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5 Stay-Home Activity Kits For The Entire Family

While lounging around in the sofa and watching your favorite show can help you pass time, here are six alternative activity kits that you can consider. Order these kits online to add spice to your homebound lives. Whether you want to craft your own jewelry or create your own terrariums, your next do-it-yourself craft is only a couple of clicks away!

#1: CANDLE DIY KIT SET BY SOAP ART SINGAPORE

Have you ever tried making your own candles? Candle making is a delightful activity that you can perform with your friends and loved ones. Go to Soap Art Singapore to check out the Candle DIY Kit Set as well as their online workshops.

Image Credits: soapart.sg

Customize your own candles to ignite your creativity and unleash your inner zen. These candle kits include natural soy wax (150gm), natural essential oil (2ml), 1 choice of color (2ml), 2 wicks (6cm each), 2 glass containers, Candle DIY workshop guide, and an inclusion of local mail delivery fee.

Price: S$32
Location: 183 Jalan Pelikat, #01-70 The Promenade@Pelikat, Singapore 537643
Website: soapart.sg

#2: LEATHER ANIMAL CHARM DIY KIT BY HIDES & THREAD

Strike a balance between luxurious and adorable by making leather animal creatures with the Hides & Thread’s Leather Charm DIY Kit. Start by picking your favorite animal and colored leather. The Saffiano leather comes in four shades namely: black, red, whiskey, and orange. These leather pieces can be used to fashion out an elephant, a hippo, a moose, or a bull.

Children as young as 10 years old can refer to the instructional sheet or the website’s instructional video. Use this scratch and water-resistant leather charm to add bling to your handbag or to add a twist to your TraceTogether token!

Price: S$25
Location: 81 Ubi Ave 4 #06-09, Singapore 408830
Website: hidesandthread.com

#3: CLOSED ORNAMENTAL TERRARIUM DIY KIT BY GREEN CAPSULE

Founded by two plant enthusiasts in 2014, the Green Capsule offers a variety of terrarium kits in Singapore. This terrarium shop aims to provide Singaporeans and its residents with an option of full terrarium customization. For instance, you may purchase the Closed Ornamental Terrarium DIY Kit.

Image Credits: thegreencapsule.com.sg

The kit is inclusive of 1 glass jar, pre-packed soil, pre-packed Lecca, pre-packed pebbles, mini pot of plants (Green and Red Fittonia), pre-packed moss, a stirrer, 1 FREE gift card, 1 FREE figurine, an instructional sheet, and a box carrier. See for yourself!

Price: S$35.00
Location: 107 North Bridge Road, #04-11, Singapore 179105
Website: thegreencapsule.com.sg

#4: FOR THE LOVE KIT BY STUDIO MU/YU

Studio MU/YU got its name from the Chinese characters “木语” and embodies these in their pieces. The For the Love Kit – Valentine includes a pair of earrings and a necklace. It is the perfect gift for your partner who likes to add something special to her jewelry collection.

The For the Love – Valentine Kit consists of Valentine pieces, jewelry findings, pliers, sandpaper, wood oil, wood stain, and upcycled cloth. Watch the tutorial below for your reference.

Price: S$40
Location: 10 Kaki Bukit Avenue 4 #04-61 Singapore, Singapore 415875
Website: muyu.co

#5: TOTE BAG DIY KIT BY MAKE YOUR OWN WORKSHOP CAFE

Whether you want to customize a tote bag by yourself or with the help of a loved one, you can paint it to what your heart desires! Make Your Own Workshop Cafe offers a wide range of DIY kits including the Tote Bag DIY Kit that retails for S$38. It includes a sturdy canvas tote bag that holds most laptops and A4-sized documents.

As a friendly reminder, please avoid machine wash and spot clean only. You can hand wash the tote bag gently if needed and iron it on low heat.

Image Credits: makeyourown.sg

Each Tote Bag DIY Kit consists of the following:

1 canvas tote bag (35cm x 30cm),

1 paper plate palette,

2 sets of acrylic paint in 12 colors,

1 acrylic color chart, and

2 standard soft bristle nylon flat brushes

Price: S$38
Location: Blk 4 Upper Aliunied Lane #01-06, Singapore 360004
Website: makeyourown.sg

Do you know any other DIY kits in Singapore? Please do not hesitate to comment below. Enjoy!

How Much To Tip When Traveling In These 10 Countries

Tipping is a practice of gratitude and recognition to those who have provided you with excellent service. In Singapore, they automatically have service charges in restaurants but you can still leave about 5% for great service.

Not all countries welcome tipping. In fact, some parts of China and Japan may be offended when you give them tips. Before leaving your hotel, it is important to research on the country’s tipping practices. Here are 10 countries you can start with…

1. AUSTRALIA

Tipping of 10-15% of your bill is appreciated for waiters and waitresses especially those who are serving you from expensive restaurants. It is customary to tip the hotel bellman at least AU$1 per bag.

2. FRANCE

A service charge of 15% is always included in your restaurant or bar tab. So, typing beyond that is not a must. For taxi drivers, you may tip at least 1 Euro and the hotel bellman should get at least 1 Euro per bag.

3. GERMANY

Like France, a service charge is included but, you may leave at least 5-10% of tip for good service. At least 1 Euro should be left for the hotel’s bellman per bag and the hotel’s maid per day.

4. HONG KONG

Tipping is certainly acceptable in Hong Kong. Offer your bellman at least HK$2-3 per bag.

5. ARGENTINA

You may tip at least 10% in restaurants but, do not tip your taxi drivers. Your bellman should get at least 2 Pesos per bag.

6. SOUTH AFRICA

Tip at least 10% in restaurants and taxis for gratitude. Group tours should receive at least R 10/tour guide while private tours should receive R 50/guide for half-day tours and R 100/guide for whole day tours. Hotel maids should get R 50 per day while the hotel bellman should get about R 5 per bag.

7. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Consider at least 10% of tip for restaurants. Your bellman should get at least 5 Dirhams per bag.

8. UNITED STATES, CANADA, AND MEXICO

It is common to tip the person who assisted you with your baggage in the airport or the hotel with at least US$1 per bag. Bellman should receive about US$1 per bag too. And, the hotel maid should be tipped at least US$2-5 per day.

Image Credits: Tax Credits via Flickr

Since some hospitality workers are paid less, they will truly appreciate a tip. Tipping per day will not only be a gesture of gratitude but it will help you to receive continued shower of good service.

Source: Fodors

How Much “Ang Bao” Money Shall You Give This Chinese New Year?

The festivity of the Chinese New Year is about a month away. Abundant food, family reunions, and little red packets called “Ang Bao” will grace Singapore once again.

These red packets are usually given during social gatherings such as weddings or the holidays. Its color embodies “good luck” that is supposed to ward off the evil spirits.

Married couples usually give these red packets to single people (e.g. children or work colleagues). Its history is rooted from the Chinese belief that you achieve the “adult status” once you get hitched. So, the newfound status comes with the privilege to distribute “Ang Baos” to those who still remain single or are younger.

Image Credits: Paul via Flickr

Since Singapore is a mixture of different cultures, we as a nation have created practices centering “Ang Bao” gifting. It is not uncommon to have marriages between two different races, leading to traditional practices being modified or ignored. But aside from the Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Filipinos and South Koreans have similar customs.

A simple survey on TheAsianParent Facebook Page showed that readers usually give out S$2- S$80 to children in 2014. Furthermore, “S$4” was avoided due to its similarity to the word “death” in many dialects.

Ultimately, PerfectWeddings.sg showed that economy and income status affects the money given. During good economy, it was common to receive “Ang Baos” with a minimum of S$6 each for children but economic recession urged its reduction to S$2 each. Since, economic downturn affects the whole country, there was no judgment in the amount you give.

To help you find the right amount to give…here is a concise “Chinese New Year Ang Bao Market Rate 2014” chart by PerfectWeddings.sg :

As you can see, a red packet containing a minimum of S$2-S$20 is common to give for children, while it ranges to about S$8- S$88 for parents. Your in laws will not take it against you if you give them S$88 in the New Year. Lastly, you may give the same amount of money to your friends or colleagues’ children as you did with your own children.

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