UK road trip- suggested itinerary part 2

Finally gotten the time to pen down the next half of our road trip. Be excited!

Day 4
Edinburgh city

Scott monument

It's smacked right in the center of the city. With a small fee, one can climb the windy stairs up for a bird eye view is the whole city. We didn't go up because it was gloomy and rainy the whole day.

National gallery of Scotland

A good collection of artworks mainly from the Renaissance era. One can rent an audio guide at a discounted price. We chanced upon a group of nursery children playing in the gallery. Bing clicked with one of the girls and started playing building blocks with her.

Multrees walk

Heaven for shopaholic! From departmental stores such as John Lewis to luxury brands, multrees walk has everything to suit everyone's taste.

Day 5
Edinburgh city

Holyrood park

Breathtaking scenery and I'm sure you will get a fantastic bird's eye view of the city but there's just too many steps to negotiate with an eager toddler in tow. Authur's seat appearing like a giant guarding the city.

Edinburgh castle

This is one of the best attractions we visited! Huge castle which exhibited the crown jewels. Full of exciting stories about the Scottish history and army. There's a complimentary half an hour tour in which a castle guide will talk you through interesting and humorous facts about the castle. There's also demonstration about the equipments of an archer- very lively and interactive ways to show us how to survive in a battle.

St Giles cathedral

The cathedral looks so magnificent against the blue sky. Located just a short walk away from Edinburgh castle, one feel immersed in the medieval atmosphere.

National museum of Scotland

Great place to hang out! We were especially interested in the animal section because baby Bing was so fascinated by the animal sounds and interactive games. There's also plenty of space for him to run around and spend some energy. It's always interesting to learn about new facts.

Day 6 

Glasgow

As my convocation was held at night, we decided an impromptu half day trip to Glasgow which was an hour's drive away.

The Glasgow cathedral and necropolis were next to each other basking in the morning glory. We had a morning walk at the necropolis. It overlooks the cathedral and is a pleasant view of greeneries. The cathedral has one of the finest post war stained glass windows in the UK. 

We then spent some time at the children's park at Kelvingrove park. Besides viewing the amazing collections in the museum, we also had so much laughter chasing after the pigeons.

That concluded our 6 full days of roadtrip, mainly in Scotland. Very different from our first visit which focused around the London city and the main attractions. Till we meet again!

Half day road trip to Kemaman

This is Bing's first time visiting kemaman, together with my in laws and their family. A fruitful half day trip indeed.

We started the day visiting our favorite keropok lekor brand-- Intan.

The ladies were making fresh keropok on the spot. Besides the conventional fish cake boiled in water, they also served crunchy fish crackers. Dipped in their special chilli sauce, it just tasted heavenly. Best eaten when hot and fresh.

One can also buy home frozen or vacuum packed fish cake, albeit I really think they don't taste as good after being frozen.

Next stop was supposed to be Hai Peng Kopitiam. But all 3 branches were closed. So we went for brunch instead. 

Finally found the Ah Yan kemaman fish noodles. It's so good that they only serve one version of their noodles. Especially love their sambal which is so full of flavors with spicy chilli and sweet onion taste. 

A trip to kemaman is not complete without Satar and Otak-otak. Warung kak nab is the place to be. We were the first customers of the day.

 We love eating here because their fish is fresh with little coconut, salt and MSG. The chilli is also not too overpowering. Complement these with a cup of cendol or ABC. So colorful! Great tropical treat.

After filling our tummy, we headed to Cherating turtle sanctuary. It's a fine and sunny day. Baby Bing was so excited to watch the turtles. One of the turtles kept raising its head above the water, as if to welcome us. We also visited the turtle nesting area. With a small donation, one can also arrange releasing the baby turtles back into the ocean.

We had a fruitful weekend with our family. One does not have to spend much money for some quality time. Looking forward to the next outing!

The health benefits of skincare and essential oil featuring Skinsoss

I have fallen in love with aromatherapy. Not only do they make me smell good but there are also various health benefits. Recently I have starting using this essential oil series from Skinsoss.

Essential oils are super concentrated plant extracts. So they are as natural as it can be. Skinsoss skincare oils are produced in strict laboratory conditions in Melbourne which ensures their puriety and quality.

When vaporised, they relieve respiratory problems such as sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and sore throat. Essential oils can also be used with other carrier oils such as jojoba oil or rosehip oil for skincare or massage use. These carrier oils also contain vitamins A, E and C which are essential for good skin. Oils can be vaporised in a diffuser or burner.

Aromatherapy is a great stress buster. My hectic work schedule sometimes forbid me to even eat and drink or attend the nature's call. After a long day at work, it can be difficult to wind down. Vaporised essential oils help me to relax and  sleep better.

Scents are very powerful because pleasant smells can trigger positive associations and emotions from previous experience. They do so by switching on the relaxation pathway in the brain which is the parasympathetic system.

Besides aromatherapy, essential oils are also great skinfood. They hydrate and lighten the skin. Oils such as tea tree oil can also be used to treat acne, small cuts and fade scars. Lavender oil, on the other hand, has antioxidant properties which render it age defying.

My partner suffers from terrible hand eczema after years of scrubbing in for operation. His skin is extremely sensitive towards perfumed and soap containing skincare products. Therefore, he only has very limited choices in this regard.

All three geranium, lavender  and tea tree oils are potent antiinflammatories that soothe the inflamed skin. Essential oils can also be added into warm bath for soaking. When added to Shea butter, they make wonderfully scented moisturiser. When combined with carrier oil, they can also be sprayed to relieve itchiness.

All the above oils can be safely used in expecting and breastfeeding mothers with no known ill effects. When massaged, they can relieve backache, nausea and alleviate ankle swelling. There's no known birth defects from the use of essential oil. These are some tips about essential oil use in this population.

The benefits of essential oils are multifold. Appropriate usage rejuvenates the skin and the soul, as well as relieving skin ailments.

Adding personal touch to gifts featuring Printcious.com – Precious Gifts From Your Heart

 After 7 years of courtship and 2 wedding anniversaries, I ran out of ideas to give my hubby unique gifts. I have tried ties, watch, socks, shirts, mobile phones and even camera lens. We celebrate and exchange gifts on our birthdays, anniversaries and festivals such as Christmas. In the quest of something special, I came across Printcious which customises gifts. 

Providing a personal touch to a gift is very important in my opinion. It's a token that leaves a lasting impression. As I'm not a very artistic person, I let Printcious to help customising my gifts. It requires very minimal skills to make something that really touches the heart. 

Designing gifts is also fun. It's very satisfying to give and receive something customised for keepsake. For those wanting a dream wedding, giving out personalised door gifts is also a great idea. 

What are the types of gifts that one can create using Printcious? 

-mugs 

-puzzles

 -cushions (square or heart shaped)/throw pillows 

-ceramic

 -graphic tee 

- canvas 

-keychains 

The steps are easy but as suggested, it's better to design using desktop. This is my experience in customising a throw pillow.

 1. Choose the type of gift eg throw pillow

 2. Upload the image desired (only took a few seconds using mobile data. Pretty impressive) 

3. Edit the image (one can choose to crop, change the saturation and contrast of the photo)

 4. Insert the image (the photo can be easily adjusted by being dragged) 

5. Add in some funky text with the text editor that has so many fonts! 

6. Change the background color of the pillow. 

Not only can one design a gift for your loved ones, one can also design and sell your design! Maybe I'll also start designing a set of family graphic tees for the next function we are going to attend as a family. 

Starting a relationship is easy but maintaining it requires effort. One of the ways to keep relationships alive is through gifting. No matter how busy we are, we have to sit together as a family and celebrate precious moments together and exchange gifts. Otherwise, it's very easy to drift apart because of the busy schedule. 

Now that I have finished designing the gift, can't wait to gift it! Let's keep this an open secret because I would really like to see how my husband reacts to the pillow. Stay tuned to find out!

Eat clean for health featuring Mayter Lynn multigrain nutritious drink@Lazior

The obesity epidermic is getting rampant in Malaysia. Sadly, Malaysia is now the fattest country in South East Asia. This shouldn't be part of the Malaysia Boleh spirit. Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet are the main culprits- sounds like a cliché.

How to have a healthy diet? This diagram is called suku suku separuh and tells us the portion of various major nutrients that should be on our plate each meal. Much easier to relate to than the classic pyramid. Of those, a good amount of carbohydrate and vegetables/fibers are recommended.

Carbohydrate is an essential part of a healthy diet. But are all carbohydrates good? That's where the concept of glycemic index comes in. This is particularly important in those who have diabetes because low glycemic index food causes less rise in blood sugar.

Mayter Lynn is a nutritious beverage that contains 20 types of ingredients. These are mainly grains and cereals that have been proven to promote health, particularly via  reduced risk of heart disease and creating a healthy digestive system.

In other words, these are carbohydrate with low glycemic index! But they are also low in calories and contains no trans fat which clogs up your blood vessels.

It is also sugar, preservative and artificial colouring free. Therefore, those who have diabetes can safely consume this product. Furthermore, children older than a year, expecting or breastfeeding mothers can also enjoy this nutritious drink. That's fairly impressive!

Something so nutritious also comes with a great taste as well. Even though there's no added sugar，it's very palatable.

Look how much I enjoy drinking Mayter Lynn for breakfast. Because of the low glycemic index, it makes one feel full longer. Therefore, it's great for those who wants to reduce their calorie intake.

Start eating clean today and take charge of your own health!

How to get whiter teeth featuring Ibkeeo

Everyone wants to smile like the darlie advertisement. The quest for whiter teeth is never ending.

Sharing some general knowledge to minimise teeth staining

1. Avoid certain food-coffee, tea, wine, sports drinks
2. Ageing tears enamel layer of the teeth
3. Avoid smoking-tobacco stains
4. Good oral hygiene-prevent plaque buildup
5. It can just be inherited

How can teeth be whitened otherwise?
Food stains and plaque can be removed by scaling.

Otherwise, products such as whitening toothpaste and mouthwash can help as well. I'm going to discuss about mouthwash in this article. Read more from ADA about mouthwash in general.

Ibkeeo mouthwash contains menthol and fluoride as the therapeutic ingredients ie active ingredients to alleviate bad breath, gingivitis, plaque, and tooth decay. It is also alcohol free- alcohol can exacerbates oral irritations and dryness! 

Watch this very entertaining video on Ibkeeo Facebook page explaining the use of Ibkeeo mouthwash starring Name Wee.

Besides that, it also contains the following: 

-Korean ginseng to protect oral hygiene through anti-oxidation process and prevent tooth decay

-white peony is an antibacterial which controls bacteria growth

-allantoin is vital in whitening, strengthening, preventing periodontal and gum diseases

So how good is it?

Firstly, it has a unique brown color and strong ginseng aroma. Gargling reveals a slightly soury taste. Very different from other mouthwash. Comparing with other commercial mouthwash, I only need to gargle for 30 to 60 sec to kill 99.9% pathogens in the mouth.

This is my teeth before using the mouthwash. It's naturally stained. They were scaled about 9 months ago.

After using the mouthwash every morning for a week, it makes my breath smells fresh for the rest of the day. Even though the initial taste is quite strong, only a hint of pleasant ginseng smell is left in the mouth subsequently.

Ibkeeo is not only therapeutic but the whitening effect is also amazingly great. Include this mouthwash in your daily oral hygiene regime and enjoy bright smiles :)

Redcups coffee paradigm mall launch on International Coffee Day

Since daddy is busy at the conference, instead of cooping in the hotel, mommy decided to bring baby Bing out for a lunch date at Redcups coffee launch during international coffee day!

Coffee lovers, this is the place to be! Relaxing atmosphere, homey decoration with a cup of strong coffee. 

Kenny and the team welcomed us with their signature dark roast blend. Nicely rich with a slightly bitter taste, but it goes down the throat smoothly.

This is my fragrant cup of chocolate cookies  latte. Smells like soothing vanilla.

This is how a great cup of coffee is being brewed. The mighty coffee machine in action. Double espresso shot!

Combine this with plenty of foamed fresh milk :) can't wait to try this already!

Look at the skillful barista in action! We had our chance to do some latte art and it really needs speed and good coordination! Not easy at all! Definitely need to practise more. Before we could fathom what was happening, the art was already perfectly done. 

This is the perfect latte art. Makes the coffee looks even more inviting.

We were also greeted with this huge breakfast platter :) this can easily feed 2 to 3 adults and I savoured it with my beloved baby Bing. The 8 inch sausage is the star here. Simply irresistible! Combined with a great selection of deli meats, scrambled eggs, baked beans and fresh salad; the ideal way to chase away Monday blues. What's even better is that Redcups before 8am so you can have a hearty breakfast before work :)

We were planning to have some pasta but was already too full for main so we moved onto dessert instead.

If you have a sweet tooth, Redcups has a good selection of cakes. Baby Bing's favorite is the rainbow marshmallow cake. So colorful and pleasing to the eyes and palate. Everything just melts in the mouth, so spongy and light. The coffee cake was topped with crunchy praline and hazelnuts. Just the right theme to go with your cuppa on a lazy afternoon. Their cheesecake was densed, topped with macadamia nuts drizzled with a generous amount of caramel sauce. Definitely the right choice if you are a fan of cheesecake and dessert!

Now my readers! How can I deprive you of such wonderful food? I have a RM10 voucher @Redcups to giveaway :) because sharing is caring. How to win?

1. Like my Facebook page www.facebook.com/yingzangel

2. Share this post, tag 5 friends and set it to public

3. Comment I love Redcups below the post.

4. Like Redcups coffee page
https://www.facebook.com/redcupscoffeemalaysia/

For Malaysia residents only. The winner will be announced on 31 October. Good luck!