[Mommy's Day out - Part 2]

Due to crazy work schedules, i have not been able to complete my mommy's day out the last time i visited the delightful Dot. Luckily, she has been able to do another day out session for me, this time it includes something I've been wanting to try out for quite awhile now. All my friends have been raving about this amazing manicure treatment - yes! it's the Gelish manicure!! Dries hard as nails, it does not chip, does not peel, dries almost instantly after application, does not look fake (unlike plastic extended nails). It is almost too good to be true! Especially if you know how klutzy yours truly is, I have always steered clear of getting manicures done, as it seems such a waste of money to have it all nicely done up, then just after one modelmaking session in the office, or baking with the kids, the entire nail polish chips off or my nails get torn etc. You know the feeling - that of walking out feeling like a million dollars with perfect mani / pedi, just to have the nails blemished as soon as you do any activity more strenuous that typing on the keyboard! And having to live with the blemished nail until the next treatment which could be anywhere from 2 weeks to a month away! I really hated that, which was why I ended up not having any manicures done at all.... I spent a blissful 90min having a full mani/pedi and even a paraffin wax spa and witnessed the magic of the Gelish manicure - just 5 min under the LED light - poof! Baked to perfection. :)

True to it's word, I'm already at the end of the 1st week of my polish life span. Not a nary of a blemish anywhere to be seen! I'm soooo happy to have found this and thanks to Dot, it is a really cool way of looking like a million dollars (without actually having to pay that much!) Next time I'll try the French Manicure, but the Gelish version of course! So, if you're like me, super klutzy and can't get your regular manicure to last more than a day - you definately need to try this out! And the deal that is currently at Dot's is super worth-it (esp since these are Power Nails! haha... they last longer than the regular, so you def make your dollar streeeeetch!)

The blurb:
Gel nail manicure - $60 OR
6 gel nail manicures - $320 (Guinot Istitute Hydrademie OR "peel in, peel out" (U.P. $160) FREE!
Plus no extra charge for removal of existing gel polish (U.P. $30)

If you take away the cost of the facial, it works out to be really affordable at only $27 per manicure - (or $700 worth of treatments for only $320!) a really good deal if you ask me!

PLUS: if you quote this blog, say "GraceKate", Dot will also throw in the following at HUGELY discounted rates:
1. Hydradermie treatment - $68 (U.P. $160)
2. Gel Manicure - $28 (U.P. $60)
3. Dolly Lash Perm - $28 (U.P. $60)

So, yup! I believe that we mummies should treat ourselves once in awhile, and what better way than to take a mummy day out and pamper yourself with any of the above.
This is what it looks like in liquid form - mine had a little bit of glitter in itOther stuff - top coat etc....
I've also started to get back to pottery making! What a delight that the manicures were so tough and can withstand all that clay work :)
My lovely nails - and a very grubby table! hah!
Dot also has a large range of Chanel colours - yummy ones for pedicures - which don't really chip off so easily so we didn't do a Gelish colour on them.
Little known fact - Do you know that most of the OPI carrying salons in Singapore are not approved? I didn't, and also didn't know that you could even have FAKE nailpolish!
And yes, Dot's on the list!


And yes, i did promise to update on my attempt at being a grownup - well at least where the whole beauty regime is concerned.... :) So, I went back to Dot for my followup Guinot facial. I must say that overall, i definately felt that my face texture and skin is a lot less dry, and when makeup is applied, it went on more evenly and was absorbed better. Hopefully this means that i'll be able to age as gracefully as Audrey Hepburn.... haha. I'm now fully converted to maintaining a proper skincare regime - wash, tone, moisturize - repeat after me!!

Now, next on my list of "me" upgrades - looking properly at the food we eat and coming up with a more or less healthy diet!! (especially after watching Food Inc, which has TOTALLY put me off fast food for life!!!)

[sand, sun & sea - part 2]

The girls loved cycling so much that we decided to do another 'whole day' sunday out to East Coast park with them. This time, we were well-prepared, we brought our picnic mats, our beach toys and all the other picnic periphenalia that goes with the outdoors.
We also parked at a different portion of the ECP, although more crowded at the start, it was nearer to the Southern portion of the park, where it was much quieter and the terrain was flatter too. The best thing about it had to be our "rent 1 hr, free 1 hr" cycle deals. And to make the deal even sweeter, the bicycle shop was so nice to the girls, we first rented 2 adult bikes with child seats (as we didn't think the girls would be able to last cycling on their own for 2 hrs!), then, after the 1st hour, we swapped for 2 bikes with training wheels for each of the girls... then the last half hour, the uncle at the shop said we could swap AGAIN for bikes with no training wheels for G! So, in total, the girls had 2 bikes each to play on, PLUS G had a chance to start 2-wheeling on her own size bike! Fully recommend this bike shop - it's the one just on the right of Mcdonald's. You can't miss it!
Loving sisters - unfortunately, this does not happen very often, although last Sunday has to be record amount of time spent together not squabbling!
Checking out the ants on the ground while V tries unsuccessfully to steal a group shot with his girls.
Jeans - too small for G, too big for K - but i think she looks super cute in them!K's elaborate hairdo.
Cuddling up with K - cherishing these moments when I can still pick her up, cuddle her and snuggle close. There are no shots of me and G as she was too busy checking out the flora and fauna, didn't even want to stay still for a shot!
G on the bike with trainer wheels
K on her own bike - she said to me after this - why didn't you tell me there were bikes MY size! :) heh... she absolutely loved the independance...G with V - a daddy's rite of passage - teaching his daughter the 2 wheeler. I still remember my dad teaching me probably on the same stretch of pavement along the ECP!
K on her bike- LOVE her cheeky face!
G with V - such a big girl now!My little leopard! Climbing and jumping from up high is irresistable to her!

[sand, sea & sun- Part 1]

These past 2 weekends, we have been making our way all the way East to enjoy the 3 S's by spending the whole day there. Now that the girls are older, only K needs her afternoon nap. And sometimes she can even go without.... We are finding it easier to just pack up enough activities for the whole day, almost like if we were on holiday! It definitely brings back memories of my own childhood, where our family with cousins will head down to ECP whenever there was somebody organising, and later when we were older, it became a tradition to while away the hours with dad while mum worked on her shift on a sunday.

It all started as we started the morning with all great intentions to bike around town, starting from HERE. Our friend's uber cool shop in a lesser known part (but becoming pretty trendy!) of town by the singapore river rents out bikes by the hour.
Unfortunately (or fortunately in this case), they didn't stock trainer wheel bikes, so that leave us without the option of having G bike together....
The girls were already all prepped up with wanting to go for a bike ride, so after a little bit of a wander around the area, we packed them up and headed off to East Coast Park.
Clowing around along Robertson Quay....
V took K on a bike - she absolutely loved it! It has to be the 1st time she remembers sitting on the bike. The last time we did this, she was probably too young to remember....
G had her own bike, as you can see from this expression, she was having the time of her life!

Watching G cycle around like a hyperactive spider!
Taking a much needed break by the sea.
Best place for a "potong" icecream
Ice cream eating style #1
Ice cream eating style #2
Ice cream eating style #3
They loved the trip out, we ended it off with a cooling off session at the nearby library... coming up next - our day out to ECP (again!) the following weekend!!
Just had to post this up too - every since G discovered Piano Lite app on the iPad, where she has been teaching herself how to play "my Grandfather's Clock" on the piano, she has been bugging us to teach her how to play it "properly". Here she is trying to get K to play a simpler song. So cute!

[July Giveaway!!]

A very good friend of mine P, who has now moved away to perth (boohoo!) - made this little top that K's wearing. I own a few of her lovingly handmade items and they are one of the best tailored garments in my wardrobe :)

The reason for a mention in this blog is that she's having a whole dress giveaway on her blog for the month of July!

DO CLICK now for the chance to win.