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新年快乐! 万事如意! It’s the week of Chinese New Year and we’re sure you’re just as excited as us to spend it with our families and friends. But due to safety measures being put in place, Chinese New Year this year will definitely feel different this year. However, let’s not brood in our misery, but instead, make use of what we have! As the maximum number of people in a group allowed now is 8, Wheniwasfour would like to recommend a number of board games suitable for you and your friends to have fun while also munching on those delightful CNY goodies~

For the OG Basic Board Game Enthusiast: The Singaporean Dream

If you’re a fan of Singaporean-made games, you would have heard of The Singaporean Dream. Designed with many cute characters in mind with their special superpowers and traits, this board game is the perfect battle between friends to see who’s the top dog once and for all! But beware, this card game is guaranteed to kindle a competitive spirit in anyone because of it’s intense competition!

image by the vulcan post via. https://vulcanpost.com/640239/the-singaporean-dream-card-game-kickstarter/

For the Kopitiam Fan: Kopi King

Teh or Kopi? Which drink would you like to make today? In Kopi King, you can learn not only how to make the various popular Kopitiam drinks that we all love with the ingredient cards included, but also test your knowledge of the challenging drink terms! Or maybe you’d like to upgrade your cup of teh into an atas (posh) cup of starbucks-grade milk tea? You can do that by challenging yourself with one of the epic-grade recipes in this game! 

images by asiaone via. https://www.asiaone.com/digital/kopi-king-learn-make-your-favourite-local-drinks-card-game

To Go All Out: LIMPEH SAYS

If your friend group is one that loves to tease one another, you’ll love LIMPEH SAYS. This game is played similarly to worldwide-loved game, Cards Against Humanity, just toned down and localised! With this game, you’re bound to not get a night’s sleep with how addictive it is and the amount of laughter it brings! Don’t complain if you get stomach cramps from laughing ah, LIMPEH warn you already horh~

image by mothership via. https://mothership.sg/2016/12/the-sporean-version-of-cards-against-humanity-aptly-named-limpeh-says-is-finally-here/

For Our Dear Neighbours: The Lepak Game

Due to the situation unfortunately, our country’s borders have closed. And with that, many of our friends from neighbouring countries have chosen to sacrifice going back to remain in Singapore to work for their families back home. Which is why, many of them might not be able to fully enjoy Chinese New Year. So why not, invite them over with this Malaysian-made game, The Lepak Game! Get nostalgic with them as you bond over memories of their childhood and funny stories! You’ll discover that there’s more similarities between you two than you can imagine~ 

image by toytag via. https://www.toytag.com/products/the-lepak-game

With that, we hope that this Chinese New Year, everyone stays safe and happy. As we go out to visit our loved ones, don’t forget to drink lots of water and mask up! Wishing you a HUAT HUAT HUAT this Chinese New Year~

A happy day for couples, Valentine’s Day is just next Sunday! With it falling on the same week as Chinese New Year, it’s bound to get messy, especially with planning for your home decorations and also thinking about getting gifts for your special one. But fear not! Wheniwasfour is here to help you with brainstorming for your V-day gifts! Here are a list of gifts we think your partner might like~

For Her: The Grey Space

One thing is for sure, we can never have enough bags. Many of us have different bags to suit different occasions and with the many choices out there, why not grab one from local bag company, The Grey Space! They offer a bunch of faux leather products in various styles! Opt for a backpack for a work-appropriate bag, or a crossbody bag for a casual day out!

image by the grey space via. https://www.thegreyspace.co/

For Her: Maison 21G

This up and coming perfumery bar offers a once in a lifetime experience. Through the personality test available, you can take customise a perfume that suits your special one by choosing options that you feel describes her best! In addition, according to the brand philosophy, they aim to create a perfume that is tailored to the user and them only. Furthermore, with its options to customise each and every bottle of perfume, you can be sure that the one you design will be one of a kind!

image by Maison 21G via. https://maison21g.com/sg

For Him: Plain Supplies

Plain Supplies is a Singaporean that has been up and coming with their affordable small leather goods and accessories like watches and wallets. Great as a stylish gift for your special one to use wherever they go, now they can keep track of the precious time that they spend with you with a beautiful timepiece! (Another suggestion, why not get couple watches!)

image by plain supplies via. https://www.plainsupplies.com/

For Him: Mechanical Keyboard

With the craze of mechanical and customisable keyboards nowadays, you can create a keyboard that is the one for you and you only! With the many options online available, you can choose from different functions, to different coloured bases, to different coloured lights! You can even choose how you’d like your keyboard keys to click! Here is a link to an informative guide on how to choose the perfect keyboard for your special someone and also a list of recommendations that won't break the bank!

image by bumblescoop via. https://www.bumblescoop.com/mechanical-keyboard-singapore/

难看Pottery

难看Pottery (Nankan Pottery) or Ugly Pottery (direct translation) is the brainchild of an amateur potter who makes various pottery pieces. If your significant other enjoys quirky and one of a kind handmade pottery pieces, Nankan is one that he or she will enjoy! With their organic feel and human touch with small imperfections, these pottery pieces are ones that will be great as accents on the dinner table, or simply just as a display piece! 

image by 难看 Pottery via. https://www.instagram.com/nankanpottery/?hl=en

BYND ARTISAN

Journaling may be all the craze nowadays, but sometimes, there just isn’t enough space for us to jot down all the great ideas we get while we journal. Which is why, a customised notebook is always a great gift! In addition to their beautifully crafted stationery items, they also carry a wide selection of leather goods and other novel items! One of our favourites is actually their Book Lamp! Great as a bedside or study table piece, you can definitely get in the mood to journal with this lamp! In addition, pair it with a pun like, “you light up my whole world~”

image by bynd artisan via. https://www.byndartisan.com/

Wheniwasfour

Sometimes, Valentines Day doesn’t have to be about giving gifts to your special one, it can also be just giving gifts to your precious friends or even your family! After all, it’s a celebration of the love and admiration for those who you hold special to your heart! In Wheniwasfour, we carry many Singaporean-inspired novelty items that can help you reminisce the good ol’ days that you spent with your loved ones! So why not come on down and also explore what we have to offer~

Shop for our Love Ticket here now~

*Do note that our “For Him/Her” guide is just a general guide! If you feel that your partner would like the gift, feel free to get it for him/her! After all, love knows no boundaries~

In this age and time where people are getting increasingly mindful of their habits and routines. Especially with working from home, it may get hard getting into the headspace to do work with all the distractions around us. For many, procrastination is a problem we face. However, although it may seem harmless in the beginning if we still manage to finish our tasks, although at the last minute, it may settle into a habit that would in the end, come and bite you back! So how can we curb this habit of saying “later” or “tomorrow”? By replacing it with a new habit! One that tells you “it’s now or never” and “if you don’t do it now, you never will!” Which is why, in today’s TED talk, we learn the secret to forming a new habit that takes only 1 minute with the help of sociologist, Christine Carter.

Sometimes, when we launch into a new project, we tend to think about the big picture too much and set ambitious goals. But what we may miss due to this excitement is all the smaller details and the tiny goals that will help set your foundation and build your way to achieving your goals! One good example is when many of us choose to live a healthier life by eating clean and exercising frequently. When going into this new “project” of being a healthier you, many of us think about the final result, of being slimmer, fitter and healthier overall, leading us into being over-excited and start making big preparations such as scheduling meal plans or even getting a gym or exercise membership! But, let’s be honest, how many of us actually stick to that plan? Many times, we would stick to this plan for a few months, before slowly regressing back into a couch potato!

One of the big factors of why we end up backsliding is because sometimes, we tend to want to do things that we are good at, or doesn’t feel difficult to us. When setting your goals and wanting to develop a good habit, it’s not always easy! We need to learn to let go of our ego and be willing to accept this difficulty and learn to progress by facing these obstacles in our journey. That’s how we slowly get used to these difficulties and progress not only in just developing this habit, but also as a person! 

When we first start off, we’re very motivated, but one thing that we must remember is that motivation is like a battery. It’ll eventually run out, and even if we’d like to recharge it, it’s going to take time and power to regain this motivation! Which is why, we shouldn’t be fixated on being good in our habits, but rather, being bad! When first starting off in your journey to become a better you, set miniscule goals first! Be it just waking up a minute earlier or going downstairs for a walk or to exercise for just 5 minutes, as long as you’re taking action, your body is going to learn this routine and in the future, that muscle memory that it develops over time with these small habits will build upon one another and you’ll soon find out that the you now has greatly changed from the you in the past!

There’s no need to rush into a habit with the idea of becoming an immediate pro at it, rather, one thing that is advisable is actually to go into it with the idea of being bad at it! So when you start to feel that you might not be progressing, you can still reassure yourself with a small encouragement like, “It’s okay, I didn’t expect myself to be an expert at it anyways, but let’s just start small now!” And with that, we hope that you’ve learnt the small but important secret to forming a new habit! We’re all beginners when starting out and rome wasn’t built in a day after all, so let’s just go in with an open mind and just do our best~

The image above can now be downloaded as a phone wallpaper! Click on the image below to download~

Yay, It’s the end of January! 2020 has been tough and we hope that everyone has had an enjoyable first month of 2021. Although it may be just the first month of the year, there’s a bunch of things that we can be grateful about! Which is why Wheniwasfour would like to recommend this method which we feel can help you feel more motivated to achieve more in the months to come!

Reverse Bucket List

A Reverse Bucket List is a method where instead of writing all the things you want to do, you write down the things that you have already done and congratulate yourself for  achieving them! Here’s how we would go about it:

• Get a piece of paper or a notebook and write down your title for your reverse bucket list (or if you'd like, we have prepared a printable sheet for you! Click on the image below to download~)
• List down what you have achieved in this past month. Try to be specific! This method is to celebrate all your achievements, no matter how big or small so don’t be shy!
• Write down your 3 best moments of the months and 3 breakthrough moments
• Look through all your points and repeat this to yourself as you read them, “In this month, I’ve done/achieved ___________ and I am grateful for that.” 

We hope that many of you would enjoy this small activity and we would also like to share that by giving thanks for all that you’ve achieved, you put importance to all the things that you’ve done and by giving thanks to yourself for having put in the effort, you give yourself more opportunities to be happy! Here’s to a better year for all of us~

*Tip: Have a tablet? Why not go paperless! Simply download the image above and edit it in your preferred note-taking application! Have fun~

Sometimes, life throws you a curveball and it’s up to you on whether you want to avoid it or swing your bat and score a home run. Or maybe, you don’t know how to play baseball so all you can do is catch the ball! With the unpredictability of life, you can never expect what will come your way and how it may affect you along with those around you. But in today’s TED talk, we learn to catch the curveballs in life and make friends with reality from late Philosopher-humorist, Emily Levine.

Reality, if we were to picture it like a person, is one who is universally unattractive. Reality doesn’t share the same values and goals. Instead, for us, we have fantasies; dreams that we want to achieve without the hard work. As humans, we don’t like the idea of having to do hard work, but with reality, it’s always “go, go go!” Although, in actuality, as funny as it may seem, reality might not be “reality”. Reality, in reality, is just an imposter! (pun intended) The actual reality that holds us back from what we want are “limits”!

For our whole life, we’ve been always told to push the limits, to break through, and to overcome all the hurdles life may set for us. So knowing that these limits are what actually holds us back, if you’ve gotten used to always challenging yourself and aiming for your dreams, no matter how impossible they might seem, chances are, you may have already gotten used to actual reality to the point of even being friends!

One thing we must always be conscious of is that life is always going to be a roller coaster, we never know what may come our way. But what we know is no matter what, we can always get past it! We musn't be afraid, so buckle up, you’re in for the ride of your life~

The image above is now downloadable as a wallpaper! Click on the image below to download~

It’s common to see people turning to their phones when they’re on their break time. Many choose to either watch a couple of videos on Youtube, or others choose to simply listen to music. But, what if we could combine the two? What if we could take the informational and interactive part of videos and mash it together with the ease and convenience of listening to music? What you’ll get is a podcast! Podcasts, as in-trend or hippie as they may sound, are actually great ways to pass time! Be it helping you rewind after a long day of work, or to provide some background noise as you work on an important project, podcasts don’t require as much attention compared to videos so you can take time to focus on yourself, or the task at hand! Here are some podcast channels we’d like to recommend:

*If you'd like to explore our podcast recommendations, simply click on the different headers or open Spotify and scan the Spotify codes in the images below~

For Self-Care and Reassurance: In Your Feelings by Thought Catalog

Well known on Instagram as @thoughtcatalog , this platform has finally started a podcast channel to help bring you a dose of motivation and teach you how to love yourself. Some of their podcasts’ content include how to thank yourself for what you’ve done and also to help remind yourself that it’s okay if you feel happy, sad, angry or disappointed! If you’re looking for a buddy that will support you and accept your emotions no matter what, this podcast will provide you with that exact support you might need!

To Help You Find Happiness: Happy Place

Happy Place is a podcast that explores people’s many different walks of life and discovers how they cope with their losses and disappointments to help themselves find happiness in their lives. In this podcast series, you can expect to learn how to find happiness not by distancing yourself for your environment, but instead, to cope with the difficulties and change your mindset to one that can put even the worst troubles in a good light! After all, when things get out of control, it’s always mind over matter~

For Your Daily Dose of Laughter and Information: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

After a long day of work, sometimes, the biggest craving is to just have a laugh and we completely understand that feeling! Which is why we recommend The Daily Show with Trevor Noah! Famous for his stand-up comedy performances, Trevor Noah is one to turn to for your daily dose of laughter. Laughter is the best medicine, so take this chance to relax those tense muscles and relieve your tension by laughing it away~

Your Daily Trivia Podcast: TED Talks Daily

If you’d been following our blog posts, you’d discover that we have been recommending many different TED talks and there’s a good reason why. TED is a platform full of inspiring and motivating individuals who all have a like-minded passion to share about what they love and to help others improve and learn as they themselves discover more and more everyday! With TED Talks Daily, you can expect podcasts with varying content ranging from current affairs to motivating and inspirational talks on how to always better ourselves!

We hope that with this list of recommendations, you can start to explore the benefits that podcasts have to offer and even better, start to explore and find other podcasts that you’d enjoy as well!

新年快乐! (Happy New Year!) With Chinese New Year approaching steadily, we have many little ones eagerly waiting for the season of red packets and delicious new year snacks, while we have many adults nervously rushing around to finish their work and decorating their houses to welcome the onslaught of guests. That’s why, within this season of eager young hearts and busy adults, Wheniwasfour has compiled a list of featured products to make it easier for you to plan your decorations for the incoming huat season! Let’s get on with it~

Po Chai Pills Doormat

When welcoming visitors, the first thing they will notice is the entryway. Which is why we recommend our newly released Po Chai Pills Doormat! With it’s cute character always reminding you to seize the day and to do your best, it’s utterly impossible to resist! If the po chai pills design isn’t your exact cup of tea, we do have other doormat designs available too! For starters, there is our Pi Pa Gao Doormat and Baby Talk Series Doormats that both evoke the memories of our childhood of drinking that sweet cough syrup anytime our parents say that we’re heaty, or the lingo that our parents use with us when it’s time to “go downstairs gai gai~”

Hawker Signboard Cushion Covers

To celebrate Singapore’s hawker heritage, our Hawker Signboard Cushion Covers will “confirm make you HUAT” By featuring our signature Singaporean delights, you can choose from our wide selection of different “stalls” to decide which you’d like to decorate your home with! But if the hawker signboard series isn’t your “bowl of ice kacang”, why not try our other series’! If you’d fancy something cute, we have our Porkbo Cushion Cover from the Sumoboru series, or maybe you’d like our Kopitiam Heroes Series if that’s your cup of ‘teh’~ If you’re eager to get our cushion covers, we have an ongoing promotion of getting 10% off your total purchase when you get 2 or more cushion covers! This deal only lasts till 8th February on our webstore and will end on 10th February purchases made in-store!

Good Morning Mask and Mask Case Bundle

Due to the measures put in place by the government, it’s now mandatory to wear a mask when we go out. But, with the huat season, our plain blue masks just won’t do! Why not celebrate our Kopitiam uncles with our Good Morning Mask and Mask Case! With the minimal design, it’s definitely something that your relatives would find intriguing and it’s bound to help break the ice between you and any awkward distant relatives! If you’d prefer something more nostalgic, we also have our Chinese Composition Grid Mask featuring the iconic 小明 (Xiao Ming) and for our young ones, we also have the Singlish series where you can feature the infamous ending terms we use such as Lah, Lor, and Meh! Get a mask with a mask case at a bundle deal now~

Huat Noodles 2-Way Acrylic Earrings

We all know this budget meal that we’ve definitely eaten when we’re ‘broke’~ Instant noodles have always been one of our go-to supper or budget meals, especially paired with an egg or two, you have the staple instant noodle recipe that we Singaporeans love! Our Huat Noodles 2-Way Acrylic Earrings are a way for you to show your love for this supper delight, just without the calories! Also, with the removable backing, you can choose to dress up or down by wearing them with or without the noodles! But, if you’d fancy something simpler, we have a wide selection of Mama Shop Studs that you can choose from! Or maybe you’d prefer our Dangling Earrings?

With that, we hope that you enjoy our recommendations! But also, we hope that you remember to keep in mind the distancing measures and stay safe! After all, you can’t fully enjoy the huat season if you’re unwell~

Woohoo! It’s finally phase 3! Although we might be late to celebrate the start of this new phase, we’re still just as excited to go out with our friends and family! But, with the many activities available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when deciding what to do. Which is why we have come up with a few suggestions we think you might enjoy! Let’s get on with it~

Family Day Out

For families, deciding where to go may be a tough decision, especially with the conflict of interest within family members. Which is why a shopping mall is a great place for family hangouts! Shopping malls such as Serangoon Nex, City Square Mall or 313@Somerset are great areas for families who want to shop for apparel and gadgets while also having a place for their young ones to run around and have a bit of fun!

Exploring Our Landmarks

Although as Singaporeans, it’s a wonder how many of us haven’t been to Singapore’s many attractions! From the Universal Studios theme park to Gardens by the Bay, there are many wonderful attractions for us to explore or even re-visit to relive our childhood! Especially now with social distancing measures being put into place, attractions are now not as crowded as they would be! 

Exploring Our Local Scene

We’ve heard of those small, cozy prop shops in Taiwan or Korea, but did you know? Singapore is home to countless local businesses, from cafes to lifestyle goods! Some places where you can find such shops are Bugis, Joo Chiat, Jalan Besar and Tiong Bahru! Or even, choose a train station and just alight and explore what the place has to offer! 

We hope that even though the rules allow for a larger gathering than before, everyone keeps in mind the distancing measures and keeps safe! After all, good things are only worth enjoying if everyone is happy and healthy~

The image above can now be downloaded as a wallpaper! Click on the image below to download~

Sometimes, we feel as if we are on the wrong path and we question what we are doing. But mainly the reason why we feel like this, is because what we’re currently doing is not helping us achieve the objective that we want to reach. In today’s TED talk by engineer, John Doerr, we find out the secret to setting the right goals to help us attain our personal success.

Currently, many of us either haven’t set goals yet or do not feel that the goals that we have set doesn’t bring us much purpose. Well, the key to setting the right goals is actually to ask yourself first, “Why?” By asking yourself “why?” you actually bind yourself to your passions and to your purpose through giving a piece of something you care about to your goals. When you know that you’re striving for an achievement in a field or hobby that you’re passionate about, this passion will be the core of what drives you and what motivates you to press on even when things get tough!

Next, we need to find out our objectives, which are mainly significant, action-oriented and inspiring. They are the end in line that we see. When setting objectives, it’s important to make sure that they’re attainable so that when you’re working towards it, you have an end in mind and that you can picture yourself having already achieved that goal! 

Finally, we need to think about the “How?” They are the key results. Good results are often specific & time bound, aggressive yet realistic and measurable & verifiable. Being specific and time-bound means that you need to set a goal that targets a specific area and you need to give yourself a frame of time to attain it within. By being aggressive yet realistic in your goals, you push yourself to newer heights by constantly challenging yourself and asking yourself, “can i do better?” Chances are, you definitely can! Next, by having measurable and verifiable results, you’re able to see the work that you’ve put in and you’re able to see what you’ve been able to achieve with this hard work that you’ve devoted to your goals! 

With this, we hope that you have learnt the secret on how to set the right goals so that you are able to attain that personal success that you have in mind, but one thing to always remember, there’s no way you can get to the end in mind without leaving the starting line, so take action today as everyday is always a chance for you to start your race~

The image above is now downloadable as a wallpaper! Click on it below to download~

Happy first week of 2021! As we go back to work or school after a long weekend or holiday, it’s easy to feel the monday blues. But one thing is for certain, we can’t let this mood drag us down and cause us to not be productive and do well! It's that "New Year, New Me" season after all, so let's get out of this cycle of procrastination with these simple tips that can help you be more productive and get more work done in a day! Let’s get our grind on!

When doing work, “Do Not Disturb” is a godsend

Many users may be familiar with the function, “do not disturb”. For those who aren’t, it’s a function that can actually mute the notifications you receive on your phone! What you can do for when you go to work is to schedule for it to turn on during your working hours so you never get distracted from that important report or presentation you were working on! 

A Pomodoro timer is just the tool to get your super saiyan mode on

Named after a tomato (fun fact: pomodoro means tomato in Italian!) The pomodoro technique is all about putting in your 100% focus for intervals of time and taking short breaks in between these intervals! One example may be doing work without distractions for 45 minutes, followed by a 5-10 minute break. After completing 4 cycles, you can choose to reward yourself with a slightly longer break of 15-30 minutes, or just continue with the cycle so you ride on the groove you’ve got! It’s amazing how much work you can get done with this technique! For anyone with a phone, it’s easy to use this function with the timer function! So there’s no excuse to not do work now~

Screen time is the firewall for scrolling through addictive social media posts

Many of us have experienced losing track of time scrolling through our Instagram, or maybe Tik Tok nowadays. But as much as it may be interesting, it’s important to know when to stop and when to go back to doing work! Which is why phones now come with a screen time function for you to limit your mobile phone usage to prevent it from getting in the way of your work. Simply set it up as a time limit so you get a soft reminder to get back to work, or schedule for your phone to block certain applications during working hours so you won’t be able to use those addictive social media applications now! 

We hope that with these simple tips that you can put into place with just the basic functions on your phone, you can start to get into the grind and stop this cycle of procrastination or getting easily distracted! Let’s get this bread :)

The image above can now be downloaded as a wallpaper! Click on it below to download~