2016 Thus Far

I feel that each time I come on here it’s always about why we were away for so long but truth is sometimes, life just hits you and you need to ADULT.

Its been almost a year since we spoke about our house. That was our biggest project this past year. We got our keys last year September but only started works this past January. Low & behold, we still have yet to move in.

I find that we are very trusting people, we give people/companies the benefit of a doubt ALL THE TIME. Most times, things don’t work in our favour.

So we entrusted the reno works on the house to someone we know and was recommended once again and he screwed us over with poor finishing, inconsistent time line and basically the ID/Contractor from hell. We made a bold decision to stop all works in June cos nothing was really progressing after 6 months and we just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. So we are now in the process of working out our refunds and am glad to report that we found another ID via QANVAST (more on them soon, I love them!)

We have also both started with new companies this past February and that has been taking up most of our time since I’m not going to lie, it’s a pretty demanding position, well for me at least. If you follow us on Instagram, you would know that I am now with FashionValet from Malaysia and e-commerce especially this one, is very fast paced and competitive. Faizal joined an advertising agency and the stereotype is true, they don’t really come home much – from shoots to pitches to meetings and more meetings. But we feel very blessed with where our careers are right now we both take extra effort in keeping up with work/life balance.

(VERY belated Raya photo for you all LOL!)

Another big elephant in the room is obviously about Lagun Sari and their planner. I wrote a post about it prior and I am just going to leave it at that. I am just so annoyed that something could have been done 2 years ago and LS did nothing about it until well, it was too late. Here’s my post on Facebook –

“I’m not one to shout out on Facebook about anything but in light of what has been going on about Sunato and Lagun Sari, I feel that I need to make this known. During our wedding in 2014, this planner was assigned and recommended to us by a relative. Halfway through the planning process we realized Sunato was being a dodgy character when we received an automated text from Lagun Sari saying that we were not eligible for the lucky draw cos we have not made payment of at least 3k for our package, we have paid 3k when this text came through. We called the management to explain and inform them how much and when we have paid to Sunato and all they said was there was no record, we must check with Sunato. Long story short, each time we paid anything from then on, we paid to the management and with God’s will, we managed to hold our wedding with a touch of Sunato’s shenanigans of course – no packed food for guests as requested, overbooked next wedding during our time slot, tear down of our wedding whilst photo taking, a rude DJ who we clearly requested NOT to have, changes to the dais were not made, tell me when to stop. After the wedding, we wrote in to the management of how unsatisfied we were about this said Sunato and we were asked to come down to find a solution. We wrote a blog post about it https://the8yearproject.com/…/12/28/vendors-review-lagun-s…/ – the management offered a meal for 5 as a compensation and for us to take down the post, they offered to pay for the wedding favors that we didn’t manage to give to our guests cos the tear down was a chaos but there was no follow up… For the past 2 years, couples have been emailing me saying that they experienced the same thing with Sunato and each time I receive an email, I will forward it to the management but once again, no action was taken. The thing that sickens me the most is this issue could have been prevented and lesser couples or none would have been cheated out of their money, but I guess, they didn’t think it was a big of a deal.”

This has been lengthy, hopefully the next one will actually be of our completed home 😉

XX,

T8YP

That Time of the Month

It is exactly what it means, that PMS-y time of the month.

We all girls can agree, that time of the month can affect us physically and emotionally every time. For myself, I am more bothered about being irritated all the time and stuffing my face like crazy!

The good people at Bespoke Box contacted me and asked if I would want to check out their subscription box! There are a million and one subscriptions boxes that you can find right now ranging from beauty, healthy snacks and even clothes!

The Bespoke Box is a box of goodies that will be delivered right to your doorstep a week before your period for you to enjoy. There are different subscription plans available or you can also send this box to your friends as a gift.

This is the box for February that I received –

The box came a little bit dented but those are shipping problems as usual, the contents inside weren’t damaged at all.

Honestly, very excited about the Pretz!

It comes with a personalized note each month with a short summary of what each product does and a period tip!

So as you can see, the products included ranges from food, drink, hygiene essentials and even a quirky voodoo doll! And who knew there was such a thing called PMS tea?

A closer look at the voodoo doll, it is slightly freaky for me but its all fun and games ya guys!

The Bespoke Box is a first of its kind for me and I find that it is a very cool and practical box for us ladies. In my honest review, yes, those are the things that we can find ourselves or even spend that money on some other type of comfort food or products that we really want. But I am one of those who sign up for so many subscription boxes so that I would receive a package each month -that honestly makes me feel better 😉

The products inside are deluxe sizes and some even full sized (I have the same Crabtree & Evelyn hand creme!) so I really find it worth the money since you are not getting small samples that usually gets thrown out. Plus, I would love to send this to my girlfriends, such a thoughtful gift!

There are different subscription plans available –

3 months ($63)

6 months ($120)

or get 15% off with a whole year plan ($228)

There is also a one-time option ($22) to send as a gift to your friends

The team at Bespoke are offering to giveaway a free box! To win a box just like and share their Facebook & Instagram pages + email the8yearproject@gmail.com your answer to this question – “What do readers do to relieve PMS?” (Giveaway ends 31st March 2016)

They are also kind enough to offer 20% off the 3-month, 6-month or 12-month plans, just use Code: Wirda20 at checkout! (Ends 31st March 2016)

You don’t have to conquer shark week alone girls!

XX,

T8YP

A Decade Under the Influence

Hello wonderful people and a very late late HAPPY 2016 to all of you!

As you might have guessed, life got the better of us and we keep scrambling to keep up with it. So many things have happened since our last post and 2016 seems to be getting busier!

We both had career changes (again?) and we are trying to be as involved as possible with the renovations of our house.

We got our house in October 2015 and we were so sure we were going to move in by Jan 2016. We were going to start the reno almost immediately but we had 1 very major setback.

RENOVATION LOAN

We try very hard not to take up any loans for obvious reasons of the weight (burden) of repayment and interests. But inevitably, we needed this loan to start things moving. Money is a very sensitive topic but lets face it, we all need a helping hand once in a while.

Being completely transparent, we applied through 1 bank – DBS for our full reno loan as per our quotation from our contractor. It takes about 2 weeks for them to get back to us that it was unsuccessful.

Please keep in mind that both of our salaries meet over the min requirements and other criteria required. But if you’ve tried applying for credit cards or loans from banks, they are usually very generic and vague about the reasons why it was unsuccessful.

We were talking to 1 of our friends about this when she suggested to get a ‘loan assistance guy’. She and her husband also couldn’t get the full amount of reno loan that they wanted until their interior designer recommended them this ‘loan assistance guy’.

Loan Assistance Guy is actually Take One – The Loan Specialist.

When we first met Mr Ong, I immediately asked him –

What is your charge?

What is your guarantee that the loan will be approved?

You can’t be just helping us for free right?

Very Singaporean but I really wanted to make sure!

So Mr Ong explained that he works on commission. If you notice on all your bank pamphlets, there will be a small logo of Take One at the bottom. They are actually the company who will filter through all the loan applications before it reaches the bank. Yes the bank outsourced them. So technically you are working with the person who is going to half approve your loan! His commission comes from these banks with each sign up that comes from them.

He will then check your credit grade, your quotation and your salary for him to tailor-made your loan. With his recommendation, we took out loans from DBS, OCBC and CIMB. It seems like a lot but because our loan is divided into 3 banks, our monthly repayment is lower and after 3 years out of the 5 years we took, we can choose to pay it all off with a small penalty fee of maybe $100? Honestly, meet Mr Ong and he will explain better HAHA! But all in all, the loan approval took about a week and we received our cheques in the mail along with the approval!

Sneak peek!

You can visit their web to find out more or personally I would just call Mr Ong @ 9188 9992 (Don’t worry I have asked for his permission for this ;p) But please only call him if you are keen cos he really made things happen!

Oh, its also our 10th year anniversary today!

XX,

T8YP

PS: We weren’t sponsored in any way whatsoever to write this, we genuinely think that not many people know about this and if you need to get loan advise or assistance, there’s definitely a place to get it.

SPARTANNNNNNN!

We were recently contacted by a rep for the Spartan Race 2015. If you were like me, who didn’t know what a Spartan Race was, here’s a summary.Its basically like a real intense level of an obstacle course. It is the world’s leading obstacle racing series and the first of its kind to feature timing and global rankings. With over 130 events in 17 countries during 2014 alone, Reebok Spartan Race has made obstacle racing one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

This event series features races at three distances, 5+ km/15+ Obstacle Sprint, 13+ km/20+ Obstacle Super and 20+ km/ 25+ Obstacle Beast, culminating each year in the Spartan World Championship. They hold competitive Elite heats and Open heats for all fitness levels.

What got me interested is this – quoted from their website; “The Spartan lifestyle continues its goal of ripping people off their couches and helping them lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives.”

I am very guilty of this and I’m sure many of us are. I have a history of heart spasms, thus a high level of intense work out is not recommended for me. But if I could, I would definitely get off my butt, train and join this race! My brother-in-law and his friends plus another group of my girlfriends have actually signed up for this even before we were contacted. We will definitely be on the sidelines cheering for them!

The people of Spartan Race 2015 are kindly offering an entry code to our readers good for entry for both the KL or Singapore race. Registration is open for both races already and we do hope this excites you as much as we are.

You can visit the website for more details —> http://www.spartan.com/en

XX,

T8YP

Been Too Long

Realised how far back our last post was and honestly it was because we’ve been uninspired but super busy with life, which is good!

Throughout these few months, we’ve changed our diet and exercise routine, changed in our career paths (for me at least!) and last but not least, GOT THE KEYS TO OUR HOUSE!

It did come as a shock for us since our expected collection date was the earliest end of this year. We got our letter a week before collection date and oh my gosh were we excited!

Our renovation plans are on the way as we speak, we’ve already planned and marked out the basic reno. We are just waiting for the quotation from our contractor.

Some pics!

(and yes I have purple hair now :p)

We are obviously really excited for this next phase of our lives and we can’t wait for the reno to really get a move on!

XX,

T8YP

#the8yearkitchen: Ramen Burger

 
We were staying in one Sunday and had too much time that we decided to try this delectable dish. Following our good friend Gilang’s recipe, whose cooking blog you guys should check out.   

 Ingredients:

1 pack instant noodles (You can use real ramen but we used what we had)

Chicken patty

1 egg (We used 2, but realized it got too watery)

Cheese to ensemble the burger

Roasted sesame dressing (Your choice of dressing!)

 
First you need to boil off the noodles as you do.

 

You’ll then need to mix in all the seasoning.

Add the eggs.

   
And mix until thoroughly combined. 

 
Split into 2 portions into smaller bowls lined with cling wrap to set the noodles into the shape of the ‘buns’. We let it set in the fridge for about 40 mins.

Once it sets, grill/fry your meat patty and the ramen buns. 

 

  Time to assemble!

   

 

Add your favourite toppings (we added seaweed and cheese) plus sauce and you’re good to go!

  

Enjoy!

XX,

T8YP

#the8yearkitchen: A Healthier Attempt

I checked my weight the other day and because I am short (155cm), I am borderline unhealthy. Relatively, I eat quite well with the occasional indulgences but every year I will have a healthy detox period that I will try to be conscious of what I eat and actually include work out in my routine.

This is a fuss-free meal that tastes absolutely delicious and also a more filling but healthy choice.  This took like no time to prep since I buy a pre mix pack of veggies only because I can’t find the different leaves that I want individually at my local Cold Storage.  I also added cherry tomatoes for added sweetness! To that, I add 1 chicken breast that I sautéed with olive oil and some seasoning. We are not dousing the whole chicken in oil, we are cooking off the chicken almost dry. I then shred/cut into pieces and mix in with my salad.

I also made my own croutons using old bread and toast off with garlic butter sparingly. 

My favourite salad dressing is the Japanese toasted sesame one. This is heaven on earth, you guys have to try it! For an even healthier choice try balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing which is oil based.

And to complete this meal, I drink coconut water. Besides aiding digestion, it’s my alternative to soda and also iced water. I don’t mind water but sometimes I feel like I need a a flavored option. My favourite is VitaCoco which I had in Japan and can’t seem to find it here in Sg. But this one is not bad too!

This whole meal is about 500cal which is what I aim for each meal. I used the app My Fitness Pal to record my food intake daily. I don’t take an extreme diet but I like to prep my meals and know what I am eating. If we eat out, which we rarely do nowadays, I opt for lean meats and less carbo. Sometimes I make a huge batch and refrigerate!

XX,
T8YP

#the8yearmixtape02

Being married gives you every reason in the world to just stay home and do nothing together. With a shared playlist, it makes it a little bit more exciting. Sometimes it triggers different memories we heard that particular song from. Like for example Major Lazer’s Lean On cracks us up so bad because we are reminded of the dance moves we tried to replicate from the music video. HILARIOUS!

We are planning another mini vacay to most probably Bali since it’s like our second home but in the meanwhile, check out our holiday appropriate mixtape on Spotify!

XX,
T8YP

Her Daily Routine

So many have heard I used to work at Benefit and I am a self-taught freelance make up artist for weddings and mostly studio shoots.

I am one of those who can’t live without make up and will not leave my house to go further than my void deck without wearing make up. I take my time to get ready every day and always try to go for the natural-not-natural look.

Here is what I use;

1) Artistry Face Brush – Bronzer

2) Artistry Angled Brush – Blush

3) Real Techniques Buffing Brush – Foundation/ Buff conceler (Not pictured is the beauty blender I use for my foundation first)

4) Real Techniques Contour Brush – Setting under eye powder/ Highlight

5) MAC 187SE Brush – Face setting powder

6) MAC 130 SE Brush – Contour

1) No brand Spooly Brush – Brow tamer

2) STAGE Cosmetics Blending Brush – Applying eyeshadow

3) Real Techniques Detailer Brush – Shaping brow with concealer

4) MAC 227SE Brush – Blending of eyeshadow

5) Maybelline Liner Brush – Gel liner (Comes with product)

1) Nivea Face & Body Moisturizer – Prep skin

2) Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser – Face Primer

3) MAC Prolong Wear Foundation (NC42) – Foundation

4) Sephora Cake Concealer – Face concealer

5) Collection 2000 Liquid Concealer – Under eye concealer

1) NAKED 1 Palette – Used colour Naked as all over lid colour

2) K-palette Lasting 2 Way Eyebrow – Shape brows

3) Kiss Me Eyebrow Tint – Tinting brows to match hair

4) ZA Lash Primer – Adds fibers for length

5) Catrice Waterproof Mascara

6) Maybelling Rocket Mascara – Bottom lashes

1) MAC Fafi Belightful Powder – Highlight

2) The Balm Betty-Lou Manizer – Bronzer

3) MAC Darkly My Dear – Blush

1) Carmex Lip Balm – Moisturize lips

2) MAC Taupe Lipstick

3) Revlon Matte Eyeshadow – I blend this into my lips for a matte ‘Kylie Jenner’ look ;p

Watch how I do it! Be warned, bare faced at the beginning.

XX,
T8YP

The 8 Year Passport: Batam!

The long holiday Easter weekend was spent at Batam with a couple of our friends.

It was pretty much an impromptu trip for us since we booked it like just a week before! One of our friends was surprised by his gf for his birthday and she decided to ask who could make it and we could!

Usually I would like to book everything but since we were jumping on the bandwagon here I was a bit skeptical of the place, reviews and all that but it turned out pretty amazing.

So we stayed at Batam Waterfront Resort  – Some picture from the web below;

We stayed at the 2 bedroom suite since we had 5 people. 1 room had the king bed with en suite bathroom including tub and the other had 2 single beds which was sufficient. Also our favourite part was the lounge area with a dining table and a balcony. We stayed for 1 night only.

But one thing that threw us off was the Waterfront terminal. There is literally nothing, NADA. Upon arrival, you walk abit to get to immigration and then you exit, thats it. Oh you have a teeny tiny minimart haha!

A shuttle will be waiting for you upon arrival, but the drive was only 5-10 minutes. We reached quite early so we had to wait for our room. But we had bar bites at their bar which was great and then took the shuttle to Nagoya Hill.

We were mostly there to eat at A&W of course and buy groceries for our night in. (Little did we know, the resort had a mini mart!) The journey was about 1 hour but don’t expect any shopping there unless you want to buy fake goods that look really fake.

One thing that is great about any holiday using Rupiah is the conversion rate. We were living like kings okay. Room service all day errday! Main dishes for 5 people amounted to only $50? I mean ok not thhhaaat cheap but there was literally nothing around there so it works out.

The room was great, room service amazing (portion wise too!), pool was even better with bubble jets!

Check out our vlog!

XX,
T8YP