Repair My Skin - Ho Seh!

[Sponsored Review]

The first thing I did when I was introduced to La Roche Posay, was to google how to pronounce the brand coz it looked rather like Ho Seh (good or great)! If people ask me and I dunno how to pronounce, also damn paiseh. Anyway for those dunno know to pronounce it accurately like me, you can click on the youtube video below to listen to the pronunciation -

Next I wondered to myself, why the hell would I want to review some beauty cream? My face already no cure, cannot repair unless I use some plaster to smoothen out the pockmarks on my thick skin. That was until I sat through the presentation, and realized that La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is not a beauty cream but a balm meant for a myriad of common skin problems, for the whole family. It works wonders on sensitive, itchy or irritated skin, so said the super convincing product executives at their head office. They also mentioned that the product is absolutely safe, even for toddlers and babies below the age of 3. Perfect for nappy rashes and infant redness too I was told.

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The Product

Cicaplast Baume B5 is not free (although you should read on to find out how you can snag a tube from me), but it is fragrance-free, paraben-free, lanolin-free and steroid-free! With its triple-action complete formula, it is supposed to -

• Optimize skin recovery with the [Madecassoside] + [Copper - Zinc – Manganese] 
• Soothe dry, irritated areas with the [5% Panthenol] 
• Protect the skin with the [Shea Butter: Rich, nourishing texture] + [Antibacterial Agents]

Comes in 40ml and 100ml tubes.

Self Test

So that is where I come in, as a parenting blogger with kiddos who may encounter skin problems, such as rashes or dryness at times. The first thing I did when I went home that evening, was to look for a suitable subject. I know my kiddos may get heat rashes or nappy rashes sometimes. At other times they might have allergic reactions or even itch too. But this time, everyone had PERFECT skin. How to test?

This blob of balm covered the entire surface of the top of my hand.

Thus I tested it on myself, just so to try out how it feels after application. I am someone who HATES putting any cream or lotion on myself as I hate the feeling of greasiness. As much as I love foot reflexology, I also hate the oily feeling on my feet, be it Nivea cream or whatever oily concoction. However after applying Cicaplast on myself and although it left a little shine, my fingers didn’t feel that greasy and it was absorb by the skin pretty easily. No strong smell as well.

Kiddy Test

I had a break late one night when the wife shouted to me to get into the room. She then pointed at Stacci’s back and said, “there, do your stuff!”. You see, Stacci happened to have a case of rashes and her skin flared up. I applied the balm on her that night and instructed the wife to apply on her again in the morning. By the time I returned home in the evening, the redness had fully subsided on her skin!

The balm worked well on the rashes on Stacci and took merely two applications to see visible results.

Alright this is the end of my review on Cicaplast and thank you for reading. You must be thinking WTH right? Like that also can? Or course cannot lah! It definitely worked well on our simple case of rashes on my little gal, but how would it perform on more serious cases of eczema, chapped skin, itching or sensitive skins that the company executives claim it is effective on? This is why I need you to help me out on testing the efficacy of the balm too, and I will send you a tube to try out!

The Challenge

This is what I need you to do –

1. Post a recent photo of your problem area (no suggestive photos hor) under the comment of this Facebook post before 2359hrs on Fri, 06 May 2016.
2. I will contact you if you are selected for the review.
3. Take a BEFORE photo of your problem area (good resolution but don’t need to show face)
4. Commit to 10 days of slapping on of balm on your problem area twice a day.
5. Photo-document it over the period, with the same angle and lighting condition.
6. Pass me all the photos via Email and give us your verdict / review on the balm.

I sure hope that the balm works as well for you as it did for my little gal. Meanwhile you may also wish to check out their official website for more information or follow them on Facebook for any promotions.

Where to buy?

Watsons and Guardian stores sells Cicaplast Baume B5 at $21.90 for the 40ml and $45 for the 100ml tube. But you can generate a special promo code here, that will entitle you a free gift worth up to $15 with any purchase. This offer is valid till 31 May 2016 and valid for purchase at the following stores only -

Watsons Ngee Ann City 

Watsons Toa Payoh 

Watsons Bugis 

Guardian Paragon 

Guardian Vivocity 

Guardian NEX 

Dermacenter @ Westgate

Instagram Photo Contest

To enter, all you need to do is to purchase Cicaplast Baume B5, use it, and then show the results on Instagram by hashtagging #repairmyskin. Well if I were you, I will probably show the product as well of course. You stand to win a La Roche-Posay hamper worth $200!

The HDB Flat "Marriage Proposal": What Happens During A Divorce?

You've probably heard of that supposedly unromantic HDB flat 'marriage proposal', in which one party (usually the guy) broaches the topic of marriage by popping the (Singaporean) question: "Dear, shall we get an HDB flat?" But have you ever wondered what happens to the HDB flat when it's a case of 'happily (n)ever after'? How does ownership of the flat get affected during the divorce procedure in Singapore and what happens to your HDB flat in a divorce that happens early on in the marriage, or if a split occurs BEFORE you even get the keys to your flat?

The new flat we are waiting for. Applied before Louie was even conceived and now he is already 2 years old.

The culture in Singapore is so different from other countries when it comes to courtship and getting hitched. I can still remember how the mother of my then-girlfriend told me about the HDB flat that her neighbor was selling and that I should have a look at it. Mind you, I am not complaining, since I am happy with my choice. Upon her mother's advice, we bought the flat and got married, based on that 'HDB proposal' - her mother proposed that I buy the neighbor's HDB flat, I agreed, and the deal was sealed.

But, as all of us already know, not all marriages end with a 'fairy-tale ending'. Some couples don't even get the chance to be married as the relationship has soured before they got the keys to their BTO flats. Mine was a resale flat so we could get the keys pretty quickly, but many things can happen during the 5-year waiting period that couples have to endure while their BTO flat is being constructed. Besides getting over the heartbreak, one would still have to deal with the loss of the 10% deposit for the flat which can easily be upwards of S$20,000 (which is a rather conservative figure already).

I have mixed feelings about this rather unique culture of ours. On one hand, the requirement that a couple needs to get married in order to get an HDB flat to call their own has probably given couples a real incentive to get married and subsequently have children. But on the other hand, would the deposit paid upfront for the purchase then become the additional “penalty” they have to bear in the event of a failed relationship? Would that be considered adding salt to their wound?

Hopefully, there's no couple out there that is still together because of this potential financial setback, instead of choosing their own (separate) happiness. I only can offer this piece of advice: Choose wisely - both the flat and the life partner. Like I tell just about everyone, I am indeed a VERY lucky guy!

Revamped eXplorerkid @ Downtown East!

[Media Invite + Giveaway]

Our kiddos are eXplorerkid members since the longest time and we had been to eXplorerkid's flagship outlet at Downtown East many times. But ever since the satellite outlet at AMK Hub opened in 2011, it had proven to be a much more convenient place for our family to visit!

The kiddos got to meet Enzo and Kayla again! 

And of course we were really excited and we got there really early during the media preview. Look at the how the kiddos looked longingly at the play area as we waited and kept asking when we can get into the park!

Looking longingly as we were really early for the day.

Brand new shoe changing area with lockers for your valuables too.

The first area that pique our interest was the Sand Play area. At the back of my mind I was thinking that this was crazy. Imagine how often they need to clean the place up with the rowdy kids. That was until I realized that these were kinetic sand and not normal sand. So yeah, all is well!

Fun with sand but minus the mess! Sand castles and shapes were super easy to mould and looked awesome too!

Leroy had fun moulding the weird feeling kinetic sand.

And they stay in shape pretty well!

The activity rooms were all upgraded and looked pretty cool. You can almost imagine yourself to be in some fairy tale story. Very colourful, and I feel that these would make the perfect venue for any kiddo's party! You should really check out their birthday party promotions here, when everything is still brand new!  

I had a glimpse into the party room, Looked bright and cheery!

We checked out the Toddler Play Area that is dedicated for kiddos below 4 years old. There are ball pits suitable for their heights, play houses, little slides and even kiddy rides. Lots of fun, even for Louie but the older siblings definitely loved role play too!

Stacci loved the kiddo slides because she dare not take the tall one!

The small ball pit that Louie would climb up and down on his own.

Look how fun it was for little Louie!

The playhouses are great for the kiddos to act out their inner job desires!

The girls enjoyed their cooking in the playhouse for sure.

The boys had fun exploring the ship interior and throwing balls at each other!

Climbing around in the tunnels.

One can also take a rest and catch a movie if feeling tired.

The Mega Play is a challenging course meant for kiddos above the age of 4 and features a range of obstacles where one will need to climb or crawl to reach the different levels. Easily the most popular attraction within the park. Closely resembles those hamster cages and adults can follow the kiddos inside too, if your back can still take it!

Big sister Steffi helps keep an eye on little Louie so that I need not have to follow them everywhere!

Getting ready before coming down the tall slide! Although not really suitable for him, but Louie enjoyed the adrenaline rush too! 

There's also a bigger Lit Ball Pool near the toddler's area with colour-changing lights that add a different feel to the ball play. It may be a little deep for toddler's though but most would enjoy "swimming" in the pool.

Steffi taking good care of Louie as he first gets into the pool.

Stacci is enjoying a swell time here though!

And finally we got to try the Adventure Highlands! This play area requires an additional $5.50 per circuit and they have just added a new lower level for kiddos below the height of 110cm. This is perfect for the kiddos to try out and parents can walk alongside them as they build their self confidence. Great for parent-child bonding too, before they get older and progress to the higher level!

Getting dressed up and being given a safety briefing before starting.

He sure enjoys walking through the various obstacle courses!

Hanging on to his dear life!

The kiddos can also try out rock climbing for free at The Cliff! This is of course a very basic wall, not very tall but with the necessary cushion nevertheless. It is great for kiddos 5 years up and for the aspiring spider-kiddos.

Steffi is trying it out, with ease.

While Leroy is hanging for his dear life!

Useful Information

Address: 3rd Floor, E!hub, Downtown East, 1 Pasir Ris Close, Singapore 519599
Operating Hours: Off Peak (Mon - Fri, 12pm - 9pm) and Peak (Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday, Gazetted School Holidays, PSLE Marking Days, 10am - 10pm)
Admission and Play Rates:

Giveaway Alert!

It will be selfish of us to only play and not share the fun with you. Hence we are giving away 2 vouchers of 2hrs play (peak hours) each at E!hub, to 2 lucky readers who follows the step listed below by 2359hrs on Sun, 08 May 2016!  

Giveaway Instructions

1. Follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook Page and Instagram Account;
2. Follow eXplorerkid Facebook Page; and Instagram Account;
3. Like, Comment on who you would bring along if you win, and Share this Facebook post; and 
4. Do Tag your friends responsibly if you think they deserve to win too!

Help us exceed 2,000 likes for our Facebook page and I will throw in another pair! Help us share the good news ok?

Mother's Day 2016 @ Fish & Co. Glasshouse

[Media Tasting]

I read with sadness on the impending closure of Fish & Co.'s biggest and most popular outlet at the Glasshouse, next to Park Mall come June 2016, after over 14 year's of operations. Having dined there a couple of times already, I had always loved the ambiance. It was unlike any of its other outlets.

We visited the outlet recently to try out their Mother's Day Deluxe Platter which will be available at all outlets (except Vivo City, Waterway Point and East Coast) from 27 April to 8 May 2016. To be absolutely honest, the platter did not look as tasty or appetising as it really was. But the moment I started on the mussels and clams, I just couldn't stop and neither can the rest of the family!

The platter is chockful of seafood goodness, with succulent mussels, scallops, clams, fish fillet, tiger prawns in chili cream mushroom sauce. The sauce wasn't really spicy nor overpowering, and I was slurping it with along with our paella rice! Don't miss the mushrooms, bacon bits and chicken chorizo beneath too!

Fragrant paella rice that you can eat on its own, but would taste even nicer with the chilli cream mushroom sauce!

If you are still thinking of where to bring mom for a meal for Mother's Day 2016, you may wish to consider the Mums In The (Glass)House dinner event to be held on 8 May 2016 from 5.45pm to 8pm, exclusively at Glass House @ Park Mall, 9 Penang Road, #01-24, Singapore 238459. 

The set meal for 4 persons is priced at S$130nett and consist of the following -

Crispy White Baits
Grilled Calamari Mother’s Day Deluxe Platter for 2
Shrimp & Clams Aglio Olio
Best Fish & Chips
4 Soft Drinks and
2 Hot Fudge Cakes

But that's not all, you also stand a chance to win a 4-Night cruise vacation with Costa Cruise and CTC Travel! A total of 3 families will each win a cruise vacation for 4pax worth $4,316! Winners will be announced on Fish & Co.’s official Facebook Page on 13th May 2016. 

To Register

• Sign up at any Fish & Co. outlets or email your interest to marketing@fish-co.com by 28 April 2016.

• Take $10 off the bill when you send a picture of you and your mum + a short clip with your Mother’s Day message.

Thus in total, you can get $10 return voucher as well as $10 off your bill direct if  you fulfil the two steps above. Steady right?

And soon, the outlet shall only remain in our memories.

Outlet Locations 

1. 91 East Coast Road, Tel: 6440 5337 
2. AMK Hub #02-03, Tel: 6555 6298 
3. Bugis+ #04-07, Tel: 6338 2836 
4. Changi Airport Terminal 2 #036-058, Tel: 6546 4485 
5. Clementi Mall #04-33/34, Tel: 6659 0049 
6.  Downtown East #01-40B, Tel: 6583 3039 
7. Glass House, The Park Mall 01-24, Tel: 6334 1858 
8. Jurong Point #02-20E, Tel: 6898 4248 
9. NEX Mall #B1-05/06, Tel: 6634 4230 
10. Novena Square #03-11, Tel: 6255 7001 
11. Paragon #B1-35/36, Tel: 6733 0938 
12. Seletar Mall #03-22, #03-K4/K5, Tel: 6341 6577 
13. Sun Plaza #03-15/16, Tel: 6481 9192 
14. Tampines One #04-11, Tel: 6260 0183 
15. VivoCity #02-116, Tel: 6224 3176
16. Waterway Point #B1-18, Tel: 6385 9061

Emicakes Mother's Day 2016

[Review and Giveaway]

The wifey got a pleasant surprise from Emicakes when we received not one, not two but FOUR cakes from Emicakes for each of the 4 kiddos to celebrate Mother's Day with her in advance! They had actually came up with 4 different design/flavors for their Mother's Day cakes promotion for this year, but introduced a further 9 different flavors too! Hence we got lucky this time and got to try out quite a few from the different series! 

Triple Treat Cakes

The cakes from this series come with two different layers of fluffy mousse and a chocolate fudge cake base. Great as an after meal dessert with a good cup of coffee!

If you love cherries, then you will love this 3-layered Cherry Mocha Fudge that comes with a top layer of fluffy white chocolate mousse with cherry bits!

Misu So Much

The name is a play on the popular Tiramisu that one would have at least tried once in their lifetime. And now instead of only the usual taste of coffee liqueur, Emicakes had give a twist and new live to the misu!

We had the Mocha Oreo Misu, which tasted like your traditional Tiramisu but with a hint of the Oreo cookie bits.

A Match-A Made In Heaven

I was told that these cakes were made from high-grade matcha from Japan, a country well-known for its love for green tea and its high standards. Hence this serie is considered their premium cakes and the Ul-Tea-Mate Macha we had, was indeed fragrant. The chocolate covered almonds also gave it the added crunch.

Green tea lovers rejoice! This Japanese inspired Ul-Tea-Mate Macha cake would please your tastebuds! Not too sweet and with a slight bitterness from the green tea. 

Mother's Day 2016

There a total of 4 limited edition Mother’s Day cakes this year, consisting of their most popular cake flavours and beautifully hand-crafted with intricate floral designs. The missus was impressed with the design while I devoured the D4 durian with gusto! Prices range from $29.80 (15cm Authentic Yam) to $101.50 (20cm Premium D24). Check out here for more details and placing of order!

The premium D24 durian cake rocks, any time, for any occasion!

The handcrafted flowers were really pretty! 

Giveaway Alert!

The awesome peeps from Emicakes had kindly offered 3 cakes as a giveaway to you, our readers! 3 lucky readers who follows the step listed below by 2359hrs on Sun, 01 May 2016  will stand to win a 15cm cake of their choice (worth up to $63.10) from any of the series featured above!  

Giveaway Instructions

1. Follow The "Perfect" Father Facebook Page and Instagram Account;
2. Follow Emicakes Facebook Page; and Instagram Account;
3. Like, Comment why you would love to win this giveaway, and Share this Facebook post, 
4. Do Tag your friends responsibly if you think they deserve to win too!

But this is not all, Emicakes will sponsor two more cakes for this giveaway if we exceed 2,000 likes for our Facebook page. Go give us your greatest support by getting your friends to like us too!

Meanwhile check out Emicakes website for more information!