I am Blessed...

I am blessed...

That my family and I  are relatively healthy and well.

I am blessed...

That my beloved husband is by my side, through the good and bad times.

I am blessed...

That I can see my son's beautiful smile and hear his voice every day.

I am blessed...

That I have a roof over my head, and food and drink in my tummy.

I am blessed...

That I do not have to worry about my next meal

I am blessed...

That I have close friends always ready to listen, and lend a helping hand.

I am blessed...

To stay in a country like Singapore, where I do not have to worry unduly about the safety of my family.

I am blessed...

To be able to enjoy the many creature comforts modern technology has given us.

I am blessed...

That I am able to sit here counting my blessings, typing them out.

I am blessed!

-The Belle

I was recently ill, as you would know, from my previous posts.  A lot has been happening at home as well. After I recovered, I was overcome with gratitude as I came to realize I had taken so much of what I had for granted.(And hence, the above soliloquy--or what ever you choose to call it..)What has made you feel blessed today?

*I apologize for not updating this blog for so long. The Belle is back in action, so there will be a lot more activity on this blog now. Thank you for your patience!

See you back soon, my beauties!

Unexpected Break

The Belle was unwell and took an unexpected break. My apologies!

Have been unwell very often these days, and it has not been fun. But rest assured, this blog has not been forgotten.

Reviews and other reads coming up soon, when the Belle is better. See you soon, my beauties!

Getting A Pet! (2):Hamster Haven

Pictures of some amazing homes some people have built for their furry friends! Now, whether it is to satisfy those furry little creatures or or human vanity is another matter...haha...

*image from soundprint.co.uk

If Apple built pet homes, they would probably look like this.

*image from www.eface.com

Hamster haven/heaven of tunnels and play areas. Definitely not for the faint-hearted, especially when it comes to clean up time...

*image from www.critterhub.com

Another hamster mansion!

*image from www.shopping.com

The Hagen Habitrail Ovo Suite Hamster Habitat. Habitrail has been labeled as 'evil' on forums for their size, but no one can deny that the designers do have some cool designs.

*image from petcrazy.co.uk

Okay, so this last one isn't that uncommon. But I included this pink Armitage Rotastak Pink Fun Palace because it is so pretty in pink!

Got to go now, as I have an early day tomorrow. Will be back soon, I promise!

Getting A Pet! (1)

As the (boring) title suggests, The Belle will be getting a pet shortly. Rather excited about this since this is the first time in 6 years that I will be getting another pet after my beloved Shih Tzu, Cookie was lost/stolen. My heart broke when I had to come to terms with the fact that I would never see Cookie again. Now, I can only hope he is in a better place, with loving owners.

Enough of the sad stuff. I am getting a pet hamster! ("Bo-oring, Belle...". Yeah, maybe to you. But this is my blog, so I will write what I like.) It has been ages since (erm, my secondary school days?) I last kept a hamster. The range of accessories available makes me giddy. My poor wallet, haha...

So other than my bi-weekly jaunts to beauty stores/ pharmacies, I will probably be visiting the pet shop pretty often as well to get the accessories needed before the new addition to my family comes home. I cannot wait to take pictures of the (oh-so-pretty) stuff that I see at the stores as well as the amazing homes some have built for their pets.

So, stay tuned for pictures. Meanwhile, I am working on some reviews, so do keep checking back for those too. The Belle will be back soon!

Series 1:Essential Oils: Queen's Favourite:Rose

"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose."
-Getrude Stein

Cleopatra was known to use in in her beauty regime, as well as in her attempts to seduce Marc Anthony. Today, we too can enjoy its benefits. Rose oil is known as the "Queen of Essential Oils"- it takes as many as 30 roses to make one drop of Rose Otto oil! It is divided into 2 different types: Rose Otto and Rose Absolute. Rose Otto is more expensive, as  it takes more roses to produce.It is also more preferred for topical aromatherapy as Rose Absolute, due to its nature of extraction, may still contain trace amounts of solvent.

The Belle has done a little research, and the uses of rose essential oil are as follows:

1)Aromatherapy: Used in aromatherapy burners, it can help relieve stress, depression, and anxiety. A few drops can also be added to the bathtub for a relaxing bathtime.

2)Massage: A few drops, used alone, or combined with lavender, added to a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil make for a relaxing massage that helps to relieve tension and cramps in muscles. This concoction can also be used to relieve menstrual cramps. Experiment, and go with something that your nose likes!

3)Skincare:As a toner for dry, sensitive skins, place about 5-8 drops in 80 ml water. Shake well before use, and apply with a cotton pad. The mixture can also be spritzed and patted onto eczema areas to relieve itchiness. Oilier skins may like to add witch hazel to the concoction.

4)Other uses: As a cure for congestion for blocked sinuses, stops nausea and vomiting. It can also help to ease sore throats and relieve coughing spasms. For relief, place 1-2 drops in a tissue/hankerchief and inhale.

The above list of uses are not exhaustive. The Belle would like to stress again (Now I sound like an old woman, but anyway...) that as with all essential oils, rose oil should be used with caution in the elderly, young, pregnant, nursing, and the very sensitive. Pregnant women, particularly, should wait until their 4th month or after to use it.

What are your favourite uses for roses? Do share!See you back here soon, my beauties!

A rose from The Belle to my beauties!

*End of first series on essential oils. Do let me know of there are any essential oils you want to be featured!

Apologies and Thank you!

Once again, I have to apologize for my lateness in updating the blog. So much has been going on at home. Thank you for your patience!

Rest assured I am working to bring you more good stuff, so please do keep checking back!

Do look out for my posts on essential oils continued, coming up soon. Meanwhile, stay pretty, my beauties!