Ask Tiny! - Buying Gifts for Dad?

Whether it's Father's Day or Christmas, buying gifts for Dads is just difficult! As I am now working, I have a little more budget to work with, and as this is the first year I'm living without the support of my Mum and Dad in terms of finances, I wanted to treat him to something nice without burning a hole in my pocket. Originally I wanted to buy a Champagne hamper for him from Fortnum & Mason which included chocolates, but we visited this leather shop just before our Hong Kong trip, so we took a detour there instead.

Wallet Cover

Sage Brown specialise in handcrafted leather bags, stationary and outerwear.When I saw their wallets, I couldn't leave without buying one. Although my Dad does have a wallet, I thought these were really chic and sophisticated. The wallet set my back about £65, which in my opinion was a price worthy of this wallet.

Inside of Wallet

I also visited La Maison du Chocolat as their chocolate is amazing! We deliberately chose more bitter based chocolates compared to sugary ones as my Dad isn't a big fan of chocolates that are too sweet. I love how we can pick and choose which chocolates we want. The chocolate box costed around £27.

La Maison du Chocolat

In total, I spend about £90 on my Dad for his birthday this year. I think the wallet and chocolates were both good choices and they are simple, but relatively unique as well.

Discover Sage Brown and La Maison du Chocolat today! You never know what you might find :)

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Ask Tiny! - Hong Kong Haul

We bought quite a lot from Hong Kong, although we didn't have much time to. Overall, I definitely bought less than I thought I would, as I only spent about £150-£200 on clothing and the rest on food and gifts. Mostly I shopped in the Mong Kok area as it was so cheap, but the quality wasn't too bad if you choose carefully.

1. Shoes

Ballet Pumps

You love shoes? Well you will absolutely fall in love with Hong Kong markets. I found so many small shoe stalls with so many great deals. I needed a pair of pumps for work, hence why I bought the above. However, I also love trainer wedges and booties, so I bought some of those too. I have to say, my favourite so far is definitely the trainer wedges because they are SO comfy!

Wedge Boots

Brown Pull-Up Boots

Trainer Wedges

2. Clothing

My main goal when shopping for clothes was to stock up on my summer wear, but being a jumper addict, I kept being drawn to winter wear. I wanted to buy more clothing, however I wasn't actually able to buy much as I usually only found one item of clothing I liked in every shopping mall we went to. In the end I bought 2 tops, 4 jumpers and 1 pair of shorts.

Clothing Haul

3. Beauty

I popped into a few beauty stores including Colourmix and Sasa, but bought the majority of my face care products in Etude House. They gave free gifts that day if you bought 2 products of the same line, so I stocked up on foundation and BB Cream. The free gifts include a Baking Soda face wash, eye makeup remover, another face wash and a sample. I also received Korean beauty masks from my boyfriend's mum, as well as the White Pearl My Beauty Diary mask box as well.

Beauty Products

4. Food & Kitchen

Food!

As we had about 20kg left by the last day, we decided to stock up on our food. From instant noodles (Shin Ramyun!) to Korean pastes to instant curries. It may not look like a lot in the picture above, but I think I actually bought 5 packs of noodles as well as 9 curries! It definitely helped fill up our leftover space! We also found a really cute cutlery store, where we bought a ceramic peeler and a Doraemon ladle.

Ceramic Peeler & Ladle

5. Gifts for Others

Gifts for my Sister

In the end, I think I bought about the same amount for my family and friends as gifts as things I bought for myself. As my sister loves stationary, I bought her lots of stickers and crafty stuff as well as this really cute pink satchel I saw in a shopping mall. I also bought the Black Pearl My Beauty Diary mask box for a friend, and masks & things to help with backache for my parents.

Beauty

Of course, I didn't forget about the food! I'm sure Studio Ghibli fans will recognise the sweets from Grave of the Fireflies. Other from this, I also got some famous almond biscuits from Macao and general snacks.

Food

6. Gifts I Received

I received a lot of gifts in Hong Kong, from hospitality from my boyfriend's family to lots of tourism in Hong Kong. I'm so grateful that they let me stay and even helped me shop for gifts for my family. His grandma also took me to a jewellery store and bought me a gold bracelet, which is so cute but I was scared of wearing it in Hong Kong in case it got stolen!!

Gold Bracelet Gift

I wish I had more time to shop in Hong Kong and can't wait to go back to visit. As I mentioned above, I love my Trainer Wedges, I think they are my Hong Kong haul favourite! What's your favourite thing bought on holiday? Let me know in the comments below :)!

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Ask Tiny! - Liebster Blog Award

I've been nominated by Margo @ itsamargothing for the Liebster Blog Award :) Thank you for the nomination!

The Liebster Blog Award is great for discovering new blogs as well as learning fun facts about your favourite bloggers. I've outlined the rules below:

Rules for Liebster Award

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself
2. Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you
3. Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to do the same
4. Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog etc.)

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I'm really scared of the dark and I turn on all the lights if I'm getting drink at night.

2. My favourite colour is blue, and I especially like baby blues & the colour aquamarine.

3. I binged on chocolates when I first went to uni and now I get a bit sick when I eat too much.

4. I can't stand diary products like cheese & butter (yes it's weird, I know!)

5. I still live in Surrey, where I went to university.

6. I have a younger sister who's just starting her GCSEs.

7. I love watching anime and reading manga.

8. My favourite instant noodle is Shin Ramyun.

9. My favourite animals are wolves and red pandas.

10. I listen to music or documentaries to help me sleep at night.

11. I grew up in Oxford, UK.

Margo's Questions

1. What's your favourite city?

Londonnnnn :)

2. Are you a cat person or a dog person? 

Dog person, most definitely.

3. What do you put on your toast? 

When I do make toast, I like to have it with either Nutella or bacon.

4. What is your phone wallpaper right now?

My Phone Background

My phone wallpaper is of some Christmas decoration I took in Windsor, UK.

5. What is your laptop wallpaper?

My Laptop Background

It's a compilation of some of my favourite images from tumblr.

6. What country do you live in?

UK

7. Do you have any pets?

No, but I do want to get one soon!

8. All time favourite sweets/chocolate brand?

Kinder Bueno

9. Dream best friend?

I already found him :)

10. Ideal job?

Already found this too!

11. What did you have for breakfast?

A McDonald's hash brown.

My 11 Questions for Nominees

1. What TV shows are you watching at the moment?

2. If you could be any superhero, who would you be?

3. What was the last movie you watched in the cinema?

4. Early Birdie or Night Owl?

5. Where would you most like to visit?

6. What is your best childhood memory?

7. Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

8. Do you have any collections e.g. stamp collection, teddy collections?

9. Apple or Windows/Android?

10. What is the strangest food you have ever tried?

11. Who inspired you to start blogging?

My Nominees

Dizzy Miss James
Daisy Tribe | California Lifestyle Blog
stylewell
The Laife Journal
Samantha's Beauty & Lifestyle
hello strawberrie
Love, Lillie xo
heart of danny
Along Mommy's Road
Garlands in Paris
OhSoJulie

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The House of Dancing Water - Macao's HK$ 2 Billion Production

Hey! I'm back :) I was going to blog much earlier than this, but unfortunately my internet decided to have a tantrum...As the House of Dancing Water was one of my first favourites on my Hong Kong trip, I decided to start off with writing a review about this first.

Tickets for the Water Show

Within the casino City of Dreams, you can find the House of Dancing Water, a famous water show. It features ballet, acrobatics, drama and romance, pretty much everything you could ask for. With tickets costing about $801 HKD, or roughly £75-80, it's on the more expensive side, but is definitely worth the extra.

The Water Stage

The storyline revolves around a sailor who is dragged into a parallel world. He rescues a Prince trapped within a chest. This Prince then meets a beautiful Princess who is trapped in a cage by her evil stepmother, and basically tries to save her. Eventually the Princess defeats her evil stepmother and elopes with the Prince, and the sailor becomes a King of this realm.

Boat Emerging Showing the Deep Pool

The visuals were absolutely stunning, with amazing water stunts and beautiful dancing. In my opinion, the first 10-30 minutes were the most impressive, with a beautiful soundtrack and water stunts. The story began strong, but starts to weaken throughout the show, with sometimes confusing and dragging plotlines. Despite this, I really thoroughly enjoyed listening to the soundtrack, and the ballet sections were spectacular. However, with regards to the actress playing the evil stepmother, I thought her acting was a little weak and needed more confidence and believability. The dance scenes with the evil stepmother were also less impressive.

The Pool Also Transforms into Walking Platform

You really have to appreciate how hard all the staff members worked to pull off this water show. It's definitely worth another visit and if I was to visit Macao again, I would try to schedule in this water show again.

Phone Pictures Showing Light Displays

Visit their website Here! and book your tickets if you're off to Macao sometime soon :)

If you love your soundtrack music, I highly suggest you give the House of Dancing Water a listen on Spotify!

Rating: 10/10

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Ask Tiny! - Packing for Hong Kong Part 3: Top 10 Tech for Holiday

I am a self-proclaimed tech lover, and I hate leaving the house without all my essentials. Hence why I made extra effort to ensure that all my electronics are safely packed and ready for holiday!

10. Spare Battery for Cameras

Why not? If your camera suddenly runs out of battery in the middle day, you're stuck with the iPhone to take pictures...which isn't bad, but not great for taking quality photos.

9. Portable Charger

If you haven't got one of these already, I highly recommend you pop by a tech store and get your hands on one. These are ridiculously useful, especially for travel and holidays, as you can charge these overnight. They are also super light and easy to carry around.

8. Spare Memory Card

These days, good cameras take up a lot of memory space, so having a spare means that you don't have to go through all the pictures and try to delete some to save space.

7. Apple Headphones

I love Apple headphones as they are great for changing music on the go. You can also use it to talk to Siri (always makes a long journey fun) or to Skype with family outside of the place you are staying at.

6. Sony Headphones

I also like to pack one over-the-ear headphones as well, mainly because they look awesome, but they are also great to cancelling out noise if you wanted a quiet stroll through the streets.

5. NDS Lite

For all you gamers out there, an NDS is perfect for passing time on transport. It's pretty light, portable and has hours upon hours of fun & games. I personally enjoy playing Pokemon or a bit of Mario.

4. Camera

Invest in a good camera, because the possibilities will be endless. I like to take pictures of scenery with a lot of detail so having a slightly high end camera is essential for me. You could of course opt for the lighter and easier digital camera which will still do the trick.

3. Laptop

Got to keep up with my blogging right? Bringing along a laptop, despite it's weight, means you can stay in touch with friends and family easily. You can also use it during the day or at night to maybe edit photos or videos. I'm taking mine simply because I enjoy typing on a keyword instead of a touchpad.

2. iPhone or Smartphone

iPhone is just a necessity for me as it has all my favourite apps like instagram, as well as my photo editors (Meitu). I like to use the iPhone to take pictures during the day and edit them on the go. It's also very useful as a map around the city, or even as just a phone and calling people.

1. iPad Mini

For me, the iPad Mini is number 1, because it is relatively small but big on the inside. All my favourite apps are on there, as well as my music so having it with me is essential.

What are some of your favourite tech and electronics to take on holiday? Let me know in the comments below! Take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 of my packing for Hong Kong series too :)

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Ask Tiny! - Packing for Hong Kong Part 2: Clothing

Packing clothes for Hong Kong was surprisingly easy. I knew I would be buying a lot there, so I only packed clothes for maximum 5 to 7 days. Even though Hong Kong is quite hot, even at this time of year, I still like to bring some cold weather clothing just in case the temperature decides to turn for the worse. Below are the clothing items I have packed, from head to toe.

1. Accessories

Bow Print Scarf & Grey Wooly Beanie Hat

 I love accessorizing with all kinds of scarfs and hats. I particularly like the bow print scarf because it's so cute and summery, perfect for hot weathers. The beanie is mainly for insurance in case the temperature does drop to 16 degrees centigrade.

2. Tops

Top Left-Down to Right: Blue Cami, Soul Cal Hoodie, G-Star T, Khaki Shirt, White Top

 For holidays, I like to pack clothes that are simple, comfortable and unique. These items are also great for layering, depending on the weather. You can also choose to go casual (e.g. G Star T-Shirt) or achieve a more smarter look (e.g. Khaki Shirt or Cami top with Blazer).

3. Bottoms

Charcoal & Black Skinnies, and Hollister Shorts

Skinny jeans, especially black skinny jeans compliment everything, at least that's what I've found. I love wearing jeans to create either a smart look or a casual look. Shorts are also great for summery weathers, and Hollister is one of my favourite brands. They are also one of the only clothing brands that make clothing that's stylish and for my size!

4. Shoes

Black Boots & Trainers

 If you're like me and you like to do shopping in comfort, opting for some good old Nike's will do the job. Or comfy boots from Debenhams are also a good investment in money.

5. Outerwear

Blazer, Cardigan and Double Breasted Trench Coat

Cardigans and blazers are great for layering up and down. Blazers give a more smart casual feel, whilst cardigans help in slightly cold but not freezing weathers. I love the 3/4 blazers as I usually roll my blazer sleeves up anyways, so these blazers saves me the hassle. I also love double breasted trench coats, they look so elegant and are perfect for whatever you're wearing.

6. Pyjamas

Tesco PJs and warm checkered PJ Bottoms

Sleeping in comfortable clothes is very important to me, and I found that Tesco actually stocks really comfy and affordable sleepwear. Plus they are so adorably cute, like the Bambi one above. I also have some checked PJ bottoms from summer camp in America and these are so versatile and easy to wear for lounging around the house.

7. Dresses

Purple Ruffle Dress

The image above is the closest thing I could find to my dress, which was from H&M. This is the dress that I will be wearing to the wedding ceremony in Hong Kong. I love ruffle dresses, as the material is quite thin and breathable. I also like the way the fabric falls.

Finally I'm taking a small black shoulder bag with me to carry money and my purse around in. I hate big bags when going shopping as your shoulder always hurts towards the end, so having a lighter and smaller bag is perfect for me personally.

Want to find out what I packed for my face care and make up? Click Here to read my previous blog post. Stay tuned for my final 'Packing for Hong Kong' blog series, which will focus on the tech-savvy compartment of my suitcase!

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Ask Tiny! - Packing for Hong Kong Part 1: Face Care & Make Up

As mentioned in my previous posts, I'm off to Hong Kong for 2 weeks *happy face*! I seriously cannot wait to get on the plane and have a long deserved break from working for almost 6 months non stop. Below are some of the things I have packed in my suitcase, and as it's mainly a trip to visit my boyfriend's family as well as shopping (lots and lots of it!), I have left my suitcase relatively empty in terms of personal stuff. Spare space will be taken up by a lot of gifts for the boyfriend's family (read more about buying gifts for partners in my Previous Blog Post!).

1. Face Care

Products for Morning & Evening Face Wash Routine

I never leave for any holiday without my morning & evening face wash products. I feel that water just simply isn't enough, especially as I will be wearing make up on some days as well. Taking care of your face on holiday is very important, especially in hotter countries like Hong Kong.

Products for Face Wash

Simple: Moisturising Facial Wash, Toner & Cleanser

Tea Tree: Moisturiser

Tesco: Cotton Pads

I absolutely love simple, and they really are kind to skin, but their products still leave your skin feeling fresh and clean. The Tesco cotton pads are also really strong as well as being double sided, and they don't fall apart very easily which is great. I'm not a big fan of Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel moisturiser, so I will probably buy a new one in Hong Kong.

Facial Scrubs & Masks

Aapri: Apricot Scrub

My Beauty Diary: Face Mask

I dislike using scrubs very often, and usually like to keep it to once or twice a week. Anymore and I feel like my skin gets very irritable. This apricot scrub by Aapri gets rid of impurities and leaves your skin feeling baby soft. I also like to pack some face masks (especially for long days of shopping) just to relax and hydrate my skin.

2. Make Up & Toiletries

Make Up

Face Makeup

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect: Primer

Bourjois Paris: Foundation

Tesco: Barbara Daly Foundation

Tea Tree & Witch Hazel: Concealer

MaxFactor: Pressed Powder

Beautyblender

The Rimmel London Primer primes my face very well before putting on makeup. I also absolutely adore the scent of the primer, I can't put my finger on what it smells like, but it just makes my face smell so good. As for the foundations, Bourjois and Barbara Daly Foundations are both very light, so light that sometimes I even forget I've got foundation on. I would definitely recommend these to people who dislikes heavy makeup as they conceal well but allows your skin to breathe. The Tea Tree & Witch Hazel concealer is also great for quick touch ups wherever your are. Of course, my beautyblender is a must in my makeup bag and you can read my review of it Here!

Eye Makeup

Etude House: Mascara

L'Oreal False Lash: Mascara

Lancome: Mascara

No.7: Pink Eyeshadow

BYS: Brown Eyeshadows

Sephore: White Eyeliner

Prorance: Black Eyeliner

Lancome: Black Eyeliner

Boots: Black Liquid Eyeliner

Eyelash Curlers

I absolutely love eye makeup as you can change your eye shape in so many different ways. I usually like to use white eyeliner to really make my eyes pop. For mascaras, my favourite is definitely the L'Oreal false lash mascara as you can see the difference in lash length when you use it.

Lips

Sephora: Pink Lipstick

Sephora: Lip Gloss

Most days, I prefer putting a bit of concealer on the outer parts of my lips and gently dabbing the pink Sephora lipstick on the inner parts of my lips to create a gradient effect. Use lip gloss afterwards to give your lips that little bit extra.

Toiletries

Small Scissors

Muji: Eyeliner Sharpner

Tweezers

Nail Cutters

Heatless Hair Curlers

Boscia: Blotting Papers

Veet for Sensitive Skin

Above are just the essentials toiletries I take with my in my makeup bag. I bought my heatless hair curlers from Sainsburys, and they are so simple to use. I can leave them on at night and in the morning I get these gorgeous natural curls! I also like to bring a box of Veet with me to get rid of those unsightly hairs that I don't want other people seeing :)

3. Perfume

Live - Jennifer Lopez

This perfume has to been one of my all time favourites and I've been using it for about 2 years now. It's perfect for all you floral lovers, and as I bought the EDP, it lasts a very long time as well. On a day to day basis, I like to spray some in my hair and on my clothes.

What are some of your travel favourites for face and body? Let me know in the comments below! Also, watch this space as Packing for Hong Kong Part 2: Clothing is coming up next!

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Vietnamese Food and Bubble Tea @ Aobaba

Spicy Hue Beef Noodle Soup

Aobaba is part restaurant, part bubble tea and part Asian supermarket. They specialize in Vietnamese street food, which is deliciously tasty!! I went to the Elephant and Castle branch in London but there's also branches in Hoxton, Kingston and Dublin.

Plate of Veg

I had the spicy hue beef noodle soup which came with a plate of veg which you can pour into the noodle. The noodle itself has lemon beef broth base in which beef shin, pork ball and pork meat is cooked in. Don't worry vegetarians, Aobaba also have some great choice especially for you. As you can see in the picture above, beansprouts and other veg and herbs are included on a separate plate, and you can pour these into the noodle.

Lychee Green Tea with Lychee Boba

I also tried their bubble tea which was really nice. It's the equivalent size to a small Bubbleology bubble tea and costs £3. The best thing is if you are not a big fan of tapioca, they don't charge you extra to switch to popping bobas.

You can see their full menu Here!

For £10 for the complete meal, which was very filling and definitely delicious, it's pretty much a bargain. I really want to try out their spring rolls as well, but I guess I'll have to wait until next time!

Rating: 10/10

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Ask Tiny! - Buying Gifts for Boyfriend's Family

I'm off to Hong Kong this Friday and as this is the first time I will be meeting my boyfriend's extended family, I thought it would be a good idea to share my gift ideas with you. It took a really long time to decide on exactly what was best for specific people in the family, but we managed it in the end. The most important thing to remember is to buy gifts that are useful but not extortionate. Spending a ridiculous amount of money on a gift doesn't result in it being a good gift, but something that the receiver really wants is.

For the Parents:

Brita Fill & Go

We bought Brita Fill & Go for his parents, as his mum is still working and his dad likes hiking. This means that the Brita Fill & Go is practical and easy to carry around, whether you're on a mountain or in the underground. Other things included an ale for the Dad as he enjoys trying out new alcoholic drinks. For the whole family, we bought a lot from Tesco, especially products which are more expensive in Hong Kong as we have a lot of empty space in our suitcases. By filling up the suitcases, it means we aren't wasting spaces in our luggage allowance, and we are buying useful things for the family which they normally wouldn't buy because of the price in Hong Kong.

You can buy the Fill & Go on Amazon.


For the Grandma:

Whole Foods Market Fruit & Nuts

As grandmas usually have to keep healthy and fit, we decided to buy her a box of dried fruits and nuts. These help ensure iron levels are good, as well as providing essential vitamins. Other ideas could be tea and honey.

The best place to buy these is at Whole Foods Market or you can buy beautifully packaged ones at Fortnum & Mason.


For the Wedding Couple:

Fortnum & Mason Personalized Champagne

Weddings are thing to celebrate, and what best to celebrate it with than a bottle of champagne. What makes ours extra special is that we actually wrote a personalized message to the happy couple. As we know one of the couple well and not the other, we wanted to make sure the gift was for the both of them, not just one, hence the choice of champagne.

Fortnum & Mason offers a selection of Champagne and Rose which you can personalize. They also offer gift wrapping, which makes the hassle of ensuring it arrives in one piece a thing of the past.


For Everyone Else:

Box of Chocolates from Fortnum & Mason

For big families, you can always buy something that can be shared between all family members. A box of chocolate is perfect as young and old love it. Biscuits are of course the other obvious choice, or you can go for small boxes of different types of wine or ale for the adults.

At the end of the day, your boyfriend's parents are not your parents, so always ask him as he's the expert. Parents and the elderly usually have a lot of disposable items already, but giving them something that is a bit out of the box and something that they personally like or want is always better than buying a generic gift that could come from anyone. Personally, I like to do all my shopping in one go, so I typically go to large department stores like Fortnum and Mason or Harrods to do the bulk. However, for more specific items, it's usually worth it to pop into a little boutique store in London's shop alleys.

Hopefully this would have helped you a little bit more in your gift hunt for your partner's parents, either for just a visit or for events like Christmas. Let me know what gifts you have considered or given to your partner's family in the comments below!

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