{bubble tea love}

Sienna Miller (who was one of my favourite looks at the Golden Globes ) pulled out another winner at yesterday's Oscars wearing Oscar de la Renta. So pretty.

I love this time of year. It means time with family and friends, lots and lots of good food, lion dancing, firecrackers, red packets and since moving to Singapore,  I have discovered the delightful  pineapple tart !   This holiday is the most significant for my side of the family.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are of going to the Tet Festival every year in Brisbane where we would indulge in sugar cane juice and beef skewers wrapped in betel leaves (the only time of year we used to eat it).  I remember my dad covering my ears when the firecrackers were going off and being scared of the guy in the mask with the rosy cheeks who teases the lion dancers.  I think I still find him a bit creepy :)   Whilst we will not be in Brisbane this year to celebrate, I am looking forward to starting some new traditions with the Mr and the little Miss.  Gong Xi Fa Cai / Chuc Mung Nam Moi!

As a mum working in the finance industry I was really interested to read a recent  Financial Times feature called " London: Sexism and the City " on women, leadership and the finance industry.  It focuses on London but I think a lot of it applies and is relevant to other countries. The statistics are pretty telling - only 16.2% of the managing director level positions at banks are held by women.   The report touches on the reasons behind the statistic including gender stereotypes and bias, sexual harassment and sexist cultures and career disruptions due to parenthood.   It also suggests some possible solutions including incentives for diversity, adequate maternity leave and return to work policies. Some very good food for thought.

Over the weekend I hosted a friend's baby shower afternoon tea.  I like baking and cooking but I am also short on time so when deciding the menu, I wanted minimal ingredients, time and effort. For the savoury, I chose  mini quiches  and pumpernickel bread topped with egg + smoked salmon and cream cheese. Image from nigella.com For the sweets, I went with  Nigella Lawson's Rocky Road Crunch Bars and Frankie Magazine's All Together Cake from their Afternoon Tea book/ app . The Rocky Road is super easy to make and sooo good and moreish!  Nigella has dark chocolate in her recipe but I just melted choc chips I found at the supermarket.  I also used honey instead of golden syrup as that is all I had in the pantry. The All Together Cake is also super easy (recipe below).  Just make sure your self raising flour isn't too old.  Mine was nearing its expiry date so the first cake was a disaster as it didn't rise! All Together Cake Recipe: In...

January is over and I am finally starting to get back into my exercise routine again after a holiday season hiatus.  My morning routine (which I try to do a couple of times a week) is to drop the little Miss at nursery, go to the gym and then head to the office.  I usually try and get in by 9am. To do all that usually means my max workout time is 20-30mins + a super fast shower and beauty routine at the gym.  That's why I loved this little discovery on Beauticate  (great beauty blog by ex Vogue beauty editor, Sigourney Cantelo) on how to do your eye liner in like 3 seconds. It works a treat!  There is also a great vid on 5 minute glowy makeup.