Tried & Tested: What We’re Wearing, Watching and Reading this May

Team Sassy rounds up all the tried & tested things we’re loving this month, from comfy fair-trade sheets to convenient kids’ bike delivery and charming children’s books

Team Sassy gets invited to try many products and services and attends media previews and tastings to keep on top of everything new and noteworthy in Singapore. Here we share with you our favourites and, of course, all opinions are our own. We are a diverse group of mamas who are shopping, eating, watching, and experiencing fun things with our families, just like you!

So if you’re looking for some quick pick-me-ups and inspiration, mama, read on to see what tried & tested stuff we’re loving this month. 

Click here to see our past picks!

Abi: Easy Kids’ Bike Options at Decathlon

We are loving the customer service from Decathlon’s offering in Holland Village. I could spend hours in the larger Decathlon stores but this click and pick up service offered in Holland Village is so convenient for us. Balance bike for my kids, ordered and delivered in 2 hours flat!

www.decathlon.sg 

Beate: Picosecond Laser Treatment

There comes a time in life when the standard facial – creams, masks, a massage and extraction  – just doesn’t cut it. I wanted to address my open pores, fine lines and pigmentation without invasive procedures and no downtime — a tough order to fill! Dr. Thean at Ensoul recommended his Picosecond Laser treatment which involves ultra-short pulse bursts of energy to the skin to trigger more collagen and elastin production as well as decreasing pore size, fine facial wrinkles, and improvement of skin texture. Laser treatment is often fairly uncomfortable – like millions of tiny rubber bands being slingshot at your face. But Dr. Thean’s facial included a numbing treatment face mask beforehand so the treatment was extremely mild. The results aren’t instant (there’s always Botox for that!), but there’s no downtime whatsoever (literally a lunchtime procedure). However after another few weeks – once collagen production ramps up – the results become more visible; enough for my mother to notice my face having a more youthful appearance (love ya, Mum!). It’s a little on the pricey side at $280-380 per session, but the first session is $128 and the results are already more long-lasting than my regular facial.

Ensoul Medical Clinic, 360 Orchard Road, #08-01 International Building, Singapore 238869, Tel: (+65) 6836 2833, www.ensoulclinic.com

Read more: Our Favorite Lunchtime Express Beauty Treatments

Andrea: Monthly Subscription Services for Eco-friendly Tampons & Pet Supplies

ilo Tampons

Genius! I love everything about this brand and what it stands for. Firstly, ilo’s sanitary products are 100% made from organic cotton and 100% biodegradable. This means no nasties, no chemicals or random stuff like plastic! Yes, I certainly don’t want any of that near my body. Such a great product that is not only good for your body but also saving our planet.

And here is why I think ilo is genius… it’s a subscription based business! Choose your desired absorbency – their boxes of tampons come in lite, midi or super, then get it delivered (free postage within Singapore) to your doorstep every month. Prices are comparable to a brand I normally bulk buy from iHerb, so it’s kind of a no brainer. One box containing 12-16 tampons (depending on lite, midi, super flow) is $9.50.

Enter promo code SASSYXILO to take 15% off a one-year subscription plan for pads or tampons! Click here for more deets.

www.ilolove.com 

Read more: Why you should talk to your daughter about her period

Perrobox

From one subscription box to another. You can see that I am all for taking the headache out of my shopping! If you have a dog, this one’s for you. I’ve been getting a Perrobox delivered to my house for my fur baby Roxy for the last 2 and a half years. I have the bi-monthly subscription for her and it’s pretty awesome. Yes, she thinks it’s her birthday every other month.

The Perrobox contains healthy treats, chews and a toy all wrapped up in a cute cardboard box. My kids love unboxing it for our dog! You can also let them know what your pooch doesn’t like so they ensure they eliminate it for future boxes – for example Roxy is not a big fan of biscuits or anything with fruit in it. Now we never have to go out and buy stuff for her, just the kibble, thank you very much. Subscription starts from $29.90 monthly or bi-monthly for a small dog.

www.perrobox.com

Emilie: The Children’s Book of Virtues 

The Children’s Book of Virtues is a fantastic book for parents and children to read together. With selections from Robert Frost and Aesop, to George Washington’s life as well as Native American stories, the book brings together timeless stories and poems from around the world.

The stories have been curated for a young audience to help parents introduce to their children the virtues such as Courage, Perseverance, Responsibility, Honesty, etc.

My current favourite is “Please,” a super cute story about this little word that we so wish our kids would use more often. After reading it to my son, he now says it all the time. Winning!

Find it on Amazon

Jessica: Fair Trade Organic Bedlinens & Cute Pyjamas 

SOJAO bedlinens

I first came across these beautiful sheets on Instagram; SOJAO means ‘go to sleep’ in Hindi, and I am loving going to sleep on them — they are soft, silky and completely ethical. Designed in Singapore and made responsibly by India’s best artisans from fair-trade organic cotton, they come in a range of stylish, muted colours. You can buy individual pieces or full sets, which you can mix and match to get your perfect colour scheme. They’re only available to order online (part of cutting out the middle man to keep costs down); you can get 5% off your first purchase and there’s free delivery in Singapore!

www.sojao.shop

Uniqlo Pyjamas by Princesse Tam Tam

When I realised that most of my sleepwear was as old as my son (6!) I was embarrassed into action. Although I have my eye on a pair of Eberjey PJs, I grabbed these Uniqlo ones on a whim. At $40 they seemed like a pretty safe bet… and they are amazing! So cute, and in a lightweight fabric with a little bit of stretch so they are super comfy. I’m going back for a second pair in a different colour.

www.uniqlo.com/sg

(Yes there’s a theme here. With a 2-year-old who’s yet to sleep through the night I’ll do what I can to improve my sleep!)

Kate: The Last Kingdom on Netflix

If you’re like me and looking for a new show to fill the Game of Thrones-sized hole in your heart, this one might do the trick. The Last Kingdom is based on historical novels about the Viking invasion of Saxon Britain in the ninth century – sounds so dry but there’s the same mix of political intrigue, brutal action and romance you’d find in GoT, but it feels fresh and original, and not at all like a rip-off since it’s based on actual people and events (which also means no dragons). There are definite shades of GoT hero Jon Snow in the main character, Uhtred – he’s of noble birth but circumstances forced him down a rougher path with major identity issues; he’s got a special sword; he wears his hair in a messy half man bun – but he’s also a lot feistier. The show has aired three seasons so far with a fourth on the way; if Kristofer Hivju (Tormund on GoT) doesn’t come on to play a Viking character, it will be a travesty.

Stream The Last Kingdom on Netflix

Syazana: Nekoya Cat Boarding Hotel

Despite having family living super close and plenty of cat-loving friends, it’s always difficult finding someone reliable (and available) enough to take care of our 6-month-old kitten, Nigiri, while my husband and I travel. We found Nekoya after some research and decided to try it out earlier this year – since then, we’ve already put Nigiri in the cat hotel twice and plan to keep sending him there whenever we’re out of town! Their facilities are beautifully well-kept and the staff are warm, welcoming and always ready to help. There’s a strict process of providing updated health/vaccine documentation before you drop your cat off, to make sure that every cat that comes in is healthy and won’t pose a risk to other cats in the hotel. We love that they have an option for WhatsApp photo and video updates to let us know how our cat is doing so we can enjoy our holidays without worry!

nekoya.co