I'm a full-time mummy

We need to be physically active to remain fit and healthy to enjoy a good quality life. One of the many activities to stay fit and healthy is cycling. Outdoor cycling especially in the countryside, parks, or beaches can be fun and interesting where you can enjoy the nature around you and breathe in the fresh, clean air.

Cycling regularly is a great way to protect yourself from many serious health problems such as heart diseases, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol level, etc. This low impact cycling is a healthy and enjoyable exercise for people of all ages. Cycling is fun, cheap and a great exercise to be enjoyed as a family and a great bonding for strong, healthy relationship.

Cycling does not require much physical skill. All you need to do is know how to balance and ride a bicycle. Pedalling uses most of your major muscle groups and is good for building up strength and stamina. You may start off with short distance rides and as you progress, you will be able to enjoy longer distances with uphill and downhill cruise included.

If you are staying near the beach, all you need is a beach cruiser bike with gears. You can check out the women’s beach cruiser with gears if you are looking for a women’s bike. These bikes come in different speeds. If you are a new beginner to biking, you will need to get some basic gadgets before you start your biking rides.

1.    A helmet to protect your head while riding. Choose a helmet that fits properly and comfortably.
2.    Proper cycling apparel to prepare for all weather such as waterproof jacket and pants if you live in an area that often rains. Those who intend to cycle in the night, it is very important that you buy cycling apparel with reflector.
3.    Get a good bike lock to keep your bike safe. Buy a good quality and durable bike lock, avoid going for cheap locks. You wouldn’t want to risk losing your bike after having purchased one of the expensive men’s cruiser bike.
4.    To enjoy safe riding on your bike, make sure to wear cycling shoes with good grip soles that are also good for walking.
5.    When you are out cycling, there is always a chance of a puncture in the tire. Always have a tire repair kit and pump with you.

With all the proper gadgets, you are now ready to enjoy a wonderful and fun cycling outing with your family or friends.

One of the unfortunate realities of life is that you can't always get a good night's sleep. Whether you stayed out too late with friends or you simply couldn't fall asleep, the last thing that you want is to have to walk around looking exhausted and worn out. The good news is, there are plenty of ways that you can give yourself a more refreshed appearance without having to spend a ton of time getting ready in the morning. Here are ten tips that you can use to look alert and refreshed no matter how tired you are:

1. Splash some cold water on your face. This tried-and-true technique works every time. The cold temperature of the water helps constrict the blood vessels in your face. This can tighten your skin and eliminate puffiness, instantly helping you look more alert.

2. Address puffiness in the eye area. Puffy eyes are a dead giveaway that you didn't get enough sleep. You can counteract the problem by placing a spoon in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Then, put the back of the spoon on your eye area for a little while. The cold temperature will help eliminate the puffiness, leaving you looking more refreshed.

3. Moisturize your skin. Dry skin can look dull and lifeless. Adding a good moisturizer after you wash your face can plump up the surface of the skin, making it look much healthier while at the same time reducing the look of wrinkles.

4. Give your skin a milk bath. Although it may sound strange, one excellent way to refresh your skin is to soak a washcloth in a bowl full of ice cubes and milk. Ring out any excess moisture and then lay the washcloth over the surface of your skin for 5 to 10 minutes. This simple trick can make a real difference in your appearance.

5. Brighten your face with white eyeshadow. When you don't get enough sleep, the area around your eyes can look dark and lifeless. You can brighten up this area by applying a small amount of white, shimmery eyeshadow to the inner corners of your eyes.
 
6. Hide dark circles. Invest in a high-quality concealer that you can use to camouflage any dark circles that show up under your eye area after not getting enough sleep. This page from Dore Aesthetics is also worth reading.

7. Use an eyelash curler. Although it wouldn't seem like it would make much of a difference, curling your eyelashes can have a dramatic impact on how alert and awake you look. When your eyelashes curve upward, it makes your eyes look more open and awake. Be sure to apply a coat or two of mascara to further enhance the effect.

8. Give your face some color with blush. When you are tired, your skin can look flat and lifeless. You can give it a little bit more color by applying a small amount of blush to the centers of your cheeks. Choose a shade that complements your skin tone and apply it lightly so that it blends naturally with your skin.

9. Use lipstick to brighten up your face. A simple coat of lipstick can instantly make you look more pulled together. Best of all, when you wear a bright lipstick shade, it can draw attention away from your tired eyes, making people less likely to notice that you look exhausted.

10. Use a refreshing facial spray periodically throughout the day. There are many facial mists or sprays on the market that are designed to reinvigorate the skin and to help your makeup last longer. Keep one of these sprays with you throughout the day and apply it periodically to instantly give your skin a boost.

As a busy mum with 4 kiddos between 11 months old to 8.5 years old, I have started cutting down on doing product reviews to focus on our childcare and family life, home cooking, teaching kiddos, helping with hubby's administration site of the business and sharing informational articles on my FB fan page so of lately, I am only accepting and prioritizing products that can fit into our family dynamics (especially books on parenting or educational stuff, family products, something along those genre)!

Today's post however is my first milestone in my years of doing product reviews! This ladies and gentlemen, is my first ever hotel review whoaa...

About the hotel:

"The Straits Hotel & Suites conveniently located in the heart of Historical City of Malacca and UNESCO World Heritage site. It is just 2 mins’ walk adjacent to shopping belt of Melaka where guest will enjoy easy access to shopping, entertainment, and dining destinations.

This new Melaka Hotel offers 352 spacious of deluxe guest rooms and luxurious suites which feature contemporary design facilities to meet today’s modern lifestyle. Each deluxe and suites are fitted with large windows offering ample natural lighting with balcony and offers spectacular view of the ocean and town views, and distinctively equipped with complimentary WIFI access and in room safe."

I received the invitation to review the hotel a few months earlier but we were only able to make our visit in early October 2017 as we have to wait for our older 2 kiddos to finish off their major extracurricular programme for the year as well as co-ordinate with our niece and nephew whom we brought along with our family to enjoy the hotel stay as well.

It has been a couple of years since our family has last visited Melaka and it was a first trip to Melaka for our nephew and niece. We arrived at Melaka in time for lunch which we had in the town followed by a visit to the Taming Sari Tower as well as the Melaka Maritime Museum which is a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese ship said to have been carrying loot plundered from Malacca when it sank off the coast of Malacca on its way back to Portugal. Weather was hot on the day we arrived, a change from the past few rainy days as I was told by one of the Taming Sari tower staff. We then proceeded to Waze our way to the hotel which surprisingly was near to where we were.

We reached the hotel around 4.30pm. The hotel was just a few minutes' walk adjacent to the shopping belt of Melaka. Lots of eatery area nearby, 24-hour convenience stores can be seen as well. In fact, on the first night at the hotel, we walked about 100m behind the hotel to one of the many restaurants nearby - our favourite is Nyonya Makko which we always try to go to every time we come to Melaka.

Reception staff were courteous and helpful to explain the terms and conditions of the hotel stay. We were given our room access cards and quickly made our way to our respective rooms. The access cards allow the guests to go to their respective floors only. You can also go to level 23 (where the infinity swimming pool, sky bar and lounge are located) and level 3 (restaurant)

Pictures below are some of the rooms and facilities highlighted for your pleasure viewing. Our king-sized bed shown in picture below is clean and neat, mattress and pillows are comfy, I like the floor actually. A bit of a nice positive change compared to other hotels I've stayed in which are mostly carpeted. I am not really fond of carpeted floors in hotels as I feel they are not so clean and also hot as well as we encountered some negative experiences where we found broken glass pieces in some hotels at Port Dickson a while back. Anyway, I love the floors in our hotel rooms. Smooth, clean, cooling and easy on the eyes.

Bathrooms - one of our rooms have bath tub while the rest have shower heads. Toilets are clean and dry. Towels and toiletries are neatly arranged in the bathrooms. There is dustbin, hair dryer and an electrical socket in case you need to use. I did feedback to the hotel management on my concerns of the toilet curtains being outside the bathroom - maybe instead of using the curtain blinds, the bathroom wall to be frosted or covered up for privacy?

The closets are right outside the bathroom, there's cloth slippers for hotel guests to use. We didn't use the hotel safe though it is provided in the room. One cool thing to note is our Suite comes with a large bathroom with bathtub and standing rain shower, sofa set and dining area. There is a dining table with 4 dining chairs, a TV, comfy sofa and TV table. There is an electric kettle, cups and mini fridge provided. I love the deep sink as well, easy to wash your hands and stuff without water splashing everywhere.

The view from the balcony is wonderful as well. Pictures below are taken from the Infinity pool located in level 23. What a beautiful sight to savour the panoramic view of the City of Malacca and The Straits of Malacca! Love love love it! I also love that the swimming pool area is sheltered, you can swim to your hearts content while being shaded and you can feast your eyes to the wonderful view all around the pool!

On our 2nd night in the hotel, we were invited to sample the hotel's current set dinner promotion:

Actual pictures taken of our dishes from the dinner promotion set. Delicious! Portions are nice considering we have 2 adults, 2 pre-teens and 4 younger children below 9 years old! I'm not a vegetable fan but oh my, the kangkung dish is really good! My husband continuously complimented the dishes in the set.

To sum up my review, this is a wonderful hotel to go to if you are planning to stay in Melaka.

Near to shopping malls and local attractions, awesome facilities and amenities, courteous and friendly staff.

Really must consider!

You may find more info at https://www.straitshotelsuites.com/melaka/

Do note that I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a complimentary hotel stay and a dinner promotion in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine.

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