Here is my confession: I am my dad's biggest fan. In my eyes, my dad is flawless and faultless. My mum returned to work shortly after giving birth to me and since there was no one to care for me, my dad chose to work the nightshift just so he could be my primary caregiver during the day. Although I do not remember much, I will always remember his smell. Is this how babies know who their parents are? I was very attached to my dad when I was growing up and I loved every minute of it. Though he appears to be stern, he is extremely gentle with me. I know for sure, that he has my back all the time. When my car breaks down, I have no fear because my dad has taught me well. I can change a car tyre and I know what to do when my car overheats. He taught me how to cycle, how to bathe a dog, and he stood up for me when I got bullied in school. He carries my very first passport photo in his wallet and he looks at it whenever his day gets rough. Below are some awesome Father’s Day gifts that I rounded up for the different kinds of dads out there. Personally, I can’t wait to fire up a grill with my old man and well, just enjoy each other's company. 1 // For the dad who loves the outdoors and want to look and feel good at the same time: Nike Dri-FIT Golf Polo T-shirt - A Dri-FIT T-shirt is perfect for hot and sunny Singapore, as it is lightweight and sweat-absorbent. Keep daddy feeling cool and smart-looking with this white Nike Men's Modern Fit Golf Polo tee. 2 // For the daddy with innate musical talents: Handstamped Guitar Pick Keyring with Leather Case - Remind daddy of your love for him with this aluminium guitar pick encased in a leather case holder. He can easily attach his keys to the keyring and carry this wherever he goes. This way, dad will never be without a guitar pick and best of all, he will be constantly reminded of you! 3 // For the fun-loving father who loves word-building games: Bananagrams - This is a portable word-building game with a twist. Instead of waiting for your turn, each player gets the same number of tiles at the start to build a crossword style arrangement. The fun begins when a player runs out of words to build! If your family enjoys games like Scrabble and Boggle, you may enjoy Bananagrams as well! Don't you just love how fun the packaging is too? 4 // For the minimalist and stylish dad: Kisetsu Natsu Minimalist Card Holder Wallet in Crazy Horse Leather - This compact card holder is a good choice for the dad who values style and functionality. The Natsu can hold 4 - 6 cards comfortably and comes with RFID protection that prevents your dad's card information from being stolen. I'm pretty sure most dads will like a sleek wallet! 5 // For the daddy who loves to start a fire in the backyard:
Ember-grilled Steak with Bay Leaf Browned Butter Recipe - My family loves the grill. We used to own a charcoal grill and it served us very well for many years. When it finally broke, we never got around to replace it. Instead, we got an electric grill and the family grill tradition is still in place. This Father's Day, fire up the grill and have a cookout with dad. Family bonding over food and beer is the best, in my opinion! 6 // For the father with a good sense of humour: Favourite Child Ceramic Mug - I adore this mug! If I had siblings, I am pretty sure I will buy this for my dad. Imagine the smile on your father's face when he sees this mug! Let's make it easier for dad because we all know how hard it is for daddy to declare who his favourite child is, right? 7 // For the father who works way too hard: honey&gazelle Backache Throw Pillow - Remind daddy with this pillow cushion that "All Work and No Play Makes You A Bad Daddy". Backache is very real. Especially for the dad who works way too hard and way too long hours. Besides this cushion, I recommend throwing in a good shoulder and back massage for daddy! 8 // For the dad who needs a getaway: Staycation at Amara Sanctuary Sentosa - Sometimes, all our parents need is some quiet time together. After many years of marriage, it would be nice for our parents to indulge in a getaway to enjoy each other's company without the kids. Plan a staycation for dad and mum at a local hotel, and let them have a day off or two from being parents. - How's your Father's Day preparations coming along? Hope you have a good one with daddy dearest! x Min
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My mum is my best friend. She knows all of my secrets, insecurities and weaknesses. Over the years, we have travelled to many beautiful places together, just the two of us and a map. We love being together, though our neighbours might say that we argue a bit too much sometimes. Well, agree to disagree, right? She has a beautiful heart and I love her so much. Even when she tells me that I look absolutely terrible in certain outfits, and even more when she tells all her friends that I used to be part of the 'Fat Girls Club'. I don't know about your mum but my mum loves cards with heartfelt words. Gifts are not necessary, but the cards? Extremely important. She has kept every card she has received so that she can read them again when she is old and grey. If your mama is like my mama, don't forget the card! It means a lot to them! With Mother's Day around the corner, many retailers and restaurants have already started dishing out promotions and packages for Mummy Dearest. There are many options out there and it is so easy to get overwhelmed. But, fret not! Here are some fun and interesting gift ideas for the first woman in your life! 1 // For the quirky and larger than life mum: Kate Spade Caution to the Wind Polar Bear on Ice Clutch - Hands up, if you share bags, shoes and accessories with your mum. This clutch certainly adds a lot of fun to any outfit, regardless of age! I'm pretty sure your quirky mum will be excited to have this in her collection. 2 // For the mum who loves a good scone and tea: Le Creuset Butter Keeper - If your mum loves butter with her toast, but hates cold knobs of butter or hates waiting for butter to soften, this butter keeper is perfect for her. Soft, creamy butter every single time. 3 // For the mum with green fingers: IKEA Plant Pot with Holder - A space efficient gift for a mum who loves simple gardening. She can grow up to 6 different types of herbs in this 2 tier plant pot. Because of its compact size, you can bring it indoors and outdoors! 4 // For the mum who likes to have fun: Homemade Gin Kit - This homemade gin kit is perfect for the experimental mum who likes to have fun! Imagine creating her own gin with just vodka and spices. She will be concocting her very own cocktails for the whole family in no time. 5 // For the retired mum with a wanderlust heart: Uniqlo Floppy Sun Hat - Some mums love to explore. Sun protection is very important for the explorer mum. This hat is a summer classic and its wide brim helps to shade your mum's face from the sun. Best part of this hat? It comes with UV Cut technology. Yay for good skin! 6 // For the mum who never stops learning: Watercolour Workshop by Leach - Leach's watercolour workshops are amazing! If your mum loves to try new things, you may want to consider taking a class or two with your mum. Picking up a new skill is always fun. 7 // For the mum who loves heartfelt gifts: Joy Blooms Art Print - This art print is available in 3 sizes, A5, A4 and A3 and you can easily frame them up for mummy. You can also express your heartfelt words to her at the back of the art print and it will make her smile every time she sees it. The message will be like a little secret between you and mummy. 8 // For the elegant and radiant mum: Kenneth Jay Lane Earrings - These earrings are a lovely showcase of a pair of sparkling cubic zirconias in gold-tone bezels that will keep her looking beautiful at any time of the day. And... here is what we have personally planned for our mummy dearest for Mother's Day.
9 // Steak and Frites + Girly time at L'Entrecôte Min: Steak is, hands down, my mum's greatest food indulgence. I know she regularly sneaks out for steak lunches all by herself. The both of us love a good steak and I really can't wait for some girly time over steak and frites (did someone say unlimited fries?!), wine and profiteroles. We love beef! <3 10// Family time in Jeju Island, South Korea Jia: Jeju Island in South Korea has been on the top of my mom's travel list for ages. It is going to be a belated gift but my siblings and I are already stocking up on her necessities for the trip and whisking her to Jeju! We can't wait for a grand old time of family bonding with gorgeous scenery to boot (: - Did you find anything suitable for mum? Otherwise, the best gift for mum is your love and your undivided time with her. x Min (All images taken from the product sources. Links provided in the description.) Books, books, books. I am not exactly a bookworm, but I do like to read a lot. I would usually carry a book around with me until most recently, when I got hooked onto ebooks. I am a huge supporter of paperbacks and would usually tell people to remain connected to paper and boycott ebooks. So... I'm pretty much ashamed to say that I love the convenience of ebooks, especially when I'm out and about with a bag that is too small for a thick book. My bookshelves are filled with books and at one glance, you will be able to tell that I'm not an adventurous reader. My reading choices are usually simple with a lot of humour involved. Too much mystery/thriller/sci-fi in a book tends to scare me and I'll chuck it away very quickly. Books, in my opinion, should allow me to dream and imagine a whole new world of possibilities as I love to get lost in a good book. Reality is boring, right? Here are some books with real good reviews and I can't wait to get my hands on the real paperbacks! 1 // The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah This story is about sisterhood, bravery, courage, fear and love in a time of war. Any book on humanity and relationships always make a good read. 2 // The Sky is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson This seems to be a beautiful, funny and heartfelt novel about love and forgiveness, which will appeal to many of John Green's fans because of its similar plot style. I have read some of John Green's books (and liked it), so this will probably be a very simple and fast read for me, but hey, no complains here! 3 // Big Magic : Creative Living Beyond Fear, Elizabeth Gilbert In this book, author Elizabeth Gilbert challenges us to embrace our curiosity, tackle what we love the most and face down what we most fear. Relatable inspirational and motivational books are always a good choice for people who are at a certain crossroads in their lives. 4 // A General Theory of Oblivion, Jose Eduardo Agualusa There are some days when I just want to stay at home and cut off all forms of contact with the world. In this book, the protagonist does exactly that. While it sounds like a brilliant idea to me, I do believe that it's almost impossible to cut away from the world and be in a state of complete oblivion. I can't wait to read this book! 5 // The Strange Library, Haruki Murakami
As much as I dislike mystery, I found it incredibly difficult to stop reading 1Q84. Just like that, I was sucked into the whirlpool of creepy imagination and strangely enough, I loved it. 'The Strange Library' gives off the same eerie vibe as 1Q84 and I hope it will keep me hooked! 6 // Me Before You, Jojo Moyes I won't deny my love for love stories, even though most of them are extremely cheesy and set in the same plot. Bring on the love-hate relationship of a handsome and charismatic boyfriend-boss and beyond beautiful girl-next-door. This is the exact same reason why some turn to Korean dramas, because there can never be too much romance, right? 7 // Fates and Furies, Laren Groff Everyone loves to expose a good secret - the secret recipe to the world's most delicious chicken soup, the secret life of politicians and celebrities, the secret to sustaining the greatest marriage ever, etc. This book has been on my 'To Read' list for quite some time, and I should really get to it soon, especially since reviewers are raving about it. 8 // Bossypants, Tina Fey This is not a new book and not my first time reading it. Tina Fey has got to be one of my favourite comedians of all time and I swear this book is so good, I'm planning to read it for the third time. If you are looking for some lighthearted reading with many bits of humour, look no further! - Now... which book should I read first? Have you read any of the above? Yay, nay, or have something better to recommend? Tell me about it! ;) x Min Planning a wedding makes me dizzy with excitement. In February, I bought my dream gown that will be kept a secret because the 'first look' matters so much to me. And because of that, we will not be able to have a pre-wedding photoshoot with my wedding gown. *celebrates!*
In all honesty, I am not a fan of photoshoots. I am absolutely terrible in front of the camera and the camera certainly does not love me. I cannot imagine myself standing on top of rocks, decked out in full bridal gear and looking out to the horizons... But, what is a wedding without photographs? Eventually, my fiancé and I compromised and agreed on a casual low-key engagement photoshoot. And that means I get to shop for new white dresses that will suit our 'casual and low-key' theme! The dresses that I have curated below are sooooooo beautiful, I am having a hard time deciding which to get... |
Min+JiaThe humans behind honey&gazelle Design Studio. When we are not frantically working, we share our mishmash of thoughts on design, life, and love here. Grab a cuppa and stay for a bit! Categories
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