Children grow up very quickly and it’s hard to believe that Mini misschewy just turned one recently! You know how people always say that parents are more chill after they have their first child. I think it’s quite true you know! LOL! I actually prefer that because I don’t wanna be labelled as another “kanjiong parent” 😛 I reckon it’s cool to be chill (pun intended). If you are an avid reader or follower (THANK YOU!), you would know that Cayla was born on National Day! We held a small and cosy party for her on a Saturday afternoon before her actual birthday.

Thanks to my youngest brother-in-law who is in Singapore Air Force, we managed to secure a chalet at the SAF Changi Seaview Resort! The booking was priced at around $388 for 3 nights. Super reasonable! My in laws checked in on Friday and we joined them after work. It was quite a hectic affair as misterchewy and I rushed home after work to start packing everything into our small luggage before heading over. By the time we reached the chalet, it was close to 11pm!

SAF Changi Seaview Resort was quite tricky to locate but luckily we could rely on our GPS for directions. Felt very excited as we dragged our luggage towards our chalet! Really got the holiday feel! Hahaha!

See! Got BBQ pit somemore!

Before I give you a virtual tour, I must say that the ENTIRE PLACE IS AIR CONDITIONED! Really shiok! This is the first floor and I was impressed by how spacious it is! The living room, kitchen and toilet are located on the first floor.

Apart from the fridge, there’s also a chest freezer! The temperature of the fridge can be adjusted which is definitely very useful for breastfeeding mothers who need to store their milk. It was 7°C, so I brought it down to 2°C.

On the second floor, there are only two bedrooms (I was expecting three!) and this is the one which we stayed in. There’s a queen sized bed, dressing table, cupboard, TV, etc.

Another shot to show how spacious the room is.

The other room had two beds and a cupboard. I think my in laws brought along the extra mattress.

There’s also a common toilet on the second floor. Towels, soap and shampoo are provided. However, I would recommend you bring your own toiletries over to ensure you have sufficient to last you throughout your stay.

Only the three of us shared this cosy bed because Chanelle was with my parents. Cayla was really excited about the change in environment!

Woke up early the next day! The sea is right outside our chalet, that’s why it’s called seaview resort right!

At around 1pm, the guys from Neo Garden came to set up the thematic display for our buffet. More on that later!

Our helium balloons and other party decor from The Party Stuff arrived shortly after! I was so surprised that the helium filled alphabet and number balloons were so huge!

We started getting ready for the party which was scheduled to take place before 5pm.

Since Cayla was born in the year of the Monkey, we decided on a Safari theme with more emphasis placed on the monkey. TADAH! Our humble dessert table cum phototaking area setup with balloons and decor from The Party Stuff! Apart from the alphabet and number balloons, we also got a Truly Monkey Deeply in Love balloon cluster, Jungle Window Instaview, Mini Jungle Monkey Cutout, and Jungle Monkey Whirls.

Based on my experience, The Party Stuff is a one stop shop for me to get all the balloons and party decorations because they have a really wide selection of products and you can even narrow your search based on the type of product you are looking for, or the theme of your party! How convenient!

Cayla’s cute Cupcake Tree from Sweetest Moments! The cupcake tree was made up of a 6-inch fondant cake and 60 pieces of bite-sized cupcakes 5.5cm in diameter.

Such an adorable-looking monkey! Besides birthdays, Sweetest Moments also specialises in baby full month and weddings. Cakes are customizable too!

The mini monkey cupcakes were a hit, especially among the little kids!

Guests also helped themselves to the dainty animal macarons from BakeAvenue! The gigantic monkey macaron totally took me by surprise! Was definitely not expecting such a huge one! 😀

As usual, BakeAvenue never fails to impress! Love their macarons which were crumbly yet slightly chewy and not too sweet!

My mum also contributed to the dessert table by making some agar agar jellies in the shape of monkeys!

Monkey soft toys for our little guests.

We also handed out animal socks from The Hole in My Sock to the “big kids”!

Cute and quirky socks to keep everyone’s feet warm and happy!

The Hole in My Sock is a monthly sock subscription service that’s launching in October this year, so do sign up and stay tuned to the latest updates!

We just had to take a photo with the buffet setup by Neo Garden simply because it’s not just any ordinary setup! The husband and I grew up with Neo Garden and whenever we attended birthdays or housewarming parties, we were overjoyed when we saw that the buffet food was catered by Neo Garden 😛

Do you know that Neo Garden provides a wide range of thematic buffet setups to suit your party theme and occasion? All our guests were blown away by the Safari Playland setup!

Super nice for taking photos, just don’t bring the stuffed toys home!

Thai Pineapple Rice

Sin Chow Mee Hoon

Signature Curry Chicken

Mushroom Broccoli

Baked Dory Fish with Mango Salsa

Cereal Prawn (prawns hidden underneath LOL)

Spring Roll

Mini Chocolate Eclair

Almond Jelly Longan

One serving is not enough! Most of our guests went for extra helpings!

Neo Garden never disappoints! My favorite dish is their Signature Curry Chicken, as always! Actually, the baked dory was also very delicious!

Taking “growing up with Neo Garden” to a whole new level! Parents who are fans of Neo Garden, don’t miss out on this amazing deal!

All photos in this post (unless watermarked) were taken by Wei Zhong from Truphotos! He specialises in photographing children’s birthday parties and baby shower celebrations in Singapore. I have nothing but praises for Wei Zhong as his photography works speak for themselves. I also like that Wei Zhong isn’t intrusive, so our guests were totally unaware that their photos were being captured. Of course, the photos turned out to be very natural and candid! Thumbs up! More information on Truphoto’s session pricing can be found here and to make a booking, simply fill up this form!

A big thank you to all who contributed to Cayla’s first birthday party in one way or another! Couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support! 🙂

When it comes to housings in Singapore, without a doubt that HDB (Housing and Development Board) is the main developer of public homes and these high-rise apartments or HDB Flats are what most Singaporeans call home. Young couples are often facing the dilemma of choosing a new BTO or resale HDB but recently the prices of resale flats in the open market have been skyrocketing and became too expensive for most first time buyers. There are definitely some clear pros and cons when it comes to a resale or BTO, such as resale allows you to have choosing power while BTO allows you to buy a brand new HDB without being pegged to market rate.

If you are one of those that are caught in the dilemma of whether to opt for a resale flat or BTO, here are some guides and facts you can consider.

Waiting time

Both options involve waiting though buying resale HDB may take about 6 to 8 weeks for the process to complete, BTO can take up to 4 years. When you buy resale, you will not have the pressure of committing too early in the relationship on the purchase of a house that will be available four years in the future. For those in love and can’t wait to get married, the three or four years wait can be too much especially with the high rental prices in Singapore. Since the BTO are yet to be built, it means the couple has to begin plans years in advance. This means you get married then rent expensive or live with the parents with minimal privacy. The best solution for such a couple is to go straight into the resale HDB market and pick a suitable flat at the best location and price. The moment you sign the deal, the house is yours to move into, no wait or unnecessary expense in renting.

Savings on renovations

In many cases, you will not have to spend much on renovations since the apartment is already in use. The chances are that you will not need to do much about changes unless it is a poor condition. Since most property owners usually renovate before listing their properties, you may not need to do anything unless you decide to overhaul the interior decor. A new BTO come empty, so you have to renovate no matter what, but the resale unit only needs a little renovation as long as you are satisfied with what the original owner did to it. But if the condition is poor the design is totally out of sync with your personality then you have to spend a lot on tearing everything down and starting afresh

Neighborhood amenities

Buying a new BTO may place you in a community with yet to operationalize amenities, therefore, making your first apartment unimpressive to live it with many units still under renovations, landscaping not fully done and so on. However, when you opt for a resale HDB flat, you will find everything running, and families living in all the apartments meaning life and bustle will surround you. It will be easy to know how the traffic situation is, social places, schools and places of worship. The amenities significantly affect the value of the property, so it will be easy to guess what you have to part with and how the BTO prices will rise in a given estate.

Grant money or living near parents

Living near your parents makes you eligible for an extra grant amount for your new house if your parents live in an HDB flat. It is easier to get a resale HDB around 2 kilometers from your parent than to buy a new BTO. Buying a resale flat, therefore, earns you some money through the higher tier CPF grant.

Loan eligibility

Buying a resale HDB flat still, places you in the eligibility criteria for getting a bank or HDB loan. The choice between these two types of loan is for you to decide depending on your financial strategy.

Price differences

At face value, new BTO are way cheaper than buying resale flats since the former are subsidized by the government. However, if you look at the houses in detail, you find the older HDB are more spacious since HDB have been playing around with the floor sizes over the years. If you compare the price differences based on floor size, you find that the older and new ones have a very marginal price difference even though resale ones are still higher. The best way to assess this is by comparing prices per square feet. Both options come with unique financial benefits, for instance, BTO has the option for additional CPF grant and Special CPF grant making it a total of $80,000 depending on your meeting certain criteria. Resale HDB, on the other hand, offers the freedom of choosing the location you like and can, therefore, place you close to your parents making you eligible to get the proximity housing grant of a maximum $20,000.

Location

The location of your BTO flat depends on the choices of the HDB and trends over the years have proven that BTOs are rarely launched at the best places since private developers have already taken the good spots. Resale HDB, on the other hand, gives lots of flexibility regarding location since they can be sold anywhere within the island, this grants the buyer so much latitude in deciding where to stay.

This inflexibility of BTO should not, however, discourage you from buying since the government is committed to developing every part of the island and sooner or later, the spot that appears less mature in real estate will be developed, so there is no poor location. The not-so-amazing neighborhood can flourish in a matter of years to a beautiful place. But if you have no patience then going for a resale flat is the best option if you have commitments like work, college and parents to stay close to.

Lease terms

The lease term is paramount to every homeowner. BTOs all come with a 99-year leasehold meaning the older BTOs that are now in the market as resale HDB may have about 60 to 70 years left. This should make the older ones of lower value than the newer BTO with their full leasehold intact. There will come a time when this lease issue will factor majorly in evaluating the resale flats. If you plan to leave the flat to your children then instead of leaving them with a time bomb, buy an apartment with a long leasehold left in case you have no time to wait for the new BTO. With this taken into account, a resale flat is till preferable as long as it has ample time left and the price is fair to that effect.

Design

It is no secret that newer BTOs have improved design and floor arrangements compared to the older ones that are now in the resale market. The standard layout of the current BTO is much better when compared to those of the older HDB flats. They have the living room and dining space alongside the kitchen and a small walkway separating the three bedrooms to provide privacy. They now have the common bathroom near the bedrooms in contrast to the previous designs where the bathroom was near the kitchen. The older ones, with the wide open spaces, provide flexibility to the owners who can customize the home layout as desired. With a large budget and an experienced interior designer, you can plan and change the spaces as you please.

This, however, is dependent on personal preferences, some people do not mind living in a house with a decade old design since not so much changes anyway in the course of a decade. The resale HDB flats may then be the preference to most people since there is no need to hire expensive interior designers for the house has been designed and renovated by the first owner who got it as a new empty house. Just pick a resale flat that has the interior you can live with and start staying in it.

Floor size

With the ever changing floor designs over the years, HDB today creates smaller units with lower floor size compared to the older flats. If you want a larger house, then the resale HDB are the best for you and your family. This factors in the price, the older ones may appear more expensive, but when you compare the floor size, you may end up paying about the same price as the new BTO.

A BTO flat makes the most financial sense when everything is considered unless you find yourself ineligible. You get a cheaper option with 99-year lease meaning your children and grandchildren will enjoy the benefits of the house before the lease runs out. The downside to BTO is the waiting time, limited choice in location and undeveloped neighborhood. You can make the down payment and hope you and your partner will wait and stick together for the duration of the estate development or get a rental as long as you can afford it.

The choice to buy a HDB BTO or a Resale flat depends on one’s financial stability at that point in time. Each buyer would have their own preference with regards to homes that will not apply to another. What is most important is to remember that, whatever your decision is, you should not be rash as a home is an asset that you will be paying for a very long time.

Before the clock strikes 12, The Chewys would like to wish everyone good health and a prosperous Year of the Rooster!

More than 19.7 million foreigners visited Japan in 2015, but ask any of these tourists and you’ll probably find more people who have visited popular destinations like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto compared to places like Hokkaido. Indeed, many travelers have still not experienced the majestic beauty of Japan’s second-largest island and biggest prefecture. Suffice it to say that they’re missing out on a lot of things!

Separated from the island of Honshu by the Tsugaru straight, Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan’s prefectures. It is home to numerous national parks, luxury resorts, beautiful port towns, and a bustling capital city that hosts one of the world’s most mesmerizing winter festivals. In this article, you’ll find out just why Hokkaido is a perfect vacation paradise no matter what season of the year it is.

Winter Wonderland

Hokkaido is probably best known for being a winter destination because of its world-famous powder snow, which is created by the arctic winds blown in from Siberia during the winter season. This dry, weightless snow falls on the island in huge amounts, blanketing its mountains in several meters of snow cover. As a result, many luxurious resorts have been built in the foothills and valleys between these mountains.

If you visit Hokkaido in winter, consider staying at the Kiroro Resort, which is strategically located just 1.5 hours’ drive away from the prefectural capital, Sapporo. Here, skiers and snowboarders can enjoy 21 meters of powder snow, abundant tracks, a modern high-speed lift system, training facilities, and a mountain club program. Families and those who just want to relax won’t feel out of place either, as Kiroro has restaurants, spa facilities, a pool, a karaoke hall, retail shops, indoor children’s activity centers, and a fitness center to keep everyone occupied. Moreover, it is just 30 minutes away from the quaint fishing town of Otaru, where you can order a delicious bowl of kaisen donburi—rice with seafood. The town also hosts the Snow Light Path Festival every February.

If you’re visiting at around that time, you can also check out the Sapporo Snow Festival, in which hundreds of ice sculptures and snow statues are built in parks around Sapporo. Furthermore, make sure to try one of the multitude of onsen (hot spring) baths in the island, where you can settle into after an active day on the slopes.

Cherry Blossoms in Springtide

After thawing away winter’s chill, the island’s flora awakens in early March to welcome springtime. The best time to visit Hokkaido, though, is between early May and the middle of May, when the island really comes to life with the colors of blooming flowers.

Make sure to visit the Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park near Yubetsu, where you can find rows upon rows of millions of colorful tulips. The landscape resembles a Dutch countryside, and the place even has a windmill to complete the look. In Takinoue Park, on the other hand, you’ll be able to see meadows and hills delightfully blanketed in pink moss phlox or shibazakura—truly a feast for the eyes. Finally, how could you visit Japan in spring and not see the cherry blossoms? The sakura is one of the most enduring symbols of Japanese culture, and in Hokkaido, the places to see them best are in the star-shaped Fort Goryokaku in Hakodate and in the parks around the graceful Matsumae Castle in Matsumae.

Summertime Roaming

Summer is the probably the most popular season in Hokkaido among local Japanese tourists because it is when they try to escape the humidity in the south to take pleasure in the coolness of the island’s summertime weather.

In July, the geographical heart of the island attracts thousands of visitors who want to see the flower fields of Furano and Biei. In particular, the lavender fields here make for really scenic photographs.
Summer is also a great time to visit the island’s national parks. Enjoy the unspoiled beauty of the Shiretoko National Park as well as the Akan National Park, where 3 beautiful lakes can be found. South of Sapporo, you can visit Lake Toya and Noboribetsu, where Hokkaido’s most famous hot springs are located.

Needless to say, you also shouldn’t miss Hokkaido’s urban attractions during summer. The mild and cool weather makes it the perfect time to stroll down the streets of the island’s major cities, including Sapporo, Hakodate, and Asahikawa.

Fiery Autumn

The season of fall begins in Hokkaido in September. Although this month poses the highest risk for typhoons, October and November by contrast, are generally mild.

In Japan, autumn begins the north—particularly in the highlands of Hokkaido—earlier than it does in the southern island of Honshu. Deciduous trees all over island becomes awash in the red, orange, and yellow colors of fall, a spectacle to match the flower blooms of spring.

If you’re staying in the city of Sapporo, you can view the autumn leaves in places like Hokkaido University, the Nakajima Koen Park, the Ishiyama Open Space, and the Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park. Outside of the capital, there are many places where you can enjoy the autumn display. These include the Shiretoko National Park, the hell valley in Noboribetsu, the Lake Onuma Quasi National Park, the spa town of Jozankei, the Daisetsuzan National Park, and the Shiretoko National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Hokkaido is a fantastic holiday destination no matter what the season is. If you’re planning to visit Japan, spend at least a week in this northern wonder to experience the best that the island has to offer.

How To Ensure You’re Making Enough Money To Fund Your Singapore Lifestyle

Money matters a lot in Singapore. It’s the nation’s close relationship with finance that gives it its reputation and standing in the world, after all. But what about your own finances? How much do you need to be earning to make it here?

The cost of living in Singapore

The first thing to consider is the cost of living here. The Expatistan contains a highly valuable resource to help with this, having accumulated a comprehensive list of typical costs of products and services for those living in Singapore.

The list covers food, housing, entertainment, transport, personal care and clothes. Some key points to consider are:

*you can expect to pay about $2-3,000 rent, depending on the size of your accommodation and the quality of the area you choose to live
*utility bills are roughly $129
*public transport can cost $91 a month
*a typical lunch in the business district costs $12

What you need to earn

So, with those costs in mind, what do you need to earn to be able to afford all of this?

The Heart Truths did an interesting analysis of the amount people need to earn to survive in Singapore. It looked at the typical incomes of those in Singapore and the amount they need to spend on retirement (CPF), food, transport, rent and bills.

It concluded that singles needed to aim for a starting salary of about $2,000 and couples had to try to earn $3,500.

This, of course, depends on how much disposable income you aspire to have or whether you want to get a mansion on Paterson Hill, for example. The blog was also put together a couple of years ago now so you can safely assume that the costs have only gone up in the meantime.

The best paid jobs in Singapore

But it’s all well and good knowing how much it costs and what you need to earn to be able to keep up with that pace, but how do you ensure that you can then achieve that?

The best way is to search out the jobs that deliver the best pay in Singapore.

A recent report by Straits Times highlighted the five highest paying sectors and each of these can comfortably support the Singapore lifestyle. The top five were:

*IT – with senior figures earning up to $22,000 a month
*Accounting – in which senior finance officers are paid up to $20,000 a month
*Sales, marketing and advertising – with digital marketers able to command salaries of up to $10,000
*Banking and finance – with a vast range of positions in more than 700 institutions paying wages of up to $17,000
*Health and life science – with Government support this sector is flourishing and able to pay research and development directors up to $15,000

The way forward

It’s important to consider your own circumstances carefully. Use the information out there to consider your lifestyle and the amount you need to earn to afford that. Then you can target the jobs that will deliver the salary you need to make this work.

Consider your strengths and aim for the sectors that are providing the best jobs in Singapore right now. Whether you know your trading terms inside out and fancy flourishing in finance or have the expertise to ride the crest of the wave in the health and life sciences sector once the $19-billion Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 Plan kicks in – these are the key industries to deliver the money you need for the life you want.

*In collaboration with Sophie Davidson.

Shopping, alongside with taking pictures together, is one of the activities you won’t forget when you’re traveling. This is especially true when you’re visiting Hong Kong. There’s one famous shopping center called Ladies Market in Hong Kong. Ladies Market which is located on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok, Kowloon, is a very popular and one of the most visited markets by both locals and tourists (both national and international).

What are the things you should bought when visiting the Ladies Market? Here are 5 things we recommend:

1. Wrist Watch

Who said watches are expensive? In Ladies Market, everything is cheaper because there are a lot of shops selling a huge variety of watches, with all colors and brands available. While the goods sold here is not the genuine one, it is usually of very great qualities like 98% of the original, convincing many at the first sight!

2. CDs

Do you enjoy music from famous artists? Or maybe you are a CD collector of one of your favorite musicians? If so, Ladies Market could be the place for you. You could find many CDs from different artists you love. The CDs sold here also comes with great quality at an affordable price. If you’re lucky, you might score some rare CDs you can’t find anywhere else here.

3. Clothes

If you love shopping for clothes, there are many shops available for you in Ladies Market. You could find many kinds of clothes, both for females and males, at a very affordable price. There are many varieties of colors, styles, materials, and even quality offered in the Ladies Market. You will always find a suitable clothes for yourself or as a souvenir here.

4. Toys

Getting tired of the kids destroying their toys over and over again? You won’t have to worry anymore now. In Ladies Market, you will find a lot of toys in many kinds, from the small ones to the huge ones, sold very cheaply. Your kids will find the toys they love, and you won’t have to spend too much on them!

5. Bags

For those of you bag lovers, the Ladies Market will be your shopping heaven. You are guaranteed to find a bag that perfectly suits your taste in Ladies Market because of the sheer volume of its offerings. From the small ones to the big ones, the curved, boxed, and many other models are sold here.
You could visit the Ladies Market easily because it is located near to the Kowloon MRT Station. Upon arriving at the Ladies Market, you must adjust yourself to your bidding self – everything you want to buy here must be negotiated with the sellers. Furthermore, you’ll also have to be mindful of the change they give you – don’t accept an older print of money because you won’t be able to use it later.

With that said, if you’re already prepared to channel your inner shopaholic, don’t wait any longer. As a very popular tourist destination, preparing a vacation to Hong Kong is very easy, even from the comfort of your couch! There are many cheap hotels in Hong Kong that have online booking facilities, from their own sites or third party like Traveloka. For example, the Homy Inn located in Kowloon offers a clean, cheap, and affordable place to stay with Internet and car rental service. Another example is the Royal Plaza Hotel with its great facilities like restaurant, fitness club, and laundry. Don’t wait any longer, book your tickets, reserve the hotels, and have a shopping spree in Hong Kong now!

Image credit: touristmaker.com

Some of the best places to visit in Italy are located in the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Are you planning to visit? This travel guide will help you discover the best places in the island. Don’t forget to book in advance a villa in Sicily, checking out holiday rentals online like Wishsicily.com before you embark on your journey. Remember that accommodations can be taken up in a flash especially during peak seasons.

Image credit: matthewwilliams-ellis.com

1. Palermo –This bustling capital of the region is the ideal place to make as a base. You will find a mélange of architectural buildings, a cultural heritage left by different civilizations that include the medieval ages, the Byzantine and the Norman periods. The place is chock-full of churches, museums and palazzi. Appease your hunger on popular street foods such as arancini and milza as you slowly walk on cobbled streets and discover nudes on many beautiful piazze. Visit the 700-year old open-air markets of Vucciria to shop among a variety of items and accessories.

Image credit: italybeyondtheobvious.com

2. Valley of the Temples – If you are into ancient wonders, you will be amazed at the number of well-preserved Greek temples and ruins located in one place in Agrigento. Allow at least a day to visit the place. After roaming around the area of the temples, drop by the archeological museum which covers the history of the place from the earliest human settlement. Then, head on to the town centre which is characterized by a network of steep alleys and stairways. Significant sights such as the Duomo and the church of Santa Maria dei Greci await you.

Image credit: ibtimes.co.uk

3. Mount Etna – The most active volcano in the whole of Europe, Mt. Etna attracts a huge following yearly, whatever the season. Trekking to its craters is one of the most popular activities here. Skiing in winter is likewise a favorite thing to do. The scenery from the top is breath-taking. On the slopes of the volcano, you can also find vineyards that produce some of the finest wines in the region.

Image credit: taormina.it

4. Taormina – This town that sits on the rocky Mt. Tauro is one of the most-picturesque s in Sicily. The amazing Teatro Greco annually hosts the Taormina Film festival, attracting people from all over the world. The view from this vantage point is just stupendous, with the sea stretching down below, and the majestic Mt. Etna on the horizon. It is worth visiting the areas around such as Isola Bella, Giardini Naxos and the Alcantara Valley.

Image credit: cntraveller.com

5. Aeolian Islands – Jump on a ferry or hire a boat to go island-hopping around the Aeolian group of islands to see smoking volcanoes, to enjoy hot baths, to play on black-sand beaches, to be amazed by the sciara del fuoco in Stromboli, to hang out with the rich in Panarea, to dive among ship wrecks in Filicudi, or to just watch the sun set. Whatever it is you prefer to do, you will surely find the experience all worth it.

Sawadee ka~! The Chewys are currently holidaying in Bangkok! Taking things slow on our first day (it’s actually 11pm here lol) and hopefully, we will be in full gear tomorrow!

As a token of appreciation to all our readers, we will be conducting a little giveaway! Head over to our Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and Instagram @missuschewy for more details! 🙂

Mother’s Day this year feels so much more meaningful than the last, when Chanelle was barely two months old. Calling me “Mama”, grinning from ear to ear while bouncing up and down when she sees me appearing at the doorstep after a long day at work, kissing me on my mouth when I pretend to sleep or cry, and many other actions warm the cockles of my heart. I never knew that such a young human being is capable of expressing so much love and affection. And thanks to the wonderful hubby for being a proactive father and for putting the family first. Motherhood isn’t easy but thanks for sharing the burden and making this an enjoyable journey 🙂 Happy Mother’s Day! 💐

Many Many people understand very little as to why the value of platinum is what it is, so we thought we’d drop everything we were doing to explain why!

Platinum is a relatively unknown metal because it has a much shorter history in modern circles than other precious metals like gold and silver.

And when the market is healthy, platinum can be more than double the price of gold –although its value can also fall well below the value of gold when the market is weak. Platinum is strange like that; but how come?

The History of Platinum

First let’s take a look at the history of platinum and go back –way back. Around 2 billion years ago by scientist’s current guess, to when the first known asteroid crash landed into earth and caused a whole lot of problems for the planet. That was somewhere around 2 Billion BC.

That asteroid, and many like it contained scores of platinum, which is otherwise an incredibly rare metal on planet earth.

The next recorded “platinum event” was logged a whole lot later in history than that, as archaeologists located jewellery made from gold from the long lost kingdom of ancient Nubia which had traces of platinum within it. That was in 1200 BC.

And then in 700 BC, Egypt’s high priestess Shepenupet was buried in a majestic gold and platinum decorated sarcophagus, its hieroglyphs fashioned out of the two precious metals. In addition to platinum glyphs, a small document casket made of platinum was also included within her tomb.

Fast Forward another several hundred years, and in 100 BC pre-Inca civilisations had used the precious metal platinum in ceremonial jewellery located in what we now consider South America.

For over two millennia following the pre-Inca civilisation that were familiar with the metal, it hadn’t made another recorded appearance.

By 1590 AD, Spanish conquistadors were ravaging the people of the land once dominated by the Incas in South America and came across the metal. As history remembers the conquistadors for their brutal barbaric behaviours and less so their smarts, they dismissed the precious metal as inferior and gave it the origin of the name we call it today; they called it “platina”, meaning “little silver”. And that’s when its name stuck.

In the 1700’s, when early European scientists were obsessed with the concept of being able to turn lead into gold, they praised platinum as just the ingredient to be able to accomplish the feat. The practice at the time was called Alchemy.

Later that century, in 1751, a scientist from Sweden finally labelled the metal as precious. And later yet in that century, King Louis XV1 of France declared the metal the only metal fit for kings.

Throughout the close of the 17th century, the metal had been used in gifts to the Pope of the day, and also became the centre point of the metric system.

Platinum was the choice of the first standard kilogram metric weight, and that weight still exists today in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

The precious metal was used for everything from religious symbols to interior decoration until another scientist from Britain discovered a way to make the metal more malleable, thus increasing its number of applications dramatically. It was finally ready for commercial uses.

Since then, the precious metal platinum has been discovered in deposits located in Russia and Africa, and jewellers were just about the central group who used the metal for their creations. The metal was used in royal crowns, gifts for tsars, diamond platinum eternity rings and eventually deemed a “strategic metal” by the United States during WWII when resources were low. This new designation temporarily made using it for jewellery illegal, although after the war the precious metal was back in the hands of jewellers by 1947. Just in time for Elvis to popularize the metal for wedding rings a mere 20 years later.

The story ends with platinum being a vogue jewellery choice from the red carpet to her Majesty in jolly old England.

With a rich history (pun!) like that, and with its absolute rarity status, platinum has retained its value and no artificial process has been found where we can make our own from scratch as we can with diamonds.
And there are so many things we can do with diamonds, but that is a story for another day!

Back to the Future

Now back to present day; platinum is exchanged on stock markets, collect in coin form, and Switzerland offers platinum accounts where the precious metal can be bought or sold like currencies.

While gold can have its roots traced back to early merchants, it still has made numerous more appearances through history to warrant it a lower value than platinum for the most part.

Platinum is a super metal, one that has such an exceptional history that can only be matched by fantasy, like Superman’s Krypton. Except we don’t need an alien to travel millions of miles to bring it to us –it’s here and now, and as close as your local jeweller.

This article is contributed by Media Buzzer.