How To Create Your Baking Starter Kit

There is no better time to bake than now!

In these stressful times, it is a good idea to find a healthy outlet to help you cope. A friend of mine and a couple of others have shared that they found peace in baking. Baking helps to distract you from the hard-hitting news brought by the pandemic. It also restarts your mind by keeping you engaged. Besides, just a whiff of a freshly-baked batch of cupcake and cookies can put your mind at ease.

What are you waiting for? Entertain yourself and your family by creating your own baking starter kit!

#1: DO YOUR RESEARCH

Baking is a combination art and science. You exude your creativity through using colorful decorations and unique ingredients. On the other hand, things need to be precise. Take your time when baking. Take your time when reading the recipe and formulating the best mixture. Start by knowing the most common baking equivalents.

Here are some of the common baking equivalents:

2 cups = 1 pint

2 pints = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup

#2: UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE

As with any field, baking has its own jargon. How can you read a recipe correctly when you cannot understand the commonly used terms? You need to educate yourself with the commonly used terms such as caramelize, combine, cream, stiff peaks, and whip.

a. Caramelize – to heat a sugar substance until it begins to turn brown.
b. Combine – to stir the ingredients together until mixed.
c. Cream – to beat sugar and butter together until a light, creamy texture and color has bee achieved.
d. Stiff Peaks – to whip egg whites or cream to the point at which a peak will stand completely straight up and out of the foam.
e. Whip – to stir briskly with a whisk to incorporate air.

#3: PURCHASE THE ESSENTIAL TOOLS

If you are a beginner baker or a master baker, it is helpful to gather the essential baking tools. Some of the essential tools include rolling pin, pastry brush, rubber spatula, wooden spoon, hand mixer, and measuring cup. Let me introduce you to some of these tools.

a. Measuring Cup – a tool that helps you to bake with precision. Having the full set of measuring cups and spoons is a must. It is better to have a set as you will be needing to measure both dry and wet ingredients accurately. Measuring cups usually come in a set of one cup, ½ cup, ⅓ cup, and ¼ cup. Measuring spoons usually come in a set of tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon.

b. Wooden Spoon – a sturdy tool that can help you stir various ingredients such as the thickest and heaviest dough. It is best to hand-wash your wooden spoon to prevent cracking.

c. Hand Mixer – an electrical or a manual kitchen tool consists of a set of beaters attached to a gear-driven mechanism to rotate the blades of the beaters. It helps to automate repetitive baking tasks such as stirring and whisking.

#4: CONSIDER BUYING A BAKING KIT

If all else fails, purchasing a Do-It-Yourself baking kit. As a newbie baker, you may be lost when it comes to finding the right ingredients to create a delicious cake or cupcake recipe. Fortunately for you, local stores offer Do-It-Yourself baking kits. It not only saves you time, but also some trips to the grocery!

a. DIY CHOCOLATE CAKE KIT BY JANICE WONG

Janice Wong, an award-winning chef, has brought her treats to our homes with the launch of Bake at Home. Her website includes baking tutorials and step-by-step baking recipes. While you cannot have her to for you everyday, you may create your own masterpiece with her DIY Chocolate Cake Kit.

It retails for S$42. The price is inclusive of: 1 Chocolate Cake Premix, 90ml Milk, 85ml Water, 30ml Olive Oil, 1 Egg, 1 Packet of Cream, 300g Cacao Barry Inaya 65% Dark Chocolate, 2 packets of Mini Chocolate Pearls, and a Cake board.

b. DIY CAKE DECORATING KIT BY 25GRAMS BAKERY

If your looking for vegan options, look no further than 25Grams Bakery. Their DIY Cake Decorating Kit retails for S$60. The kit includes a 6″ White Frosted Chocolate Cake, 4 frosting colors, Assorted Sprinkles and Sugar Balls, and 2 pairs of disposable gloves. As this kit focuses on the cake’s presentation, you may invite your child to help you in the kitchen.

c. DIY CUPCAKES KIT BY BAKEIN1

You may impress your family and friends by whipping up sugary treats such as lychee rose cupcakes, Nutella cookies, and molten lava cakes through the help of Bakein1. All you need is an oven and the ingredients inside their baking kits.

The Red Velvet Cupcake kit retails for S$23.90. The price includes the flour mix, frosting pack, and so much more. Check out their available recipes in their website!

Image Credits: unsplash.com

When baking, it is important to have fun. Everything tastes better when you are having a good time while making it. Do not roll your eyes. There is truth in this!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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Xiaomi launches new Doraemon-themed Mi 10 Youth 5G smartphone for ¥2799 (~S$555)

Calling out to all Doraemon fans!

Xiaomi celebrates the 50th anniversary of Doraemon (哆啦A梦) by launching a new Doraemon-themed Mi 10 Youth 5G smartphone. The new smartphone which was announced yesterday is now available for pre-order on the Xiaomi China’s website and is expected to start shipping from 1 September 2020.

The Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset and comes packed with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. It also sports a 6.57-inch AMOLED display and a quad-camera setup on the back featuring a 48MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide angle lens, a periscope lens, and a macro lens. It has a 4160mAh battery and supports 22.5W fast-charging.

The limited edition phone is currently available for ¥2799 (~S$555) on Xiaomi China, Mi.com. The set comes with a free Doraemon-themed cover and a Doraemon figurine.

You can try to order via third-party forwarder such as ezbuy to get it shipped to you.

Alternatively, the phone may soon be launched on their Taobao store on Tmall, so you can order directly and get it shipped to Singapore.


Get Free Samsung Galaxy Buds Live (worth S$288)

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Experts advise on the art of writing a resume to increase your chances of getting that interview

Picking out a resume

The job market is tough out there. But we’re glad to hear that more jobs and traineeships in the healthcare sector will be made available for fresh graduates and mid-career job seekers.

In fact, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Wednesday (Aug 26) that the government will implement new programmes to bring in business investments, support local entrepreneurship, and create “good jobs” for Singaporeans.

But job vacancies mean nothing if you aren’t able to land yourself an interview because of a poorly written resume. Hear from the experts on the art of crafting a resume if you want to increase your chances of getting that interview and eventually signing that job contract.

#1: Go beyond copying and pasting of your roles and duties
Copy-and-paste

Image Credits: Soda PDF

“Resumes should clearly express your value proposition and achievements, and not merely a copy-and-paste of your roles and duties,” said Lim Kai Ning, the head of social impact at CareerSocius, a social enterprise that helps job seekers in Singapore ramp up their personal branding.

Harry Suresh, the founder and CEO of ResumeWriter Asia, a recruiter licensed by the Ministry Of Manpower suggests job seekers highlight their achievements.

“In their work descriptions, candidates list only their day-to-day responsibilities, which simply shows that they can do their job. Achievements, on the other hand, show they excel at it,” he said.

#2: Watch that length, style, and structure
how long should a resume be

Image Credits: ProViso Consulting

Length

While it’s advisable for you to list your achievements, don’t overdo it. Remember, you’re not writing an academic essay. “Some people submit really lengthy resumes with too many descriptors. The best resumes pack a punch and are succinct,” said Lim.

A maximum resume length of two to three pages is generally acceptable for a mid- to senior-level job seeker, said Suresh. “As a rule of thumb, the more concise a resume, the better.” For fresh graduates or those with lesser than five years’ experience, keep your resume within two pages, he recommended.

Style

“It is better to spell out certain abbreviations in full and not assume that all employers widely recognise them,” Lim said.

As for fonts, Suresh recommends using serif fonts such as Garamond, Cambria, or Georgia for longer documents or paragraphs of text as they look formal, professional, and easy on the eyes. A font size between 11 and 12 points for the body text is appropriate.

He also added that san serif fonts such as Lato or Helvetica are suitable. “These are less common than Arial or Calibri, and more likely to catch recruiters’ attention,” he said.

“You can also have titles or headers with bigger font sizes than your main content to guide the reader in differentiating between each section of your resume,” she advised.

Structure

“Key skills should be listed near the top of the resume; this is essential to communicate core skill sets to recruiters at a glance,” said Suresh.

#3: Prioritize the right information
Prioritize the right information in your resume

Image Credits: G2 Learning Hub

With so much to include, how do you prioritize the right information to include in your resume? Suresh directs job seekers to focus on their most recent roles as they are more likely to be relevant to one’s current career goals.

“For roles that are five positions or over 10 years back, jobseekers can often limit it to the job title, company, and dates.”

Lim said, “Ask yourself these two questions: ‘What value did I bring to my previous role?’ and ‘If someone had the exact same job scope as me, how were my contributions different from his?’. The crux is to tease out what makes you unique, and hence, a notch above the other candidates.”

“For someone who has held multiple positions over a period of time, highlight different skills and expertise across the various positions instead of repeating them.”

#4: What to leave out in your resume – salaries, photos, and school activities
What to leave out in your resume

Image Credits: AMCAT.com

Omit your expected and last-drawn salaries, unless it’s necessary as stated in the job post. “It might be better to negotiate it directly when the job offer is being extended to the individual or to disclose an expectation during the interview stage,” said Lim.

She also informs us not to include our photo if it’s not a compulsory action. This is to prevent any unconscious biases during the selection process. “They are typically required only for frontline jobs (for example, sales), or when specifically required by the employer during the application stage.”

Suresh stated that those with over three years’ experience can omit CCAs, school projects, and other school activities. But for those without much experience, listing them down “may help demonstrate transferable and essential skill sets, such as leadership and interpersonal skills, which can’t otherwise be conveyed”.

#5: Choose the right tone for your cover letter
resume-vs-coverletter

Image Credits: SweetCV

Lim advises job seekers to do their research on the company’s culture and style to determine the tone – whether casual or professional. “Cover letters are slightly more emotive and you can use the opportunity to showcase your purpose, passions, and strengths in a strategic manner.”

“Avoid using vague, passive words like ‘assisted’ or ‘supported’ that do not indicate much about your scope of contribution.” Instead, use action words like “initiated” or “revamped” to show your active role while working in the company.

As with all things, don’t overdo it. Exaggerating excessively may come across as inauthentic.

To add on to what Lim said, Suresh recommends using straight-to-the-point sentences and cutting out buzzwords – even articles (“a”, “an”, “and”, “the”) and pronouns (“I”, “me”, “who”) – for the best impact.

Take a look at these two sentences:

  • Directed team of 12, managing annual sales pipeline of S$12m
  • Sales ninja, responsible for growing the brand’s synergy

Which do you think is the better written one out of the two? If you guessed the first, you’re correct. According to Suresh, using action words and substantiating your claims with metrics will appear more credible and confident.

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Swarovski x Wonder Woman: Limited-edition jewellery collection launched with prices from S$129

Swarovski x Wonder Woman collection

Fans of Wonder Woman will rejoice at this limited-edition jewellery collection launched by Swarovski. Do you know that the fictional superhero and founding member of the Justice League has a specific day set aside for her? Day of Wonder, on October 21, commemorates the day of Wonder Woman’s very first appearance in the ALL STAR COMICS #8. Day of Wonder is coming up in less than two months!

Know of a woman in your life that reflects the character of empowerment? Get the limited-edition jewellery collection for her.

Let’s have a look at what’s available.

#1: FIT WONDER WOMAN NECKLACE, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

FIT WONDER WOMAN NECKLACE, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

Price: S$129

This Swarovski necklace features a combination of clear Swarovski crystals on a mixed metal finish that forms the Wonder Woman symbol. In combination with everyday outfits, this necklace will wow any DC fan.

#2: FIT WONDER WOMAN HOOP PIERCED EARRINGS, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

FIT WONDER WOMAN HOOP PIERCED EARRINGS, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

Price: S$149

Adorned in sparkling Swarovski crystals, the ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ symbol dangles from mixed metal finish hoops. You can also remove the symbols to create a more subtle everyday look. We think this pair makes a great gift idea for the superwoman in your life.

#3: FIT WONDER WOMAN BRACELET, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

FIT WONDER WOMAN BRACELET, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

Price: S$149

Similar to our previous listing, this bracelet features the heroine’s symbol from the new movie ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ in sparkling Swarovski crystals. The symbol is fixed to two rhodium-plated chains.

#4: FIT WONDER WOMAN PIERCED EARRINGS, GOLD TONE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

FIT WONDER WOMAN PIERCED EARRINGS, GOLD TONE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

Price: S$279

This pair of pierced earrings presents to us the gold-tone plated strands dangling from the ear studs shaped like stylized wings. Sparkling Swarovski crystals make these earrings a perfect complement to your glamorous outfits.

#5: WONDER WOMAN BROOCH, GOLD TONE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

WONDER WOMAN BROOCH, GOLD TONE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

Price: S$279

Here’s a stunning brooch that forms part of Atelier Swarovski’s new collaboration with Warner Bros., which celebrates the release of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’. The gold-tone plated design is an inspiration of the character’s protective golden armour and sparkles with an array of light-coloured crystals in different cuts.

#6: WONDER WOMAN PENDANT, WHITE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

WONDER WOMAN PENDANT, WHITE, GOLD-TONE PLATED

Price: S$329

This piece is one of the matching items alongside the Wonder Woman brooch shown in the listing before this. Feel bold and beautiful in this feminine design, which comes on a chain. You may also get the gold-tone plated ring to play match-up.

#7: FIT WONDER WOMAN CUFF, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

FIT WONDER WOMAN CUFF, GOLD TONE, MIXED METAL FINISH

Price: S$379

We look forward to the day when the pandemic is over and large-scale events can resume. When that day comes, we can proudly put on this amazing Swarovski bracelet in sparkling clear Swarovski crystals on a mixed metal finish.

View the rest of the Wonder Woman limited-edition Swarovski jewellery collection here.

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Useful skincare tips from aesthetic doctors like the well-known Dr Georgia Lee and more

Asian woman with good skin

More often than not, we find ourselves googling for information on everything and anything. With so much fake information out there, it’s wiser to hear from aesthetic doctors themselves than to trust that article written in 2012.

Hear directly on skincare tips from aesthetic doctors like the well-known Dr Georgia Lee and more.

#1: Dr Georgia Lee of Dr GL
Dr Georgia Lee of Dr GL

Image Credits: herworld.com

“I recommend using a product that helps to increase the penetration of other products that come after. Also, I believe not everyone needs a moisturiser over the whole face. This step can be skipped if the particular area on your face is acne-prone and oily.

Next, it is important to understand that the skin undergoes changes during the cycle and not all areas of the face are suitable for one particular type of moisturiser. I recommend the concept of layering. Start with a light, gel-based moisturiser and add on a lotion only on areas that are needed.

Additionally, we should never neglect to apply sunscreen over the eyelids as UV rays can accelerate collagen degradation as high as five times and neglecting this step can accelerate eyelid laxity. Find one that is safe for the eyelids.

Lastly, now that many of us are using facial masks, this can cause redness and breakouts. Reduce usage on AHA or retinoic-based products over the covered areas. If you are using reusable masks, ensure that the detergents used to wash your mask has been thoroughly rinsed out.”

#2: Dr Melvin Tan of Epion Clinic
Dr Melvin Tan of Epion Clinic

Image Credits: herworld.com

“It is important to incorporate a number of elements in your routine. For example, the use of a cleanser, toner, chemical exfoliants like AHAs, serums formulated with retinol or hyaluronic acid; and of course, a moisturiser.

Speak to your doctor on how best to apply. Just keep in mind that the rule of thumb would be cleanse, tone, exfoliate, apply serums, slab on some moisturiser and proceed with sunscreen.”

#3: Dr Rachel Ho of La Clinic
Dr Rachel Ho of La Clinic

Image Credits: herworld.com

“Give a skincare product at least three to four weeks before making a verdict on whether you see any improvements, especially for anti-ageing products. The skin cells renew every 28 days for most people, so some products like retinoids may require that duration for results to be seen. 

If you are unsure, my tip is to minimise your skincare steps because your products may be interacting with each other to reduce each other’s efficacy or even cause increased irritation. Additionally, it is important to be consistent with using your product to know if it is working.”

#4: Dr YX Lum of IDS Clinic
Dr YX Lum of IDS Clinic

Image Credits: herworld.com

“Don’t over or under apply. Listen and respect the skin. The skin will tell you its needs. When it becomes dry and flaky, it’s thirsty and needs hydration. When it’s oily and breaking out, the bacteria and oil production has been thrown off balance. By respecting the skin and using skincare products according to its needs, the balance can be restored.”

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