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posted on April 19, 2013 by

3M LED6000 Polarizing Light

Sponsored Review

When we moved into our current home, K and I had a debate over whether the lights should be warm yellow or cool white. Being the bookworm that I am, I insisted on cool white so that every corner of the house would have optimal lighting for reading or other near work such as sewing. K, however, felt that warm yellow lighting would make the house more welcoming, whereas cool white tends to make everything look clinical. I won that argument, so our house is so brightly lit, surgeons could perform surgery in it.

As it turns out, my reasoning was a bit too simplistic. One shouldn’t just consider colour temperature when choosing lights. According to Dr Lee Sao Bing, an eye surgeon who is also the Medical Director of the Shinagawa LASIK and Eye Centre, lights that are overly bright cause glare which strains the eye while making it more difficult to see. Proper lighting, therefore, should reduce glare.

Light flicker is also an important consideration. Quick and repeated changes in light intensity are caused by fluctuations in the voltage supplied to a light. Although we don’t always realise that a light is flickering – we notice it only at a frequency of 50 Hz or fewer – our eyes do, and they make their displeasure clear in the form of eye strain or headaches.

I think we all know when we experience glare, and we’re bothered when a fluorescent tube goes on the blink, but we don’t really associate these two things with long-term eye health. The 3M LED6000 Polarizing Light, however, reduces both glare and flicker, so you can make your kids revise for their exams for as long as you like without having to worry about them going blind. Like so:

3M LED6000 polarizing light

Notice the ventilation holes on the top housing? That helps heat dissipate from the lamp. This maintains LED performance at 70% light output even after 50,000 hours of usage (a very long time).

We have been long-time fans of 3M’s table lamps, having owned lamps from when they first started making them. Since I already have an older-model lamp on my desk, I installed the LED6000 on Alison’s study table. This lamp is definitely a lot sleeker than the other two that we have, and the funky green colour is a plus for kids. Alison particularly likes adjusting the brightness levels of the lamp and adjusting the lamp head to suit. Compared to our older lamps, the LED6000 is also a lot lighter and easier to move around.

You can control the brightness and turn the lamp on or off by running your finger along the touch dimmer.

You can control the brightness and turn the lamp on or off by running your finger along the touch dimmer.

We’re hoping that 3M will come up with a floor lamp model next. Since we moved in, K has removed some of the bulbs from our ceiling lights in a bid to conserve electricity (two bulbs per light and several lights in a room made it really, very bright) so a sleekly designed floor lamp would be welcome in the living room. How about it, 3M?

The LED6000 retails at $269 (w/GST) and is available now at Best Denki, Homefix DIY, Popular Bookstores, UrbanWrite, Prologue and other leading retailers.

I received this lamp from 3M for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Advertorials/Sponsored Reviews Tagged With: ,
posted on April 5, 2013 by

Anniversary dinner at Museo.

Sponsored Review

Our 13th wedding anniversary was on 31 March but since K was still in Portland, we didn’t get to celebrate on the day itself. Things have been a little crazy around here since he got back and we had no big plans to mark the occasion. But Museo invited us to a food tasting session, so the timing was perfect!

Museo is a restaurant and barroom rolled into one, and replicates the social painting setting that Arteastiq – its sister cafe – has become so popular for. The restaurant overlooks One 15 Marina Club and there’s a nice view of luxury yachts floating serenely in their docks. We were given a banquet sofa table by the window, so we kicked off our shoes and stretched our legs. It was quite relaxing, after a tiring long day. I felt like we were on holiday. I guess that’s the whole idea of Quayside Isle, where Museo is located – you don’t feel like you’re in Singapore at all, although it’s “manufactured”.

Looking at the rather extensive menu at Museo.

Looking at the rather extensive menu.

My dinner companion.

My dinner companion.

Museo’s specialty is Dine-in-a-Cup. Every dish features at least one double-walled glass cup. I thought it was very pretty but these cups wouldn’t last a day in our house! We were served a selection of four Mezzanine appetisers (all $12 each), each named after an art piece and served in the aforementioned cups. They were:

  • Joys of Life – smoked roast pork belly served with chilli sauce
  • Smile of Mona Lisa – deep-fried camembert cheese with a cranberry sauce dip
  • Three Musicians – soft shell chilli crab served with sweet and savory tomato-chilli sauce
  • The Kiss – BBQ squid with chilli and peppers

Of these, I liked the Smile of Mona Lisa best. I’m lactose intolerant, but I’m a sucker for cheese of any kind. The cheese nuggets were great on their own, as well as with the cranberry dipping sauce. Although the pork belly was very crispy, it was a tad dry. As for the soft shell crab, the chilli sauce was quite pedas! Very yummy, though. I’m not a big fan of squid so I only tried a bit. The gravy was mild and not particularly outstanding.

Mezzanine selection at Museo.

Our Mezzanine selection.

I have to say that if you’re a small eater, finishing four Mezzanines will leave you quite satisfied! We followed up with a shared shrimp cocktail salad ($12) that was really, really good. The prawns were fresh and succulent, and were matched perfectly with guacamole and tomato salsa.

Shrimp cocktail salad at Museo.

Shrimp cocktail salad.

Usually, K and I eat and run. We don’t linger over our meals because there’s so much to do and so little time. This time, however, we appreciated the generous lag time between each course. We had time to chat, look out the window and generally chill out. It also helped the food settle a bit before the next round arrived. I rarely drink, but I tried one of the 30 cocktails that Museo has on its menu – Strawberry Fields Forever, which has vodka, wild strawberry liquer, citrus and egg white. K called it a girly drink, but I liked it because it was light and fruity, if not particularly memorable.

Strawberry Fields Forever cocktail at Museo.

Strawberry Fields Forever cocktail, $18.

We picked the two recommended entrees, which were the pan roasted cod fillet with scallops, and mushroom risotto ($33) and the two way lamb ($35). K had the cod – I tried some and really liked that the taste of the fish was not overpowering, and the flesh was nice and firm. The mushroom risotto was very good, too. I could have eaten a bigger serving of that as a meal. In fact, I wished I’d been predictable and ordered the cod. I usually order fish whenever we dine out because I’m not a big fan of red meat, but decided to live dangerously and order the lamb at Museo, because I occasionally like to compare how restaurants cook it, to how my mother does the annual Christmas lamb. After I’d finished the rack, the shepherd’s pie was a bit too rich to finish. I think the lamb is best shared – it’s a strongly-flavoured meat and you really can’t eat too much of it in a single sitting.

Two Way Lamb, $35, at Museo.

The lamb rack with the shepherd’s pie in the background.

Once we’d sufficiently recovered from the mains, we moved on to the dessert. Again, we ordered the recommended items. K had a warm chocolate lava cake with a scoop of yuzu on top (I forgot to note the name of this dessert and its price), and I had strawberry crumble, also with a side of yuzu. I found the strawberry extremely tart and couldn’t continue eating it once I’d finished the crumble, but the yuzu gelato was lovely, as yuzu invariably is. K loved his chocolate lava cake and finished every last bite of it.

I guess it’s no surprise that by the time we were done, we were feeling rather sleepy! The restaurant staff offered to set us up for painting but I told them that I’d rather not offend their eyes with my non-existent art ability. It was a really laid-back yet decadent anniversary dinner, which struck just the right note for us.

Museo
Quayside Isle
31 Ocean Way, #01-22
Sentosa Cove, Singapore 098375
Tel: 6734 8066
Open Sunday to Thursday: 1.30pm to 1am, Friday and Saturday: 1.30pm to 2am

Our meal was sponsored by Museo. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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posted on March 12, 2013 by

Confession of Murder.

Sponsored Review

Some people may balk at doing things alone, like eating a meal or watching a movie. I enjoy it. It’s partly because of my innate introversion, and also because I seldom get time that is 100 per cent my own. So I was very happy to watch Confession of Murder all by myself, when I received a free pair of tickets to review the movie. I did ask a couple of friends if they wanted to join me because good things should be shared, but they were all busy. Anyway, I got some precious me-time. In the company of about a hundred strangers, but still, me-time. I even got a back row standalone seat so I averted my usual bad luck with seat-kickers.

Confession of Murder

If you’re too lazy to click the link above, here’s the gist of Confession of Murder: serial killer is on the loose, cop tries to apprehend killer but fails, 15 years later the statute of limitations on murder expires, guy claims he’s the killer and writes a bestselling book, real killer shows up and things start to get rather interesting.

The movie is loosely based on the unsolved serial killings of 10 women, which occurred in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, in the late 80s and early 90s. It stars veteran actor Jung Jae-Young as down and out detective Choi Hyung-gu, and pretty boy Park Si Hoo as self-proclaimed serial killer Lee Du-seok in his big screen debut. Here’s the trailer:

 

I entered the cinema expecting a nail-biter in the tradition of Shiri, which I really enjoyed and have watched many times. About 15 minutes in, it became patently clear that Confession of Murder is a completely different animal. Part whodunnit, part farce and part social commentary, it has some stellar moments that are evocative of the media-saturated, entertainment-fuelled, appearance-obsessed times in which we live. One scene featuring groupie schoolgirls picketing for the self-confessed killer is really not so far off from crazed fans going wild at a Justin Bieber meet-and-greet. The strident disconnect between the expected reaction when a killer reveals himself, and the adulation that is displayed instead is a stark example of how effectively the giant machine that is the entertainment industry manipulates minds. In fact, by the end of the movie, you realise that the whole thing is a web of intrigue spun (pun fully intended) in the name of justice.

Cultural critique aside, there are plenty of rather innovative stunts that had the audience alternating between gasps and laughs, and enough drama to make the whole thing believable enough – which is all you want from an action movie. Buy popcorn.

Confession of Murder (rated NC16) is out in GV cinemas 14 March.

I received a complimentary pair of tickets to review this movie. All opinions and text are my own.

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posted on March 4, 2013 by

Dinner at Beanstro.

Sponsored Review

K and I were invited to a food tasting session at Beanstro, an American-style restaurant that’s a spin-off of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Beanstro just opened at Ngee Ann City a couple of weeks ago, following the success of its maiden outlet at Marina Bay Sands. The menu is pretty extensive and features quite a few all-day breakfast selections for those of you who like to have brunch on weekends, as well as standards such as salads, sandwiches, pasta and meats. And of course, signature Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf drinks.

Beanstro

Beanstro Takashimaya.

Decor at Beanstro.

Very cosmopolitan interior. I liked the orange-upholstered banquettes. The whole place feels warm and inviting.

K and I were pretty famished when we got to Beanstro, despite having wandered around in the Takashimaya basement and sampling biscuits that were on sale there. We’re not big eaters, so we were rather surprised by the very generous portion sizes of the food that we ordered.

We started with the soup du jour ($8), which was cream of mushroom. I don’t have a picture to share, but the soup was pretty run of the mill, with just a few bits of mushroom floating in it. The calamari on the other hand…

Calamari at Beanstro

Hand-cut calamari with dill honey mustard, $8.

Few places do calamari well – the squid is often sliced so thinly it resembles Victoria Beckham, and the batter is soggy. Not so the hand-cut calamari at Beanstro – the squid was generously cut and springy, and the batter light and crispy. K, who is a calamari connoisseur, was well pleased.

Tuna nicoise at Beanstro.

Tuna nicoise, $19. Beanstro-recommended dish.

K’s eyes actually rolled up in his head when he took a bite of the yellowfin tuna loin. I am still learning to love salads, but I like the fact that there was a nice sprinkling of sesame seeds for extra bite and flavour. The dressing was not overdone, allowing the natural flavours of the ingredients to come out.

Squid ink vongole at Beanstro.

Squid ink vongole, $26.50. Beanstro-recommended dish.

I tried the squid-ink vongole since it was recommended. This is really an aglio olio in disguise. I found it a bit too hot, but then again I’m not a good judge of pedas because I have a low threshold for it. Otherwise, it really tasted like any other aglio olio, with the exception of the squid ink and the clams on top.

Sirloin steak at Beanstro.

K’s 200gm sirloin steak, medium well done.

K liked his sirloin steak, but noted that the doneness was not quite even all the way through. He thought the inclusion of capsicum in the veggie bed was a nice counterpoint to the taste of the meat. The gravy was flavourful and not too salty.

Creme brulee at Beanstro.

Creme brulee, $10.

I have a terrible weakness for creme brulee, so I just had to try Beanstro’s version. It arrived in a big coffee cup – I was pretty stuffed by now and wondered how I’d be able to finish it. The little bits of strawberry on top were tangy, which took the edge off the sweetness.

Peach mango blended swirl yoghurt at Beanstro

Peach mango blended swirl yoghurt, $6.50.

K’s weakness is affogato, and Beanstro does serve it, except that their machine was down on the day we visited so he couldn’t get his fix. He settled for the peach mango blended swirl yoghurt, and thought it was pretty good. He kept wondering whether it would be rude to ask to “ta pao” it so that he could finish it at leisure!

Service at Beanstro.

K getting some advice on what to order in place of affogato.

We both ordered americanos ($4.70), thinking that it would come in a standard-size coffee cup. Instead, it came in a tall glass mug. This is possibly the biggest cup of coffee I have ever been served. If I’d not just stuffed my gob, I might have been able to down the whole thing. I have no idea what bean or blend was used for the brew, but it was nice – nutty and not at all acidic. Just the way I like my joe.

Americano at Beanstro.

Looks like a pint of Guinness.

Beanstro is great if you like a hearty meal topped off with good coffee and tea, after a spot of shopping. I found the service prompt and unobtrusive, despite the fact that the restaurant was running at full capacity that night, with not a single table empty. The grub was more than decent, so I think we will be back to try the all-day breakfasts – this time with the kids.

Beanstro Takashimaya
391 Orchard Road #B1-37
Ngee Ann City
Singapore 238872
Tel: 6235 1610
Open Monday to Sunday 8am to 11pm

 Our meal was sponsored by Beanstro. All opinions expressed are my own.

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posted on February 15, 2013 by

3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors goes snip snip!

Sponsored Review

I’ve been very good this Lunar New Year and have not had a single piece of bak kwa. However, people keep plying us with boxes of it. To prevent himself from eating sheets of fatty jerky at one go, K broke out the Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors, which we received from 3M, to cut up the bak kwa into smaller pieces.

3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors

3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors.

We have two pairs of scissors at home – one pair is brandless but made in Japan; the other is by a well-known maker of kitchen accessories. Here’s a pictorial comparison between the 3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors and the no-brand scissors:

IMG_0634

3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors on top, and generic scissors on the bottom. See the groove near the hinge on the 3M scissors? That prevents the scissors from slipping when you cut items with smooth surfaces.

I didn’t photograph the branded scissors because it’s unsightly. That pair has been with us for several years now, and is showing its age. The blades are not detachable so despite our best efforts, the hinge is rusty.This shouldn’t be a problem with the 3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors.

3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors.

Blades are easily detachable with a flick of the wrist.

After posing for a couple of photos, K was hungry, so we got down to the business of cutting the bak kwa. Only one piece because that’s evil enough!

The micro-serrated blades are designed for cutting through tough stuff like meat and bones, so bak kwa was a breeze.

The micro-serrated blades made cutting a breeze. The handles of the scissors are ergonomically designed so your hand won’t ache after cutting tough stuff like meat and bones.

We tend to use our kitchen scissors for more than cutting food. It’s the go-to tool for everything from crafts to plant-pruning. Since the scissors is exposed to so many sources of bacteria, keeping it clean is a challenge.

That’s why I appreciate anti-bacterial qualities in a scissors. Because the blades of the scissors are detachable, it’s not only easy to clean and dry, the specially-treated surface of the blades makes them bacteria-resistant and less susceptible to rust.

Washing is easy!

Washing is easy!

With three pairs of scissors in the cutlery drawer, I think the 3M Scotch Premium Kitchen Scissors is sure to become a favourite. Get your pair for just $19.90 for the detachable version (which I recommend) and $15.90 for the non-detachable version at all all leading hypermarkets, supermrkets, D.I.Y. stores and major bookstores.

Filed Under: Advertorials/Sponsored Reviews
posted on December 12, 2012 by

Give your kids a health Boost!

Sponsored review and giveaway

When I was a kid, I remember having to queue up along with my siblings for our daily dose of cod liver oil. I detested the taste of it and would try all ways and means to avoid my tablespoonful. But my parents stoutly believed in its health benefits, so I held my nose and gulped it down as quickly as I could before rinsing out my mouth to get rid of the fishy aftertaste.

Kids these days have it a lot easier though. Not only is cod liver oil a thing of the past (I rarely see it in supermarkets and pharmacies anymore) they now get their vitamins in the form of chewables that look more like gummy candies than vitamins. Still, I have problems with Alison who is super fussy about the taste of the vitamins I buy. Unlike Zoe who eats every supplement handed to her with gusto, I rarely have any success in getting Alison to take her multivitamins and probiotics. So when OceanHealth offered to send me samples of their new OceanKids health supplement range, I decided to see if Alison could be won over.

IMG_4322

Each supplement has its own mascot - Cory the Cow for Bone Boost, Freddy the Fish for Brain Boost, Robbie the Rabbit for C Boost, Bessie the Bee for Immune Boost and Larry the Lion for Complete Boost.

The OceanKids range consists of five supplements – C Boost, Immune Boost, Bone Boost, Complete Boost and Brain Boost, all of which are formulated to enhance a child’s immunity, brain function and physical growth. Each gummy comes in a fruit flavour making six flavours in a bottle, except for C Boost which comes in orange flavour only. Here’s what’s in each supplement:

C Boost (S$24.90, 60s)
As most people know, Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant to guard against free radical damage, boost immunity, speed up wound healing and promote healthy gums. Two gummies of C Boost daily provides 150 per cent of the recommended daily intake for kids aged 2 to 4 years, and 100 per cent for those aged 4 and up.

Bone Boost (S$24.90, 60s)
Kids need calcium to support their rapid bone growth but they don’t always get enough, particularly if they are lactose intolerant or don’t consume enough calcium-rich food in their diet. Bone Boost supplements dietary intake of calcium with Vitamin D to improve absorption.

Brain Boost (S$39.90, 60s)
Omega 3 acids are essential fatty acids for the body, but many of us don’t get enough of them through our diet. Omega 3 is thought to reduce inflammation, which helps kids with conditions such as asthma. It’s also important for neurological development and growth. Brain Boost has both DHA and EPA fatty acids derived from tuna fish oil.

Immune Boost (S$24.90, 40s)
Immune Boost combines the herb echinacea, a popular traditional remedy for colds and flu. It also adds Vitamin C for free radical protection and zinc for rapid healing to the mix.

Complete Boost (S$24.90, 60s)
This is a complete multivitamin with 15 essential vitamins and minerals, fortified with fruit and vegetable extracts and fibre. I checked the ingredient list and I like the fact that this multivitamin is not overloaded so it’s a true complement to a balanced diet. Only Vitamin E and folic acid are 100 per cent of the recommended daily intake for kids aged 2 to 4 years.

For once, Alison was adventurous enough to try eating something new.

Fruity gummy supplements.

So, how did these supplements fare in Alison’s taste test? Like me, Alison doesn’t have a sweet tooth and prefers savoury to sweet any day. She’s a kid who prefers swallowing horse pills to syrup when she’s sick. But she gamely tried one gummy from each supplement, chewed it then gave her verdict after. Brain Boost and Bone Boost got full marks – she said she liked them and would definitely eat them again. Complete Boost got a “I’ll eat it again if I have to” because the gummy she ate was sour. She found C Boost “too orangey”, which I take to mean too much flavour in a single gummy, although Zoe nicked one and said she liked it! Alison didn’t like Immune Boost very much because it tasted “artificial”. It was probably the echinacea, which has a very distinctive – and some say, unpleasant – taste.

All in all, I think it’s pretty good that she’s willing to eat three of the five supplements. At least now I know where to look when I need new supplies of vitamins for the kids as OceanKids is easily available at Guardian, Unity, Watsons and other leading pharmacies and department stores. No more wasting money on blindly bought supplements that Alison refuses to eat.

Now, on to the good stuff!

OceanHealth is very generously giving away three complete, full-size sets of OceanKids supplements! That’s right, up for grabs are three sets of the Brain Boost, C Boost, Complete Boost, Immune Boost and Brain Boost supplements! All you have to do is follow these instructions to the T, and your kids might just start the New Year on a healthier note:

1) Like the Wee Stories Facebook page
2) Like the OceanKids Facebook page
3) Leave a comment on the OceanKids Facebook page on the importance of proper nutrition
4) Don’t forget to include your email address in your post to be contacted if you win

You must do all four steps to qualify, so don’t cheat!

Please note that:
1. Only winners will be notified.
2. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
3. Winners will be notified via email.
4. This contest is open to Singapore residents only.
5. Limited to one entry per person

Giveaway will close on 19 December 2012, at 11.59pm. Good luck!

Filed Under: Advertorials/Sponsored Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
posted on October 2, 2012 by

XD 6D Motion Ride Theater

Sponsored review

Remember I said that I’m not a thrill-seeker? I was thinking about when I started being a scaredy-cat, and I think it was when I rode the rickety roller coaster at Genting Highlands as a child. I remember feeling real fear and screaming my head off as the coaster seemed to go within a hair’s breadth of veering off the cliff. For a long time after that, I refused to go near roller coasters. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I rode one.

Naturally, it was with a bit of trepidation that I accepted an invitation to try the new XD 6D Motion Ride Theater. Never heard of 6D? I hadn’t either – it stands for your usual 3D plus wind effects, lighting effects and motion technology i.e. moving seats. Opened last month at the Singapore Flyer, the theatre offers three thrilling films at a time, rotating every six months to keep things fresh. The current offerings are Canyon Coaster (the most popular ride), Ravine Racer and Jet and Jin. The latter is suitable for younger children like Zoe. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to try any of the rides, so she waited outside for us.

The theatre has only 10 seats so it's fun to go in a group with friends and family. Each seat has a lap belt - if you feel sick at any point during the ride, unbuckling it will deactivate the seat's movements.

I have to say I was a tiny bit worried about trying the Canyon Coaster, especially when I heard the screams coming from the people who rode before us. But since it’s the most popular ride, we gave it a go. Alison loved every minute of it and motion sickness-prone K was thankful that it didn’t leave him green. As for me, I’ll confess to half-closing my eyes at some points, but enjoying the experience nonetheless. It actually reminded me of the mine car chase scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

We also tried the Ravine Racer and I enjoyed this ride more. I may not like theme park rides, but I do get a thrill from driving fast and Ravine Racer brought high-speed high jinks to mind. This ride is tamer although it goes faster, so if you want to ease gently into things, start with this before you attempt the Canyon Coaster.

IMG_3729

Alison's verdict: FUN!

If a wuss like me can stomach and even enjoy the XD 6D theatre, so can you! There’s a special introductory price now of $16 for adults, $14 for kids aged 6 to 13 years, and $14 for seniors aged above 60. Kids need to be 1.2 metres and taller to ride, and if you’re pregnant, wait till the bub pops out before you go.

XD 6D Motion Ride Theater
The Singapore Flyer
30 Raffles Avenue #02-09
Singapore 039803
Open 9am to 11pm daily 

 

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