Yes, this was our second Club Med adventure this year! The kids could never resist Club Med, so we decided to surprise them with a 3D2N family getaway to Club Med Bintan this school holiday.

Our journey began at Tanah Merah ferry terminal, and we reached Bintan’s Bandar Bentan Telani ferry terminal in just 50 minutes. The best part is that Club Med Bintan offers a complimentary shuttle service, so we didn’t have to worry about transport at all! It was truly a holiday where NO planning was needed— all we had to do what we wanted, whenever we wanted! For the husband, this meant lounging all day e’er’ day at the resort’s various bars. With complimentary drinks, snacks and live music, I can’t say I blame him!

Deluxe Room with Sea View and Balcony

We stayed in the Deluxe rooms with Sea View and Balcony, and our rooms were just a few steps away from the main building. We would have loved the interconnecting rooms but we booked a little too late this time. Our rooms (for two adults and two kids 5 and 8) were two rooms apart along the same stretch, so that was fine!

There’s a ‘mini’ corner bed that comes with corner rooms, and Cbb quickly declared it as hers before Cdd had the same idea. The Deluxe room is furnished with a balcony and I loved the beautiful sea view that greeted us every morning.

The restaurants and bars

Club Med Bintan got us covered with two restaurants we can go to for all-day dining in different settings. The Waterfall, Club Med Bintan’s buffet restaurant, offers a variety of heavy and light meals in different cuisine styles, including Korean, Indian, Italian, American, French and of course, local Indonesian cuisine!

My favourite dishes were the Chef Specialties, which included gourmet plates such as Beef Wellington, Seafood Bouillabaisse, Salmon Poke Bowl, Cheese Ravioli, Beef Bourguignon, Mexican Tacos and SO MUCH MORE on top of the extensive buffet selections! Go to my Instagram highlights to see the amazing variety we tried. I guarantee you will be wowed too!

Since it was already 2+ when we checked in, we went to Terrace Restaurant for a late lunch, available from 2 to 5pm. The menu was extensive and there’s a kids menu too. We enjoyed the Seabass with Warm Quinoa Salad, Crispy Fried Squid served with Aioli, Ayam Bakar and a Tempeh Wrap. The Caramel Panna Cotta was to die for – you need to try it if it’s available!

There are many bars in the resort for you to lounge around and try out all the specially concocted beverages, cocktails and alcohol! I love the Panorama Bar (above pics) for the amazing Indonesian coffee (Barista classes are available too – just ask for the timings!) and the husband spent maybe 50% of his time at the Main Bar trying out the all-inclusive alcohol menu (you can also top up for premium spirits). The Beach Bar is great to lounge around while the kids build sandcastles just few steps away.

Club Med Kids Club

Own up – this is the real reason why you’re considering a Club Med holiday! I mean, we love our kids, but it’s nice to be away from them once in a while.

Club Med’s Kids Club is a fantastic service designed to give both parents and children a fun and stress-free vacation experience. The club offers a variety of age-appropriate activities, ensuring that kids are engaged, entertained and well-cared for while parents enjoy some time to relax.

Petit Club (2-3 yo) and Mini Club (4-10 yo) are available at Club Med Bintan, and the kid’s version of Club Med is just as amazing as the grown-up one. On offer: spaces, meals and activities designed especially for children of these ages, and all supervised by Club Med G.Os. Petit Club is available at an additional charge (check with the resort) while Mini Club is included in your stay.

On the first day, Cdd needed some time to warm up, so we spent time playing board games, table football and building blocks at the Mini Club. The classrooms could use a refresh, but that didn’t stop him from having fun! There are two pools at the club, with swimming typically scheduled after lunch, but kids can swim with parental supervision at other times. Activities like the Flying Trapeze, Archery, Wall Climbing, and Treasure Hunts keep kids entertained throughout the day. They also rehearse for performances, a great way to encourage self-expression. At lunch, you can either join your kids at the Waterfall Restaurant or let the Mini Club handle their meals.

Overall, Club Med’s Kids Club is perfect for families who want a vacation that caters to both adults and children, ensuring everyone has a memorable time! What I like is that the drop off and pick up timings are flexible, so if you want to take the kids to the beach for example, you’re welcome to do so!

A special shout-out

I wanna give a huge shout-out to G.O. Re Re, who really went out of her way to make Cdd feel comfortable. He was a bit shy and clingy at first (to mummy!), but Re Re picked up on it right away and put in so much effort to connect with him. She even asked if she could join us for dinner when I said hi to her at the restaurant! By the end of the meal, Cdd was back to his usual chatty self and couldn’t stop laughing. Needless to say, neither of the kids wanted to say goodbye when our holiday ended. It truly takes a special person to be a Mini Club G.O., and we can’t thank Re Re enough!

Club Med x The Ranger Buddies

For the first time ever, Ranger Buddies Missions land on the shores of Club Med Bintan. Designed with children and families in mind, the Ranger Buddies Missions make learning about sustainability a fun and engaging part of their holiday experience whilst encouraging participants to care for the planet.

Read more about The Ranger Buddies: Start a Wave of Change in my blog post here: Club Med Bintan x Ranger Buddies: It’s MISSION time!

The beach and other activities

Club Med offers a private 2.5km beach with pristine sand along the South China sea, the ultimate retreat for families!  The kids have been looking forward to the beach since day 1 and we finally found time (too many activities to do, really!) to go on our last day! Since our ferry was at 6.30pm, we still had time to use the facilities and stay in the club after checking out, until the 5pm shuttle pick up. Due to the monsoon season when we were there, water sports like kayaking, etc were suspended, but you can still have a game of volleyball, take a stroll or chill by the Beach Bar.

The husband went for Archery lessons and there were also yoga, tennis, golf, ping pong, aqua fit, sundance, barista classes, body fit, futsal tournaments and more activities at Club Med Bintan. Whether you want to try something new like trapeze, unwind at the spa (I did! the rates are reasonable!), or simply enjoy the beautiful beaches and waters, Club Med Bintan offers an incredible variety of activities that will keep you active, engaged and entertained throughout your stay.

Plan your Club Med Bintan holiday

Friends who know me know that I was never a resorts kind of girl. But after experiencing the Club Med hospitality TWICE in a year, I guess it’s safe to say that we will choose Club Med again and again! Major plus point about Club Med Bintan is it’s only 50 minutes away by ferry, so it cuts costs (ferry tickets were about S$300+ for 2A2C) vs travelling by plane. And the nearer the earlier to enjoy all the amazing facilities! The kids absolutely love our Club Med holidays – I think they’re on a quest to experience all the different Club Meds around the world!

It’s not too late to book your holiday. Plan your family getaway at Club Med Bintan today!

Club Med Bintan: Lot A11 Jalan Perigi Raya Lagoi North Bintan Utara, Pos 29152, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency, Indonesia [Browse and book here]
How to reach: By ferry (I booked via Bintan Resort Ferries)
Shuttle service: Available to and from the resort
Watch my video: All the fun we had at Club Med Bintan (3D2N)and Our Ranger Buddies Experience
Instagram stories: See what we did every day!
Read blog about Ranger Buddies: Club Med Bintan x Ranger Buddies: It’s MISSION time!

This was an invited stay to experience Club Med Bintan. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

The post Review: An all-inclusive family holiday at Club Med Bintan appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

The Ranger Buddies have landed on the shores of Club Med Bintan this holiday season! From now til 5 Jan 2025, join The Ranger Buddies: Start a Wave of Change missions and learn about protecting our planet through interactive fun and play!

Included as part of your Club Med experience

In nurturing the next generation of conservation heroes, the Ranger Buddies programme features a series of engaging missions and activities that blend augmented reality (AR) with real-life exploration. The exclusive programme is included as part of your Club Med package, so get ready to go on a unique family adventure with many opportunities for learning about sustainability and nature conservation.

Join missions all around the island!

Designed with children and families in mind, the Ranger Buddies Missions make learning about sustainability a fun and engaging part of their holiday experience while encouraging participants to care for the planet. The missions took the kiddos all around Club Med Bintan, both via the Amazing Family programme and Mini Club Med+. Families can participate in Turtle Egg Rescue and In Hot Water missions together, and the little ones can join in the activities led by the Mini Club GOs. Complete the missions and be rewarded with a certificate and Ranger Buddies collectibles!

First things first: Scan the QR

First thing when you reach Club Med Bintan: Look for the QR code and scan it to access the interactive app. The app will guide your missions with clear instructions, and learning through the app increases the level of fun for the kids! So be sure to look for the QR before starting your missions! Let’s go!

Our first mission: Turtle Egg Rescue

Here we are joining in the first mission, helping Coco the Tortoise save the threatened habitats of her ocean cousins through the Turtle Egg Rescue. By listening to clues given by the Club Med GO, the kiddos found all three eggs within minutes and were very proud of their achievement! As a family, we also learnt how to create origami trees in the second mission and through AR, we watched our forest come to life!

Ranger Buddies Missions at the Mini Club

Next up at Mini Club Med+, the kids joined in the ‘Sort it Right’ activity, where they learnt how their actions can create mighty waves of change – and just by sorting their trash right, they can better protect marine animals in the sea.

Plus many more exciting activities

Other amazing activities like Suit Up, Heroes! and Habitat Detective are available through the Mini Club too – check with the GOs about specific timings so you don’t miss any of them. After completing their missions, the kids get a certificate and are rewarded with Ranger Buddies collectibles to take home with them, and that made them very happy indeed!

Exclusively at Club Med Bintan
The Ranger Buddies programme will be available exclusively at Club Med Bintan from 16 November 2024 to 5 January 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on a unique family adventure that combines education, fun and a commitment to making the world a better place. Visit http://www.clubmed.com.sg/ for more booking details.

Club Med Bintan: Lot A11 Jalan Perigi Raya Lagoi North Bintan Utara, Pos 29152, Teluk Sebong, Bintan Regency, Indonesia [Browse and book here]
How to reach: By ferry (I booked via Bintan Resort Ferries)
Shuttle service: Available to and from the resort
Watch my videos: All the fun we had at Club Med Bintan (3D2N) and Our Ranger Buddies Experience
Instagram stories: See what we did every day!
Read our review: An all-inclusive family holiday at Club Med Bintan

The post Club Med Bintan x Ranger Buddies: It’s MISSION time! appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

First things first: the hotel lobby, indoor playground and ball pit

Cbb and Cdd went “Wow wow wowwww!” the moment the lift opened at reception (it’s at level 4) as they laid eyes on the carnival-themed decor and all the free snacks. And as they turned right past the check-in counters, they couldn’t believe their eyes – there it was in all its glory: an indoor playground! And if this wasn’t enough, there’s another indoor ball pit with basketball hoops at the other side.

The room

Now for the room. We stayed in the Deluxe Family Room with Taipei 101 View. It’s 40 sq m with two double beds, a sofa area, a large bathroom with bathtub, Taipei 101 view when it’s not cloudy and get this – YouTube!! I swear the kids will just stay in all day if they had a choice.

The toilet is super spacious with two basins so you don’t have to fight one another. There’s a shower area and a bath tub for a nice soak at the end of the day too. We got bath bombs from Ximending’s Don Don Donki and the kids loved using the bath tub every night we were there.

This was an invited stay, but I punched in random dates on the various hotel booking platforms and prices for our fabulous spacious room is around SG$300+ per night. There are other rooms that also sleep 4 but not so big at lower rates. And then there are the usual double rooms for SG$180 or so, you all play around with the dates and room type ok! I think it’s a great price for all the amenities, free snacks, free finger food during happy hour 2-4pm, the kids’ play areas that seriously can’t be beat, the newness and LOCATION, which I will talk about down the post.

The other stuff at the lobby: a food truck, tv screens, free snacks and laundry room

There’s no breakfast included but for about NT$100 (top up for a side and drink) you can get decent breakfast items like chicken burger, hotdog, croissant etc. We tried the chicken burger and hot dog + fries, salad and coffee while the kids played in the playgrounds on the second day. We had zero expectations but the burger actually tasted really good with super fresh ingredients. I didn’t forget to compliment the helpful staff at the food truck – she prepped everything herself! There’s a large space in front of the food truck where we can have our meals while watching shows on the big screen but tbh it’s hard to get the kids to sit still or even eat anything when there are two indoor playgrounds around!

Help yourself to the free Twinnings tea and more and fill up your bottles at the water dispenser before heading out. To make up the lack of daily housekeeping, the mineral water, toothbrush, razors etc are placed at the lobby for easy access. And if you need new towels, all you need to do is let the staff know and they will replace your towels anytime. The only thing we weren’t really used to was having to leave our rubbish outside our room or give the staff a call to come clear them.

And did I mention free snacks? Scan the QR code at the lobby to join their free membership and get unlimited free snacks anytime you want. The kids had too much potato chips to be mentioned. From 2-4pm, there’s even free finger food – sandwiches, fries, pizza and more. I thought it’s a really nice touch.

And yes, you can do laundry! Having laundry access is one of our top considerations when booking a hotel, so this is a major plus for us. The laundry room is complete with a number of washing machines, dryers, a small iron + ironing board, even detergent packets! It’s NT$50/~$2.50 per load, we would pay for the convenience for sure! There’s even an app to track in real-time how many machines are in use and how long more your wash is ready – my laundry loving husband is in paradise!

The location

Roaders Plus Hotel is conveniently located minutes from Taipei Main Station. It’s literally right in front of exit Z8 of Taipei Main Station’s underground mall and it takes us just 10 seconds to reach the front door of the building via a flight of stairs. If climbing stairs aren’t your thing, look out for the M8 exit and use google maps to reach the hotel, just 5 minutes away.

When making your booking, you may see “Roaders Plus Hotel – Theme” and “Roaders Plus Hotel – Taipei Station“. It’s just fancy naming. Both these “branches” are located in the same building, just different floors. Roaders Plus Hotel – Theme refers to rooms on the 5th to 12th floors and Roaders Plus Hotel – Taipei Station refers to rooms on the 24th to 35th floors.

When you reach the building, get into the lift and go to level 4 for the reception/hotel lobby. It’s where the check in happens and where the play areas are located. We tremendously enjoyed our stay here and will definitely go back again! I will be blogging about my Taiwan 2023 family trip, where we covered Yilan, Miaoli, Taichung and Taipei with two kids, 3.5 and 7yo. Check back on our travel posts or stay updated on our Facebook (it’s more fun there, I promise) and Instagram!

To watch videos of our stay, go to our IG highlights here (if you can’t access the link for some reason, look for “budgetpantry” on IG and go the “Taipei Hotel” highlights)

And btw read this post to see how to withdraw money from Taiwan ATMs at no foreign transaction fees: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid034PR9WgikaUPd6ZhZKSthsd7XcBki9UX9N2G4tXwrA7VRzAFEEiDRGs8CBW7VA9pEl&id=100044164222916&mibextid=qC1gEa

In short, if you’re in Singapore, download the Trust Bank app, open a savings account with my referral code D1ZTJ2N1 and wait for your debit card. Transfer money to your Trust bank account and activate and use your debit card for overseas ATM withdrawal at no FX fees or mark up. And you and I both get $10 Fairprice vouchers. Thank me later!

Address
Roaders Plus Hotel
4F, No. 80, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao W. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City, Taiwan

(In Chinese)
台北路徒PLUS行旅
台北市中正區忠孝西路一段80號4F

Contact them

Official website: https://roadersplushotel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoadersPlusHotelTaipeiStation/
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/roadersplusts/
Line: @roadersplus_taipei
Phone: +886 2 2388-6366 or +886 2 2331-1788

Reservation 
Theme- https://reurl.cc/EX5vgA
Taipei Station-https://ssur.cc/Qiazjxt
Or search for Roaders Plus Hotel via major hotel booking platforms like Agoda, Expedia, etc.

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Don’t miss my blog posts about our Taiwan trip 2023:

What we did in Taipei with kids: Day 3 & 4 – Taipei Children’s Amusement Park, Danshui, Kura Sushi | Read the post

What we did in Taipei with kids: Day 2 – Indoor Playground, Ximending, King Food Hotpot, Carrefour | Read the post

What we did in Taipei with kids: Day 1 – Greenworld Ecological Farm, Roader’s Plus Hotel, Shilin Night Market | Read the post

皇家帝國麻辣火鍋吃到飽 Taipei King Food Spicy Hot Pot review | Read the post

What we did in Taichung and Miaoli with kids: 3D2N itinerary | Read the post

What we did in Yilan with kids: 4D3N itinerary | Read the post

Red Lantern Yilan 紅樓: Sensational Roasted Duck Nigiri! | Read the post

How to withdraw money from Taiwan ATMs at no foreign transaction fees | Read the post

The post Roaders Plus Hotel Taipei review: a playground for the kids! appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Breastmilk is best for babies but since I had insufficient supply and am not inclined towards donor milk, I did the next best thing and topped up with formula. And to me, that’s perfectly fine!

Now that Cdd is 15 months and Cbb almost 5 years old, I have switched them completely to formula milk. Both of them have tried a few brands of formula milk and now Nature One Dairy is our staple. To be honest, when Nature One Dairy approached me for this review, I was concerned that being VERY PICKY, Cdd would reject this. Cbb don’t say la, she drinks everything but even so, her FIRST reaction to trying out the Premium Junior Step 4 milk was, ‘MmmMMM! This milk tastes really good. Is it new, mama?”

Cdd has been taking the Organic Toddler Step 3 formula for more than two months and I’m only sharing this article now because I wanted to make sure this is a fair review. And I’m happy to report that he’s taking well to it! As his mummy, I like Nature One Dairy too and here are the main reasons:

• My kids love the taste

I mean, this is a real consideration! I can buy the most expensive and supposedly best formula (not really though, as the nutritional values of milk formulas are actually similar!) but it doesn’t matter if my kids won’t drink it.  Cbb took to the Premium Junior Step 4 immediately and even said her pancakes taste better (yes I make pancakes and snacks with it!). Cdd guzzles his Organic Toddler Step 3 without complaints and welcomes his bottle every time.

• Does not contain sucrose, maltodextrin and sweeteners

If you read the ingredient labels of formula milk, you may notice some ingredients that surprise you, like sucrose. Although sucrose in this case isn’t quite the same as the added sugar you find in cakes (it serves more like a source of carbohydrates), it’s the sweetest simple carb and I avoid it when choosing formula milk for my babies. Lactose is the only source of carbs in Nature One Dairy’s milk products.

• Australian made

All Nature One Dairy formula milk are held to strict quality and safety standards, and are manufactured in their wholly owned pharmaceutical grade facility in Australia. Australia is always known for its clean and green environment, and being a facility specialising in manufacturing infant products, Nature One Dairy is bound by frequent strict inspection and testing which put my mind at ease for the products they produce. The Organic Toddler Nutritious Milk Drink Step 3 is certified by ACO (Australian Certified Organic), one of the most respected and rigorous standards in the world for organic production. Certified Organic products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilisers or GMOs. You can read more about the criteria here.

• It’s friendly on my pocket

With Cdd going through one tin of formula milk per week, cost is a concern for me! The Step 3 milk drinks start from $25.50 to $37.50 (the organic version) for a 900g tin, and the price is more than reasonable compared to some brands that cost double. Contrary to popular belief, the nutritional levels of the expensive milk are similar to the cheaper brands – just compare the info across various brands at supermarkets! Plus, if an organic formula costs about the same or even lower than a non-organic formula, then I will choose organic for sure.

And now for the recipes!

Since both my kids like the taste of the milk powder so much, I was motivated to come up with some kids recipes using Nature One Dairy milk! I made some Little Milk Bites, One-Bowl Brazilian Cheese Puffs and a Creamy Salmon, Corn and Spinach Rice in the rice cooker. The milk bites and cheese puffs can both be prepared manually in a large mixing bowl – no cake mixer needed. Cbb had a fun time helping me in the kitchen. I hope you try them!

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One-Bowl Brazilian Cheese Puffs (budgetpantry.com)
Makes 36-48 puffs
What you need:
250g tapioca starch
25g milk powder (I used 3 scoops of Nature One Dairy Organic Toddler milk powder)
60g shredded cheddar cheese
60g shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
180ml water
25ml olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Steps:
Preheat oven to 200C and oil your mini muffin tray.

Whisk the egg and milk powder together till bubbly. Add the water and whisk to mix well.

Add tapioca starch and cheese. Whisk everything together until well incorporated Add the oil and salt. Stir to combine. Rest this mixture for 10 minutes.

Scoop batter to muffin tray and fill till about ¾ full.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

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Creamy Salmon, Corn and Spinach Rice (budgetpantry.com)
Serves three kidsWhat you need:
1 cup uncooked rice (use the rice cooker measuring cup)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (use the same measuring cup)
100g salmon, sliced
Handful of corn
Handful of chopped spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8.5g milk powder (I used 1 scoop of Nature One Dairy Organic Toddler milk powder)
30g shredded cheddar cheese (you can use parmesan but we’re not fans!)

Steps:

Rinse the rice and add the chicken stock. Stir in the garlic.

Arrange salmon, corn and spinach on top. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

When time is up, stir in the milk powder and shredded cheese and it’s done. If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can add some more stock or hot water.

Where to find?
Nature One Dairy® products are available in all major supermarket chains and e-commerce platforms.
Click to redeem samples for trial.

This is a collaboration post with Nature One Dairy, but my kids are REALLY taking and enjoying the milk!

The post [Review] Nature One Dairy milk formula + three no-mixer-needed kids recipes appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Since I’m taking the ‘healing benefits’ with a pinch of salt (some really swear by it, though), I started the customising process by deciding on the colours! I knew I wanted something with a pink base with gold accents, plus a mix of shapes for the crystal gems. The coordinating colour was going to be either tiffany or pastel yellow because I have a thing for these two colours matched with pink. I browsed their website (they do have a nice selection of ready-made bracelets available) and was instantly attracted to Posh Pink:

According to the website, it’s made up of these crystals: Rutilated Gold Quartz, Rose Quartz, Moonstone and Pink Tridacna. Here are their benefits if you’re curious!

Rutilated Gold Quartz

• Has the ability to manifest what you desire in your life, through the power of intention.
• Enhances your creativity and bring a joyful vibration through.
• Cleanses the aura as it dispels negative energy.
• Supports to relieve anxiety, fear and phobias

Rose Quartz 

• The most beneficial stones for healing and flooding the body with positive energy
• Believe to raise selfesteem and balance emotion
• Attracting love, intimacy, and to create closer bonds with family & friends
• Dissolves emotional wounds, fears and resentment, stress and anger

Moonstone

• Is a stone of inner growth and strength
• Soothes emotional instability and stress
• Boosts intuition, promotes inspiration, success and good fortune in love and business matters.
• Enhances fertility and promoting ease in pregnancy and childbirth, alleviates menstrual problems and balances the hormonal cycles

Pink Tridacna 

• Helps to stabilize mood, eliminate worry, balance mental and physical states
• Possesses anti aging properties
• Enhances the magnetic field of human body
• Also known as a protection stone

Serene from Serenity Gems immediately got to work and after understanding my needs and asking for my wrist measurements, she came up with a first look of my very own customised crystal bracelet (and matching earrings!):

Aren’t they pretty? I was blown away at the workmanship and affordable prices. They have a great range and Serene is able to customise your bracelet for you according to the properties you’re looking for along with your preferred colours. What I like about the service is that I was updated regularly on the progress through whatsapp and Serene suggested various options while keeping to the colour scheme I chose. Once completed, she sent me some photos for my feedback to ensure that the end product was exactly what I wanted. Here are some other designs that I love that are listed on their website:

These beautiful trinkets are perfect as a gift for yourself and your loved ones (they even have a Men’s Collection!). If you’re into crystal bracelets (or if you’re new like me), give them a try – I hope you will like their creations as much as I do!

Website: https://www.serenitygems.biz/
Instagram: @serenitygems_sg
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SerenityGemsSingapore

The post Serenity Gems: Here’s where to get pretty crystal bracelets in Singapore appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.