-for-money too.

Gaston Luga also sells other backpacks, tote bags, laptop bags, wallets and leather luggage tags. Have a look at their site for more product information and details.

Promo: Quote "haruka15" for 15% OFF for any Gaston Luga product from their website. Valid until Sunday, 31 Dec 2017. In addition, you get 20% instant tax rebate if you purchase outside EU!

Disclosure: This is a review for Gaston Luga Sweden. All opinions are my own.

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New Family Market from honestbee - Daily Best Value Prices for the Household + {Promo}

Recently, honestbee has just launched a brand new store called Family Market that focuses on all your family's everyday needs.

Their products range from food, health and beauty essentials, to babycare products and household goods.

I love going grocery shopping. If grocery shopping is considered a hobby, I'd probably list it as one of mine haha.

Even when traveling overseas, I love going to the markets and grocery stores to check out what's new and available {Chicken in a Bisket is back in Singapore by the way!! woot woot}, suss out the daily deals, compare quality and prices for the things I need between different brands, and just basically amble down the aisles...

This is, of course, based on the notion that I have time to spare. For most working parents like me, time is of the essence and just spending more than 30 minutes out grocery shopping is probably considered a luxury.

It's all usually just a grab-and-go, and you probably don't want to be caught wasting time queuing to pay, hustling with the after-work/ weekend crowd or running after your kids after a hard's day of work making sure they don't wander off and knock down a display of toilet paper or something （/｡＼)

I guess that why most parents I know like the convenience of online grocery shopping.

You can just sit in the comfort of your home to choose the items you need from a website, click to pay and get them delivered to your doorstep in a jiffy. Easy peasy.

And now at Family Market, it makes things even easier and more streamlined for online family shopping as they have identified all the basic essentials used by families in Singapore and grouped them together into 7 simple categories under one roof - Babies, Drinks, Food Cupboard, Health & Beauty, Home, Household & Cleaning and Snacks & Sweets.

Within these categories, they stock the bestselling products with the best prices negotiated daily from their partner stores, without a mark-up. A quick comparison check I did showed that a lot of the items we use at home are about 10-30% cheaper than other online grocery stores. I know because I like to compare prices and get the best value-for-money deals haha... and it's so much easier {and faster!} when it's done online (｡^‿^｡)

For example, a staple at my home, Quaker Instant Oatmeal Smooth & Creamy 1kg refill, costs S$4.40 in Family Market, but S$5.10 at FairPrice online and S$4.80 at RedMart. Or even a bottle of Dove Beauty Nourishing Body Wash 1L costs S$9.30 in Family Mart, and S$9.75 at both FairPrice and RedMart. Prices correct as of yesterday, Thu 29 Jun 2017.

There are currently around 500 products in this new Family Mart, and they are adding new products to it daily based on market research and customer demand.

Browse through their offerings on the Family Mart website and use my promo link for extra savings! Spend a minimum of S$50 for free delivery and a concierge fee of S$3.99 applies.

Family Market is a part of honestbee, an online grocery store where you can get your shopping from different stores in one order, on the same day AND within an hour #woah

While other online stores available in Singapore can only deliver from one store or inventory, honestbee does not stockpile goods in a warehouse. Instead, their trained shoppers go to stores near you and hand pick every item when you place an order to ensure the widest possible choice of fresh, great quality items. You can even leave very specific instructions for them to follow "e.g. please ask the butcher to chop my meat & separate into 200g packs"!

I like that they have a customer service centre that's open from 9am - 10pm daily. If you want to change your 1-hour delivery time slot or have a question about your order, you can easily speak to someone about it. If your item is out-of-stock or changes need to be made to the order, they will always contact you first for your approval too.

Their partner stores include FairPrice, Emporium Shokuhin {Japanese gourmet grocer}, Le Petit Depot {French supermarket - has Carrefour value-for-money stuff!}, Jones the Grocer, Amazin' Graze, Gastronomia, The Providore and even farm-to-table wholesalers like Fresh Direct {fruits & vegetable from farms around the world} and Foodsterr {health & organic food from US & Australia}.

You'd definitely be spoilt for choice when shopping here *grins*

Promo: Use this link to sign up & get S$10 OFF S$50 at honestbee online concierge and delivery services. Valid for one month from date of your successful account activation.

*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for honestbee. All opinions are my own.

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New 3M LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light for Better Health & Well-Being

Lil Pumpkin has been using 3M LED6000 Polarizing Light for the past 3 years {her table has grown in size with her though! haha} and recently, we've been using the newly-released 3M P1610 Polarizing Task Light as well.

Like the LED6000 Polarizing Light, it is also fitted with 3M’s Polarizing Filter Technology, which consists of a 3M proprietary optical film to reduce glare by up to 80%. While most other lamps allow both comfortable and harmful light to enter, the 3M polarizing optical film only filters comfortable light through; at the same time, it converts the harmful rays into optimal lighting as well.

As such, only optimal light reaches the eyes - this not only minimizes the immediate eye strain to allow for longer hours of comfortable reading, but also decreases risk of long-term effects such as cataracts and macular degeneration {a leading cause of vision loss where a small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates}.

Did you know that the closer artificial lighting is to mimicking natural daylight patterns, the higher the person to be happier, and thus more productive??

Well, according to a U.S. study, for good circadian health, you should have higher amounts of light from cooler light sources at least two to three hours in the morning to mimic the sunrise, followed by a tapering off in light intensity towards evening hours, to a warmer and gentle light source to encourage calm and relaxation.

Following these findings, the LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light allows users to customize the light colour via a touch control to adjust the colour of the lamp according to the time of the day, or mood levels. The touch control is pretty sensitive and you only need a light touch to activate it. There are 5 colour selections from Cool White to Warm White.

When Lil Pumpkin is studying or when I'm working during the day, we use Cool White for increased alertness, and when I'm reading a book before sleeping, I'll use Warm White to help me wind down for the day as it encourages calmness and relaxation.

The same touch control also enables us to adjust the light intensity. For example, we can use higher lux levels for more detailed-focused activities such as studying or rainbow-looming that require brighter illumination, and lower lux levels for light reading in bed at night to relax.

The high-intensity light is even good enough for the boy to do his vet surgery in..

He tried it out once when his surgery light was spoilt and said it did its job haha... He also liked that the 3M LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light was fully adjustable and rotational {i.e. versatile enough to turn awkward angles}, and at S$289, was a good and cheap {relative to his S$3,000 surgery table light} back-up in case his surgery light spoilt again (*≧▽≦)

3M LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light is available in white and black. 3M has a wide range of polarizing lights and there are other table and floor lamps available with different prices and lighting qualities for everyone so check them out and make that change for the benefit of your eyes!

Available at all Popular bookstores, Best Denki and other leading retailers, while stocks last.

For more of  Lil Pumpkin's Primary School journey:

P1 Registration Experience

School Uniform Shopping @ Bibi & Baba

P1 Orientation Day
First 3 Days of P1
10 Types of Parents in Whatsapp Groups
First Primary School Parent-Teacher Meeting for P1 Sem 1
Short Pixie Bob for School
Ergonomic School Bag Shopping & Tips for Choosing One
JUMPY Plus Kids Smartwatch for School
What's An Appropriate Slumber Party Age for Kids?
3M LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light to Protect Eyes When Studying

For tips on P1 preparation:

Comparison of Popular Maths Enrichment Classes

20 Things to Buy for Kids Entering P1

20 Tips from Other Parents for Kids Entering P1

25 Advice Tips from the School for Kids Entering P1 

20 How to Learn Chinese Tips

 
 *Disclosure: This is a review for 3M Singapore. All opinions are my own.

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