Jia and I enjoy snacking on fries as much as we enjoy a healthy bowl of salad for lunch. We love the benefits of clean-eating but simply can’t find the time to put together a healthy lunchbox on a daily basis. Eating out has proven to be a whole lot more convenient and time-saving for us. But that also means, more money is spent on lunches that may not necessarily be the healthiest option!

And so, we decided to mix up our lunch routine. Jia and I will take turns to pack a lunchbox on Mondays as a way to spur each other to eat better, cleaner and healthier. This plan makes going to work after a weekend a whole lot more palatable and it’s just fun to pack for a picnic!

In my trusty lunchbox and bento 'bag', I overpacked lunch for both of us this week. For mains, I packed grain bowls topped with grilled shrimp, halloumi, avocado, edamame, red radishes, pomegranate with ponzu dressing. To replace our unhealthy snacks, I packed a hummus dip with celery and carrot sticks, apples, and a bottle of peach and strawberry infused green tea. Needless to say, we overate and dived right into food coma.

Here are some healthy lunchbox ideas for you and your favourite work buddy!

1 // Dips with celery and carrot sticks
We love healthy dips like regular hummus or beetroot hummus, guacamole and tzatziki. Great for sharing with other colleagues too!

2 // Pot noodles or one-pot super veggie rice
These recipes are so easy to put together that we end up eating it pretty often. I am a huge fan of this easy-peasy pot noodles while Jia loves the one-pot super veggie rice. 

3 // Grain bowls
We can't and won't deny our addiction to grain bowls so it's definitely making to this list. 

4 // Pasta salad
A classic of every salad bar and available in different types of flavours and textures. Cold pesto penne salad is one of our favourites!

5 // Overnight oats
If I could, I would eat breakfast all day. Overnight oats is versatile - have it sweet or savoury and it will still be so good for you. I am a fan of savoury oats so I'll pack jars of overnight oats with avocado and a poached egg. 

6 // Yogurt, granola and fruit salsa
Pair fresh fruits with delicious dollops of yogurt if you fancy some sweet treats after a hearty lunch. Remember to opt for greek yogurt to reduce the hidden sugar!

7 // Sandwiches, wraps, pitas or sushi rolls
What's a picnic without sandwiches or sushi? Choose wholegrain options and load your sandwiches, wraps or sushi rolls with a 3:1 vegetable to protein ratio. 
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8 // Infused water
It is important to hydrate throughout the day despite sitting in an air-conditioned office space. Prepare infused water with refreshing fruits such as lemons and berries to make drinking plain water fun!

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So many ideas, so little lunch breaks. Grab a lunch buddy and make a healthy change today! :)

xMin

The scarf is possibly the most versatile and practical fashion accessory ever created. Asides from using a scarf to keep warm, a scarf can also be used as a shield against the scorching sun. I have so much love and adoration for a humble scarf that I hardly leave the house without one. Wearing a scarf is probably the fastest way to glam up a plain outfit!

​While we all may have our preferred ways to scarf up, a quick search online will reveal a plethora of ingenious methods to style different looks with a scarf. Besides simply wearing a scarf, I have also found and tested 5 fantastic ways to use a scarf. I promise that they will be as easy as pie and will not require you to transform a regular scarf into a complex-origami-level-99-knot for your neck. 

1 // For the table
A big scarf can be used as a picnic mat, a draping curtain, a table cloth or a table runner. It is easier on the pocket than an actual table cloth or runner, and will come in handy if you are hosting a one-off themed dinner party!

​2 // For the sofa
Thicker scarves can be used as a throw on your favourite chill-out armchair or sofa. The scarf will not only add a touch of colour to the couch, it can also bring a new lease of life to an old and scruffy-looking chair. We love the juxtaposition of the light and luxe wool scarf against the hard and aged vintage chair in the picture above! 

3 // For a lunchbox or to wrap a gift
A smaller scarf can be used to wrap a lunchbox. It is environmental-friendly and the scarf-wrapped lunchbox is surely very pretty to look at. You can also use a new scarf as a gift wrap instead of a gift bag. That means two gifts disguised as one!

4 // Display it
Some scarves have plenty of details and a good way to show off every bit of intricacy is to display it in a frame. A framed scarf draws a whole lot of attention to the gorgeous design and adds a bold flair to your home. This works especially well if you want to preserve a vintage scarf! 

5 // Bag it
Another quick way to use a scarf is to turn it into a bag with a couple of easy knots. There are other versions which involves adding hoops as handles but I like how I can easily transform a scarf into a bag without any other add-ons and fuss. 

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All these ideas are absolutely brilliant, if I do say so myself. Now, I can’t wait to get even more creative with my scarf collection!

What other uses can you think of? Share your ideas with me! :)

xMin

Put your hands up if you love date nights! 

Don't you agree that date nights have a way of making any relationship feel a tad more special? I tend to put in more effort with my makeup situation on date nights with a bit of mascara and blush. While there are approximately a million and one date night ideas on the internet, sometimes, the best kind of date night is one that is spent with the right person, in the comfort of your own home. Especially if you have a spanking new home. 

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to date night plans and menus. Whatever you choose to plate on your date night, don't forget to throw in some magic sprinkling of effort to make it all cosy and special. 

Today's post is all about putting together a romantic and cosy Spring dinner for two, featuring the decadent Miso-Poached Salmon with Garlic Mushroom Sauce that Jia and I created from scratch. If you're pressed for time, you can always order a Japanese takeaway meal and plate it with matching crockery. 

Tip: It is all about the tiny details. In this case, a sake pot.

To jazz up a Japanese date night, you can consider serving warm sake in a pot. The addition of a sake pot makes a simple Japanese dinner a bit more authentic and fun! The ceramic sake pot featured above belongs to Jia's parents and we absolutely love the blend of something old and something new on the table. Before you go on a buying spree, don't forget to raid your parents' collection or a thrift store for treasures!

Tip: Prepare the salad in advance to save time.

Jia and I absolutely love this raw okra salad and would usually prepare a large portion of it so that we can eat it again the next day. Depending on what your menu is, find something that you can prepare ahead of time; it could be marinating your choice of meat the night before or preparing the dough for fresh pasta in advance. With a part of the meal prepared the night before, all you need to do on date night is to cook the mains and put everything else together. 

Tip: Add a personal touch to the table.

Adorn the table with a placemat that fits the theme of the meal. Instead of buying plenty of place mats, you can consider printing designs on paper and use it as a placemat. Absolutely functional and decorative at the same time! The best part of this simple DIY is that you can change it to match any theme, every time. You can even write a love note and hide it under a plate, if you're all about small romantic gestures! 

Download this beautiful Japanese Spring Placemat by clicking the image below or heading to the Downloads section. We have designed the placemat to be printed on an A3-sized paper perfectly!