Unearth the benefits: How gardening can help your mental health

gardening from the doorstep

Gardening allows you to feel the sun on your skin, the dirt between your fingers, and the sweet satisfaction of a task completed.

Believe it or not, gardening can offer some serious blessings for your mental health. In this article, we will unearth some of the benefits of gardening and show you how to get started today.

How does gardening help with stress relief?

Focusing on gardening tasks can help you forget about your negative feelings. 

You’re so focused on weeding, planting, watering, and pruning that you don’t have time to worry about anything else. This is especially beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety or depression, as it provides a welcomed distraction from negative thoughts.

Interacting with nature has also been shown to increase self-esteem and mood. When you’re surrounded by plants and flowers, it’s easy to feel connected to something bigger than yourself. This can be incredibly grounding and provide a sense of peace that’s difficult to find in this digital generation.

Can gardening help improve your mood?

Gardening has been found to have a positive effect on mental health comparable to meditation and exercise.

The interaction with soil can stimulate areas of the brain that produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to influence mood, appetite, and sleep.

What are some helpful tips for starting a garden?
woman cutting fresh herbs for cooking

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Here are a few tips to get you started on your gardening journey:

  • Start small.

You don’t need a huge plot of land to start reaping the benefits of gardening. A few potted plants on your porch or windowsill will do.

  • Choose easy-to-care-for plants.

Not all plants are created equal when it comes to how much care they need. Do some research on plant species that are easy to care for so you can set yourself up for success.

  • Pick edible plants.

One of the best things about gardening is being able to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor. Start with a few edible plant species so you can enjoy the benefits of both fresh produce and time spent interacting with nature.

What to keep in mind when you’re gathering plants and supplies?

When you’re ready to add some plants to your home, it’s important to buy from reputable vendors.

Checking reviews can help you find a vendor with a good reputation for delivering healthy plants. It’s also worth considering whether the vendor offers delivery. This can be a great service to take advantage of if you don’t want the hassle of transporting those plants back home yourself.

So, if you’re looking for a way to boost your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your cognitive function, it’s time to start gardening. Just be sure to choose plants that match your gardening abilities, and take the time to read up so you can enjoy the process fully.

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7 Budget Tips for Chinese New Year 2023

When you consider all the additional expenses involved in Chinese New Year (CNY), it can come with a huge price tag. On top of handing out all the red packets, there is the expectation of buying new clothes and throwing family parties.

Given the festive atmosphere, it is easy to throw away your hard-earned money and year-end bonus to achieve an extravagant Chinese New Year celebration. However, a prosperous celebration can happen without breaking the bank.

#1: CONTROL THE SNACKS

Mandarin oranges and delicious CNY goodies are sold everywhere you go. With the recent price hikes, you may want to reconsider how much you spend on snacks. Allocate a fixed amount for snacks and focus on the festive snacks that you think your family members and friends will enjoy.

#2: MANAGE YOUR ANG BAO

For married couples, you must begin by paying off your financial commitments and setting aside a portion for the red packets afterwards. This will help you keep your finances in check. Please be realistic. You do not need to be competitive as ang baos or red packets are meant to be symbols of luck.

#3: REVAMP YOUR CNY CLOTHES

Buying new clothes for the festive season can be wasteful. Bring good luck by updating your previous CNY looks with accessories. You can also sell your old clothes and get extra cash to fund your new outfit purchase. Watch out for online CNY sales!

#4: LOOK FOR DINING DEALS

Restaurants may be closed for the holiday. If you are keen on taking your family to a nearby restaurant, opt for checking out food delivery websites instead. Catch special dining deals to help you boost your savings.

#5: GO EASY ON THE DECORS

CNY is all about attractive decorations. This year, you do not have to go overboard with countless lights and lanterns. If you still have last year’s decorations, be sure to reuse them this year. You can also watch YouTube tutorials to DIY your CNY decors.

#6: DONATE TO THE NEEDY

If you have received too many CNY gifts, consider donating them to the needy or sharing your blessings with family members and friends. This gesture of love helps save the environment too!

#7: SKIP THE OVERSEAS TRAVEL

Leaving Singapore for a vacation is popular during Chinese New Year. Group tours, air fares, and hotel prices often go up during the holiday season. If you are travelling with the entire family, you will be paying a premium price. Instead, you can book a staycation in the city or go for local tours. Take time to plan for the next year.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Sources: 1 & 2

 

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Bring Good Luck to Your Home with 2023 Feng Shui Tips

The Rabbit symbolizes longevity, peace, and prosperity in the Chinese culture. Having said that, we can look forward to 2023 as the Year of Hope. The Year of the Rabbit begins on January 22, 2023 (Chinese New Year).

The Rabbit is described as gentle, quiet, elegant, alert, quick, skillful, kind, patient, very responsible, and faithful to those around them. There are five types of rabbits including the five elements – Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. This year is the Water Rabbit. The Water Rabbit is known for being amicable, flexible, and gentle.

Increase your luck by wearing the luck colors of blue, green, and white. To welcome good fortune in your home this coming Chinese New Year, add touches of blue. You may also wear metallic colors such as gold, silver, and grey jewelry to increase your luck.

#1: FOR THE BEDROOM

It is vital to have your bed in a commanding position. You should be able to see the door, but it should not face you directly. Remove the clutter or obstructions in your bedroom. Moreover, you must be able to get rid of your aquariums or water bodies inside your bedroom. Water is meant to diffuse the fire, which can decrease your passion in the bedroom.

#2: FOR THE KITCHEN

The stove should be in a commanding position and the fridge should be tidy. A mixture of water and salt is recommended to cleanse off bad energy and attract good energy. Feng Shui advisors recommend using hues of green, blue, white, grey, yellow, and brown in your kitchen. You may also add red or orange or inspiration. No matter what happens, you must steer clear of keeping broken items.

#3: FOR THE BATHROOM

Bathrooms have the lowest source of energy. Hence, you must use light and warm hues like light blue, turquoise blue, green, peach, pink, white, creamy white, and yellow here. It is recommended to decorate your bathroom with oval mirrors and mellow lighting.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Feng Shui advisors strongly advise against the use of suspended harsh lights. Above everything else, you must frequently deep clean your bathrooms.

Sources: 1 & 2

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4 Places to Shop for Cheap Funko POP!

Fans of pop culture merchandise definitely heard of Funko Pop vinyl figures. Funko POP! vinyl figures are comparable to figurines and are based on video game characters, comic books, movies, and other icons. The collectibles offered by Funko POP! will make you nostalgic!

These figures have licensed characters from varying franchises with oversized heads and eyes and depict each character in different poses, sizes, outfits, and finishing. Aside from that, Funko POP! products come with attractive window box packaging. The packaging includes details of the characters and other collectibles from movies to icons in Dragon Ball Z, Marvel, Pokemon, and more.

The history of Funko POP! dates back to 1998 when toy collectors Mike Becker and Claudia Becker manufactured bobblehead figures. The business skyrocketed after releasing the Austin Powers bobbleheads. Afterwards, the company released the Funko vinyl line in 2010. The company aims to dominate pop culture with its trending merchandises including Disney, Star Wars, Stranger Things, Marvel, and DC.

Now, the company has over 8,000 different products worldwide and thousands of different franchise licenses. You can find something suitable for you and your loved ones!

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#1: CAROUSELL

Carousell is a Singaporean smartphone and web-based consumer to consumer and business to consumer marketplace for selling and buying new and pre-loved goods. It has Funko POP! collectibles for as low as S$2 to S$4. Some of the products here are used and others are new. Some have boxes and others do not. You can purchase diverse figures from Star Wars’ Poe Dameron to Supernatural’s Crowley. It also has movie icons such as Frozen’s Elsa and Breakfast Club’s Brian.

#2: LAZADA

Lazada Group is one of the largest e-commerce operators in Southeast Asia. It has PocketPop! and Funko POP! vinyl figures from S$9.90. Some of the top-rated figures include Joker Action Figure 337, Star-War Mandalorian with Baby Yoda, Tinker Bell 295, and PocketPop! Keychain IT Pennywise.

#3: SIMPLY TOYS

Simply Toys is founded for toy collectors with varios locations in VivoCity, Plaza Singapura, and SingPost Centre. You can find a lot of figures here including Funko POP!, Q Posket, and other pre-order comics. Funko POP! Keychain: Spider-Man: No Way Home S3 – Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man retails for S$9.90. Banpresto Naruto Shippuden Q Posket – Uchiha Itachi retails for S$32.90. While pre-order DC/Marvel comics have different price tags.

#4: SHOPEE

Singaporean multinational technology company that specializes in e-commerce Shopee provides a variety of Funko POP! vinyl figures and keychains. Keychains retail for as low as S$4.19. The vinyl figures such as Star Wars The Mandalorian retail for S$15.11 and Marvel: Year of The Shield – The Winter Soldier (838) cost S$14.90.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Sources: 1 & 2

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6 Best Places for Delicious, Under S$30 Steak in Singapore

Steaks do not usually come cheap. I am sure you have walked into a restaurant and glanced at the prices. Mentally, you are calculating the cost with the service charge and GST. Eating steak is something you eat on a bougie day. That should not always be the case!

A juicy, savory, and smoky steak can cure a sad day. Here are 6 Best Places for Delicious, Under S$30 Steak in Singapore:

#1: THE FEATHER BLADE

The Feather Blade has its loyal following with its bestseller The Feather Blade Steak (S$23). This steak is a no-frills, no-fuss steak. It can be ordered in your preferred doneness. Personally, I like medium doneness. How about you?

Apart from the steak, you can pair it with sides such as deep-fried Potatoes (S$9) or fragrant nutmeg and parmesan Spinach (S$8).

Image Credits: facebook.com/thefeatherblade

Location: 61 Tg Pagar Rd, Singapore 088482

#2: UNO BEEF HOUSE

Finding affordable steak to indulge in is quite the task because you have to get your money’s worth. In the slew of hawker centres and coffee shops, you will see the Western food stall called UNO Beef House. It is known for its sizzling hot plates of affordable steaks available in different cuts.

You need to try their Black Pepper Ribeye Steak, which comes with their signature fried potato ball, tomato, and baked beans. This is available in 3 cuts — sirloin (S$14), ribeye (S$16) and tenderloin (S$19).

Location: 51 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310051

#3: HAMBURG STEAK KEISUKE

What is better than an inexpensive steak? A cheap steak with a sprawling buffet spread. This buffet comes with salad bar and unlimited eggs too. We are talking about all kinds of eggs — from creamy scrambled eggs to fluffy tamagoyaki.

Visit Keisuke and try the Prime Beef Hamburg Steak Set (S$20.90) which is served tender and nicely charred on the outside. Alternatively, cheese lovers can order the Triple Cheese Prime Hamburg Steak Set (S$22.90). Cut it open and watch the cheese flow!

Image Credits: keisuke.sg

Location: 72 Peck Seah St, Singapore 079329

#4: BIZEN OKAYAMA • WAGYU STEAKHOUSE

One of 2022’s buzzwords is Wagyu. Not all Wagyu is created equal, especially that of the budget-friendly variety. Run by the people behind Aston’s, Bizen replicates its quality with its Japanese Wagyu. This eatery serves juicy, affordable Wagyu steaks in Singapore.

You can find almost any cut of steak you want on their menu, including the Round steak for S$20.50. It comes with two sides.

Image Credits: facebook.com/BizenSteakhouse

Location: Multiple branches including one in Plaza Singapura

#5: iSTEAKS DINER

iSTEAKS Diner has a myriad of steaks including the New Zealand Ribeye (S$25.50 for 200g) and Australian Ribeye (S$29 for 200g).

If you do not want to spend too much, I would recommend getting their 200g cut of New Zealand Striploin ($22.50). Trust me, you will get your money’s worth with its tender inside and deliciously charred exterior.

Image Credits: facebook.com/iSTEAKS

Location: 1 Maju Ave, #02-03/04/05/06 myVillage, Singapore 556679

#6: PICANHAS’

With the motto: “Steaks For The People”, the halal steakhouse Picanhas’ specializes in pincanha. Try the Queen of Steak (S$25). Each slab of steak is dried brined, slow-cooked, and then finished on the stove with binchotan butter. You will be surprised with its immensely rich flavor.

This steak is best paired with Sides (S$7 each) such as Cream Spinach or double-cooked Potatoes with sriracha mayo. Finish your sweet meal with the Crepe Butter Pudding (S$15.00).

Location: 90 Club St, Singapore 069458

Image Credits: facebook.com/Picanhassg

[Disclaimer: 2023 may signify changes in the menus of the abovementioned eateries. Prices are subject to change.]

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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