https://www.scmp.com/rss/10160/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When it comes to interior design, the laundry area tends to go forgotten in the back corner of the home - after all, who wants to think about washing and ironing?  But with just a little planning and some help from modern technology, even the smallest laundries can become functional, practical and attractive spaces. Ben Ng, a designer for Ikea, understands that most of us dread spending time in a laundry area that is small, dark and ill-equipped. “People often resort to drying, sorting and... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/premier-living/article/1873619/ideas-transform-laundry-area-efficient-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/premier-living/article/1873619/ideas-transform-laundry-area-efficient-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Nov 2015 02:50:32 +0000 Hong Kong executive Bruce Griffin travels frequently for work, with trips to far-flung locations such as Mongolia and Queensland, Australia. No matter where the job takes him, each night finds him at home reading his two-year-old daughter a bedtime story.  “We have an iBaby monitor installed in her bedroom, it lets me see the baby, talk to her, play her music - all via an iBaby app on my phone,” Griffin says. “I can be in touch no matter where I am – it’s made business travel for me a lot more... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1849258/ingenious-baby-gadgets-will-give-parents-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1849258/ingenious-baby-gadgets-will-give-parents-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2015 02:35:09 +0000 A decade ago, television sets were as big as an oven and weighed just as much.  In most homes these entertainment-monoliths were hidden away inside huge, purpose-built cabinets - cut to 2015 and concealing your television is a lot simpler.  The latest designs are so thin and flexible that you can peel them off your wall and roll them up like a sheet of cardboard, making them as portable as a mobile phone or tablet. Korea’s electronic powerhouse LG is among the companies leading the way with its... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1818366/new-oled-and-qdot-technology-will-make-televisions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1818366/new-oled-and-qdot-technology-will-make-televisions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2015 03:30:00 +0000 “Immersive entertainment” and “virtual reality” – for many of us, these hi-tech terms still sound like science fiction.  But, today, virtual technology is in fact part of the real world. Tech companies such as Oculus, Sony and Microsoft are bringing digital worlds into our sitting rooms, transforming the way we watch, listen to and interact with our home entertainment systems. “Immersive entertainment is when immersion within a system is created by blurring the physical world with a digital... https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1806995/bring-virtual-reality-experience-your-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/tech/topics/premier-living/article/1806995/bring-virtual-reality-experience-your-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2015 09:00:15 +0000 Ann Sacks’ career as a purveyor of unique home tiles began in 1980 with a hunt for a Mexican wedding dress. While browsing through boutiques, Sacks stumbled upon a box of ornately patterned, hand-painted Mexican Talavera tiles. She instantly fell in love with them, and their traditional beauty inspired her to launch her eponymous tile business from her living room in Portland, Oregon. Three decades later, ANN SACKS is an established brand, with showrooms across the United States and in... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/premier-living/article/1804639/versatility-tiles-makes-them-hot-trend-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/topics/premier-living/article/1804639/versatility-tiles-makes-them-hot-trend-home?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2015 01:18:55 +0000 If you’re looking for interior-design inspiration, forget about searching magazines, homeware stores, decorators and stylists for the latest trends and tips - simply turn on your computer instead.  Interior blogs are mushrooming in number and popularity, as they are the quickest and easiest way to access the latest news from the world of interiors. Last year, leading British interiors brand Amara held the inaugural Amara Interior Blog Awards (IBA) to find the best creatives, aesthetes and... https://www.scmp.com/article/1781583/looking-interior-inspiration-top-5-best-decor-blogs-are-just-click-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1781583/looking-interior-inspiration-top-5-best-decor-blogs-are-just-click-away?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2015 01:43:48 +0000 Smell is said to be our strongest sense. Clever use of fragrances can affect our mood, trigger memories and even impact the ambiance of a room. For 2015, scents are on the interiors map, with fragrances being used in many guises to subtly enhance spaces in the home.   Perfume, the evocative novel by Patrick Suskind, explores the power of scent and its ability to influence our emotional state, to mould our lives.  The theme is embraced by Australian entrepreneur Belinda Everingham, who says the... https://www.scmp.com/article/1733533/it-all-makes-scents-how-scentscaping-can-enhance-your-home-and-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1733533/it-all-makes-scents-how-scentscaping-can-enhance-your-home-and-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2015 01:45:15 +0000 Once branded the “idiot box”, televisions today are anything but, with flexible screens that can go from flat to curved with the press of a button, the ability to sense when you leave the room and automatically pause the picture, wafer-thin designs that are only a half-inch thick, and glasses-free 3D viewing. The modern TV is a futuristic mix of technology, style and function. The best sets on the market were on display in early January at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)... https://www.scmp.com/article/1681839/idiot-box-super-smart-how-todays-futuristic-tvs-are-keeping-us-connected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1681839/idiot-box-super-smart-how-todays-futuristic-tvs-are-keeping-us-connected?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2015 02:15:00 +0000 Across the city, shopping malls are once again festooned with glittering decorations, the air is filled with the sounds of carols and the scent of pine needles, and excited little faces are whispering secret wishes into Santa’s ear. Hong Kong loves to dress-up for Christmas, but you don’t have to go outside to enjoy that special festive cheer – with a little planning and imagination you can bring it right into your own home. Philippa Haydon, owner of homeware  emporium Bowerbird, says Christmas... https://www.scmp.com/article/1663505/experts-bring-christmas-warmth-and-cheer-indoors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1663505/experts-bring-christmas-warmth-and-cheer-indoors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2014 01:45:15 +0000 Kate Davies’s career in antiques began with a 19th century mahogany butler’s tray – a piece that would have been used by the butler of a grand English estate to carry silverware from the pantry to the dining room.  The events planner, who at the time was working for a large investment bank, was frustrated while trying to decorate her Hong Kong home - she couldn’t find European antiques locally and so had them shipped from Melbourne, where she had grown up. “Up came the butler’s tray and eight... https://www.scmp.com/article/1643735/timeless-treasures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1643735/timeless-treasures?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2014 01:15:45 +0000 If you asked art consultant and curator Jules Lambe the word that best describes her is, she would probably say “nomad”.  This year, the director of Hong Kong-based gallery Gaffer has traversed the globe finding and representing emerging artists at some of the world’s leading art fairs and Biennales, and sourcing art for corporate clients such as the Peninsula, Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental.  Put simply, art is not just Lambe’s job, it is her passion.  “I believe you should buy art you love... https://www.scmp.com/article/1638048/art-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1638048/art-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2014 00:30:15 +0000 It may be autumn outside but in the world of interiors it’s still spring, and cross-pollination is in the air.  Some of fashion’s biggest names are teaming up with interior firms to offer inspired, exciting and edgy designs for autumn - which promise to have even the most sedate of us salivating.   Think Christian Lacroix and Designer’s Guild, Diane von Furstenberg and Kravet, Matthew Williamson and Osborne & Little – and that’s just for a start. “Designers like Armani or Ralph Lauren have been... https://www.scmp.com/article/1632422/design-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1632422/design-times?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2014 01:27:39 +0000 As a toddler, Tobey Turl was often described as spirited and energetic. But when he entered preschool at the age of four and was unable to sit still long enough to learn anything, his exhausted mother decided to seek professional help. They found he had a complex learning profile: dyslexia, oral dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder and a touch of attention deficit disorder. Since then, Tobey has received "a huge amount of occupational and speech therapy, and paediatric physiotherapy, with the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1620638/specialist-classes-can-work-wonders-children-learning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1620638/specialist-classes-can-work-wonders-children-learning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2014 09:06:59 +0000 Australian lawyer and businessman David Gillespie grew up in Brisbane and was educated at one of the city's top private schools. But as he and his wife were mulling over where to send their six children, the "eye-watering sums" involved at elite institutions prompted them to consider alternatives. It also led Gillespie to examine what it was that made a school, and an education system, effective. The result is Free Schools (Pan Macmillan), a book that challenges many widely held beliefs about... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1603972/fat-school-fees-no-guarantee-top-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1603972/fat-school-fees-no-guarantee-top-results?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:44:43 +0000 On a perfect autumn afternoon last year, Sarah and Paul Orrock married on the lawns of the Repulse Bay Hotel.  Under blue skies, guests were treated to a celebration with an English Country Garden twist: ice-cream coloured bunting flew from white marquees, large bird cages were used as decorations and filled with flowers, butterflies and green foliage, while every table was smothered with beautiful British blooms, such as foxgloves, ranunculus, peonies and lilacs - placed in quirky silver... https://www.scmp.com/article/1595899/entertaining-made-easy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1595899/entertaining-made-easy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2014 04:15:45 +0000 Large windows, natural lighting, hazy shades of green and blue, botanical inspired fabrics and wallpapers – for interiors this season, it’s all about bringing nature inside.  But a growing number of Hong Kong residents are taking the trend one step further, creating new and functional rooms outside – whether in a large, verdant garden or on a tiny urban balcony or rooftop.  The city’s fragrant flowers and plants – bougainvillea, frangipani and orchids – provide the perfect backdrop for any... https://www.scmp.com/article/1576849/stylish-decor-moves-outdoors-hong-kongs-gardens-and-balconies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1576849/stylish-decor-moves-outdoors-hong-kongs-gardens-and-balconies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:45:45 +0000 Hannah Hye-eun Yang was born in South Korea, and that's where her parents, brothers and grandparents still live. But she has always felt a strong urge to explore the world. So when her mother suggested that she study abroad, Yang jumped at the chance. Now the 20-year-old is in her second year at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. "I was lucky, because I started learning English at about age five, so the language wasn't a problem for me," Yang says. "I had a choice between... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1576098/students-studying-abroad-must-strike-balance-between?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1576098/students-studying-abroad-must-strike-balance-between?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2014 09:15:28 +0000 Now and again we all experience that sinking feeling after leaving the house: did I lock the front door, turn off the iron, start the tumble dryer? Well, worry not – thanks to the trend in home connectivity you can control your living space from just about anywhere. “Today’s smart home is no longer just about entertainment systems – it’s about being connected on every level,” says Hong Kong-based technology specialist, teacher and lecturer Clive Dawes. The big tech companies are keen to make the... https://www.scmp.com/article/1534075/remote-controlled-homes-all-rage-mobile-gadgets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1534075/remote-controlled-homes-all-rage-mobile-gadgets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2014 09:45:30 +0000 The days are finally growing longer, temperatures are climbing and the glorious deep-blue summer skies have returned to Hong Kong. We are once again living in the sultry tropics, and interiors trends for the season are all about bringing those warm, balmy breezes indoors. “Following on from fashion trends, the interior world is bursting with florals and botanical style,” says Hong Kong interior designer Lisa Clowes. “Seasonal motifs include flowers, fruit, foliage and fauna and these are being... https://www.scmp.com/article/1533978/tropical-themes-dominate-hong-kong-welcomes-summer-skies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1533978/tropical-themes-dominate-hong-kong-welcomes-summer-skies?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2014 09:45:30 +0000 As far as parents' nightmares go, it has to be among the worst: your teenager takes a provocative selfie and texts it to his or her "partner", assuming the photo will be their own little secret. But the relationship sours and the image is placed on the web, where it goes viral. Before long, it's there for the whole world to see - friends, family members, future employers, teachers and complete strangers. Sexting = disaster. Or is it? According to a recent study in Australia, sexting is simply... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1538979/sexting-among-teenagers-more-widespread-many-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1538979/sexting-among-teenagers-more-widespread-many-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2014 02:49:17 +0000 Every second Saturday in May, Monique Roth, mother of two, makes sure she gets an early night because the next day she'll be awake at the crack of dawn. While for many mothers, Mother's Day is a chance to relax and sleep in, this isn't the case in the Roth household. "Every morning on Mother's Day, at an ungodly hour, our daughters [nine-year-old Avery and seven-year-old Sloane], with the help of their father, make me breakfast in bed," says Roth with a smile. "Unfortunately, the girls are so... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1505088/mothers-day-may-be-commercialised-it-still-special-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1505088/mothers-day-may-be-commercialised-it-still-special-many?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2014 04:00:45 +0000 As a young girl growing up on a small farm in County Carlow, Ireland, Helen Doyle's life was filled with traditional music and dance. "My mother and my sisters, we all danced," Doyle says. "In my mother's time she did a lot of ceili [Irish group dancing], she tells stories of how friends and family would visit each other's homes on the weekends to dance and play Irish music. This was how they socialised back in the 1950s and '60s. My sisters and I would dance at weddings or at old people's homes... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1493648/irish-dancing-championships-sees-asias-quickest-feet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1493648/irish-dancing-championships-sees-asias-quickest-feet?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2014 02:45:23 +0000 Until last year, Christmas was a favourite holiday for Sally Jones (not her real name). From decorating the tree to baking with her children, and tucking into festive fare, there wasn't a part of the celebration she didn't enjoy. But despite her careful planning last year, she wound up with Christmas lunch on the table and no one to enjoy it, as the family had scattered, either yelling or in tears. "We rented a spectacular house in the Cotswolds and invited my husband's family to spend the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1389030/take-stress-out-christmas-gatherings-using-common-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1389030/take-stress-out-christmas-gatherings-using-common-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2013 09:45:00 +0000 Is there a better time of the year than Christmas? Shop windows are dressed in their finest festive garb, eager little faces whisper secret wishes into Santa's ear, the nights are cool and the smell of pine and sound of carols fill the air. But planning for the big day can be stressful: tree decorations, gifts, cards, cooking, parties, family and friends. It's a lot to squeeze in. What if there were a way to create that perfect day, to find that perfect gift and cook that perfect meal without... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1371104/take-stress-out-christmas-shopping-doing-it-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1371104/take-stress-out-christmas-shopping-doing-it-online?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Dec 2013 11:00:30 +0000 Ask children their impressions of life at boarding school, and they generally fall into two camps: the Harry Potter-Hogwarts camp, where it's all delicious meals, great friends and thrilling adventures; or the Roald Dahl camp, where slops, beatings and loneliness are the norm. Boarding school is a divisive topic that elicits extreme reactions from both children and adults. But what is boarding really like? What are the pitfalls and, indeed, the upsides? Mandi Corso, a mother of three, is the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1331464/sending-child-boarding-school-need-not-be-traumatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1331464/sending-child-boarding-school-need-not-be-traumatic-move?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 "Radiance" - it's the latest buzzword in the beauty industry. Visit any skincare counter or open any magazine and you can't help but notice a profusion of new products promising radiant, glowing skin. It seems no matter how old we are, when we look in the mirror, what we really want to see gazing back is a luminous complexion: natural, rosy, blemish-free skin. And the good news is, from creams and balms to serums and foundations, there is a product out there for every age and every skin... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1316018/glow-it-how-achieve-sought-after-radiant-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1316018/glow-it-how-achieve-sought-after-radiant-look?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 For the second time in a weekend, Cindy found herself banishing her two daughters to different corners of their home. She wondered where she had gone wrong as a mother - the girls' squabbles, screaming and general nastiness had escalated into physical slapping and scratching. "It was a classic case of sibling rivalry, but I thought that only happened to babies and toddlers," she says. "What is so upsetting is that my girls aren't little any more - they're 13 and 16. They used to be such good... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1262961/parents-guide-minimising-sibling-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1262961/parents-guide-minimising-sibling-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Eyelifts are all the rage in Hollywood, but is there anything else that can help with undereye bags and dark circles? "Our eyes are the windows to our soul. Dark rings and bags around the eye can make one look tired and haggard," says Anne Treier, managing director at Sense of Touch spa chain. Bags and circles, Treier explains, are caused by many factors: poor circulation, genes, ageing, stress, lack of sleep, smoking and more. "The most common cause is pigmentation - the skin under the eye is... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1215136/excess-baggage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1215136/excess-baggage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 When it comes to the emotive breast-versus-bottle debate, most developed countries follow the World Health Organisation and Unicef's International Code on Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, drawn up in 1981. The code allows manufacturers to advertise follow-on milk, but bans advertising of infant formula for those six months and below. With its dedication to economic freedom, Hong Kong has long been behind the curve, but all that might be about to change. Legislation is now under way to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1150950/milk-ad-control-plan-formula-disagreement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1150950/milk-ad-control-plan-formula-disagreement?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 It's natural, healthy and best for baby - so why does breastfeeding in public create such a furore? The volatile issue hit the headlines in Australia recently, with popular TV chat show host David Koch coming under fire for suggesting mothers be more discreet while nursing their babies. More than 100 women and their infants protested outside his studios, staging a "Nurse-In" to promote women's rights to feed their babies. Closer to home, it's a battle first-time mother Lily Jameson can relate... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1150949/issue-breastfeeding-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1150949/issue-breastfeeding-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 In June, while most people are putting the finishing touches to their summer holiday plans, I am updating my Christmas gift list. After all, holidays are the perfect place to find thoughtful, quirky gifts and gorgeous festive decorations. In October, I pore over spreadsheets with ideas for greeting cards and holiday meals, family activities and crafts. This year my children are making gifts for their teachers (watch out, Mr Hulbert and Mr Miller), and my Christmas cards, complete with family... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1105444/christmas-addict-offers-diy-crafts-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1105444/christmas-addict-offers-diy-crafts-ideas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Arti Mirchandani started reading to her daughter before she was born. The Bookazine buying director was determined to make books part of her child's daily life, and it worked. Today, her daughter, Shrada, now aged four, is an avid bookworm - and won't go to bed unless she has been read at least three stories. Experts say reading from an early age provides a wealth of benefits. "In the United States, studies have proven that adults who read a lot as children do a lot better in life," says Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1064033/reading-lifelong-joy-must-begin-early?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-education/article/1064033/reading-lifelong-joy-must-begin-early?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Judging by the growth of soccer schools and children's leagues in recent years, youngsters in Hong Kong are getting a real kick out of the beautiful game. Children can now sign up for a plethora of coaching schemes, ranging from Hong Kong Football Club's volunteer-run junior programme to those affiliated with international clubs. The Hong Kong Junior Football League, a long-time fixture on children's sporting calendars, is now supplemented by the Development League and the Community League, as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1054647/young-soccer-stars-give-it-their-best-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1054647/young-soccer-stars-give-it-their-best-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 What makes a memorable family holiday? Certainly not the organisation: packing for five, finding someone to look after the family pet, stopping the newspaper delivery and buying a vat of sunscreen. So why, year after year, do we put ourselves through it? Family holidays are all about building special bonds and memories, according to Kathy Wong Kin-ho, executive director of Playright Children's Play Association in Hong Kong. "They are a time for play and new experiences, a chance for adventure... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1017012/family-holidays-bond-building-and-memories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel/article/1017012/family-holidays-bond-building-and-memories?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000 In the days of miraculous beauty breakthroughs - when stubborn wrinkles can be smoothed away, sagging cheeks resculpted or thinning eyelashes and eyebrows regrown - pigmentation remains a challenge for most women. While there is much modern foundation and concealer can do to even skin tone and cover hyperpigmentation - the unsightly dark patches that creep across the face - permanently removing it has always been problematic. Hyperpigmentation covers a gamut of issues, ranging from melasma,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1003845/spot-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/faces/article/1003845/spot-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Many people say that the first thing they would save if their house was burning down would be the family photo album. But why are people so attached to these flimsy paper images, and why do they hold such meaning? 'We all need connections to something, and family is one of the most basic,' says psychologist and educator Jadis Blurton. As her family's self-appointed historian, preserving memories is a subject close to her heart. 'When we look back over time we recognise how much has remained the... https://www.scmp.com/article/1000221/living-memories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1000221/living-memories?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When Lucy Mitchell discovered her 41-year-old husband was having an affair with a teenager, she feared it sounded the death knell for a marriage that had been struggling for some time. 'We were already having marriage counselling, as our relationship had become quite distant. I was busy with children and he was wrapped up with work, and relationships do have ups and downs. When I found out about the affair, I thought it was a typical mid-life crisis. But four months later it was still going on.'... https://www.scmp.com/article/997683/parting-ways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997683/parting-ways?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Parents' biggest battles with their children are often over the smallest things: refusing to share a favourite toy with a sibling, leaving a supermarket without buying that special snack, saying goodbye at the end of a play date. For Kendra Moran and her eight-year-old daughter, Keira, the flashpoint was clothes. 'We fought endlessly over what she would wear; she wanted flip-flops and shorts when it was cold outside; I wanted her to wear a pretty dress I'd bought for church,' says Moran, a... https://www.scmp.com/article/996503/we-can-work-it-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996503/we-can-work-it-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When Hong Kong author Sarah Brennan sits down to write one of her captivating children's books, she imagines rascally rabbits that defy evil emperors, hungry dragons that eat children, or plump pandas that are incredibly vain, and then puts these characters into exotic settings that appeal to her young audience. 'Kids have wonderful imaginations and a great sense of fun,' says Brennan. 'My books always involve a challenge or problem that tickles children's sense of humour, or their love of... https://www.scmp.com/article/994420/bunny-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/994420/bunny-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 As the Lunar New Year rolls round once again, we look at how some of Hong Kong's personalities celebrated in their childhood, and discover which traditions they have held on to. Bonnie Gokson (restaurateur and owner of Sevva) 'I was raised in a large home where manners and traditions were of utmost importance. At Lunar New Year, my mum would dress me in pretty clothes and new silk cocoon jackets, using lots of reds. The maids and gardeners would prepare our home. Our family was known for giving... https://www.scmp.com/article/990740/repast-and-present?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/990740/repast-and-present?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Like many children, Kathy Wong Kin-Ho dreamed of finding a gleaming, new bicycle under the Christmas tree. So when a red two-wheeler made its glorious appearance - a joint Christmas and Lunar New Year present - her joy knew no bounds. 'At the time, our economic situation wasn't great. I knew how expensive bikes were, and that it wasn't something my parents could easily afford,' remembers Wong, now executive director of the Playright Children's Play Association, a group focused on social and... https://www.scmp.com/article/988077/how-make-your-presents-felt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/988077/how-make-your-presents-felt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 After school, 12-year-old George immediately turns on his Xbox at home in Mid-Levels. An invitation to play Call of Duty: Black Ops flashes on his screen; his friend Adam in Oxfordshire, Britain, is waiting. George accepts, puts on his headset, and the two start chatting and planning strategy while they wait for their friend Joe in Pokfulam to come online and join the team. It's the modern equivalent of meeting your friends at the mall; but here's the irony: while today's parents know... https://www.scmp.com/article/986048/why-kids-are-all-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986048/why-kids-are-all-right?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Today, there are more bewildering choices than ever for those who want youthful-looking, blemish-free skin, and beauty technology continues to develop at a rapid rate. Chemical peels have been around for years, but the trend, according to Dr Gavin Chan, a specialist in dermatology at Skincentral, is towards the superficial as medium to deep peels have been all but replaced by laser resurfacing. Traditionally, chemical peels improve the appearance of skin through the application of a chemical... https://www.scmp.com/article/696516/face-facts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/696516/face-facts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000 New research from institutions including the New York University School of Medicine shows factors such as genetic variations and family history may play as big a part in causing melanoma as blistering sunburn. Simply put, taking preventative measures against ultraviolet rays is not enough. Instead, learning how to examine your own skin and identify suspicious moles early could be a life-saver. With her red hair and pale skin, 40-year-old volunteer worker Kirsty Thomas had always taken care... https://www.scmp.com/article/684393/trouble-spots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/684393/trouble-spots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Everyone's at it in Tinseltown: Gerri Halliwell is an avid fan, Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan reportedly can't live without it, Cindy Crawford attributes her ageless looks to it and even Margaret Thatcher is said to have tried it. Vitamin injections - which are claimed to treat everything from flagging energy levels and obesity to ageing - have been a hot therapy in the US for some time and are becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong. But whether vitamin jabs are really beneficial... https://www.scmp.com/article/670515/shot-dark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/670515/shot-dark?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:00:00 +0000 Six months after their wedding, George Douglas, 33, and his new bride holidayed with her parents at a beachside campsite in Western Australia. They arrived at the crowded site at dusk, pitched their tent and sat around the campfire relaxing over a bottle of tawny port with their neighbours. When Douglas woke the next morning, he was startled to find his parents-in-law gone, and their corner of the campsite quite empty. His family and neighbours had decamped in the middle of the night to the... https://www.scmp.com/article/663870/wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/663870/wake-call?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Every bride wants to make an unforgettable entrance at her wedding. So Winnie Au elected to go to church last month flanked by 30 leather-clad, tattooed Harley-Davidson riders from the Mad Dog Motorcycle Club. Her husband is a bike enthusiast. 'Who would miss a biker wedding, especially with the bride looking so lovely in a gleaming Mercedes-Benz?' says Mad Dog member Doug Netzel, 'Many onlookers were delighted to see something new in Hong Kong, and waved and clapped for the bride and... https://www.scmp.com/article/641268/arrive-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/641268/arrive-style?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000 They should look great - but should not steal the limelight away from the bride Today's bridesmaids have less cause to worry about being squeezed into unattractive dresses that do nothing for their figure or colouring. Elegant, modern brides want equally elegant bridesmaids. 'Bridesmaid's dresses nowadays are very stylish and modern and would be perfect cocktail dresses for other occasions too,' according to Elmis Chiu from White Bridal Couture. 'This way, not only are the bridesmaids happier... https://www.scmp.com/article/641273/bridesmaids-dresses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/641273/bridesmaids-dresses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Few things are as important to a bride as her wedding gown, but finding the dress of your dreams - the one you've fantasised about since you were a little girl - can be tricky. Experts agree it's all about marrying the image you've long carried in your mind with your own style. Alice got married in Spain six months ago and chose a HK$200 dress from a traditional flamenco shop in Madrid; Susan spent HK$60,000 on a bespoke Dorian Ho design for her wedding in Hong Kong late last year - and both... https://www.scmp.com/article/641274/all-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/641274/all-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong counsellor Sharon Glick understands more than most the pros and cons of getting your family involved in wedding preparations. Her own nuptials weren't exactly what she'd envisaged: 'My father found a wedding hall right under a subway in Queens, New York. It was a horrific place. He showed it to us and we immediately said we didn't want to have our wedding there, but it was too late, he'd already signed the contract. Relatives came from out of town wearing tuxedos and had to go to... https://www.scmp.com/article/641281/pulling-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/641281/pulling-together?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 +0000