I've been eyeing for an embroidered mesh dress to wear as a wedding guest for some time now. And I finally found one that's not only flattering but also doesn't cost me an arm and a leg. It was love at first sight when I saw this embroidered floral mesh dress on Shein. 

I tend to go for dresses that are elegant with a subtle dash of sexiness. This dress strikes a good balance on both sex appeal and femininity without being too much. The mesh overlay drapes well on my body. The botanic pattern is fun and memorable. I'm in love!

This dress was perfect for a wedding that I attended recently at Madsen's Greenhouse Chapel. I felt like one of those flower fairies. The only downside of this dress is the lack of stretch to the mesh layer. 

  

Pairing this dress was easy. A pair of black strapped heels help create an illusion of longer legs underneath the mesh. Because of the botanic pattern, I didn't have to accessorize much and do anything for my hair except to just keep them nice and curly. Otherwise, it would have been too much. I'm pretty happy with the look. What do you think?

{Outfit Overview}
Floral embroidered mesh dress (Shein)
Strapped Heels (Steve Madden)
Studded Clutch (Aldo)
Dangling crystal earrings (H&M)
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Have you ever felt exhausted while traveling? Perhaps you're trying to hit as many tourist spots as possible within a short time frame that all your muscles start to hurt? That was me on a jam-packed 3-day trip in Seoul. Thankfully, I was able to squeeze in time to visit a Jjimjibang before my departure. If you're planning a visit to Jjimjilbang, here's a guide for this popular Korean bath and sauna experience.

What is a Jjimjilbang?

Jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse that is usually furnished with a communal shower area, hot and cold therapeutic tubs, ice room, heated salt rooms, sauna rooms, fitness room, lounging area, entertainment area, massage rooms, sleeping rooms, and a cafeteria. Most of them are opened for 24-hours so you could choose to stay overnight after relaxation. Visiting a Jjimjilbang is considered one of the must-dos to experience Korean culture.

A Korean R&R Getaway

You might think that a 24-hr bathhouse with so many amenities to offer would be extravagant and costly. In fact, they're actually very economical and down to earth. People there are laid back and Korean families love spending a weekend here as a getaway.

Siloam Sauna at Seoul Station

Jjimjilbang can be found everywhere in Seoul. And Siloam Sauna is conveniently located approximately 8-minute walking distance away from Seoul Station, making visits extremely easy for travellers. A full experience of bath, sauna, and jjimjil (heating) only costs 11,000 won and that's about $12 CDN! If you choose to stay overnight or check-in after 8 pm, the price is slightly higher at 17,000 won ($20 CDN) and that's still a pretty great deal! No wonder why jjimjilbang is sometimes used as an alternative to hotels for budget travelers or for those laying over. Although the cost is low, the place is huge and well maintained. I'm surprised that a bathhouse can be as large as a 5-story!

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The Full Sauna, Bath, Jjimjil Experience

After you've paid for your admission, you'd be given a ticket to the female and male change area. The staff would then take your ticket and lead you to a small locker where you'd store your shoes away. The key for the shoe locker is then exchanged for their smocks (usually t-shirt and shorts), a towel and another key to store your belongings.

Don't be alarmed if you see other guests walking around and drying hair butt naked inside the change area. Because you'd have to strip your clothes off before heading to the bathing area downstairs as well. Luckily, the males are separated from the females. Directions and signs can be seen everywhere on the walls and floors. So you won't get lost even if you don't speak the language.

The bathing area is huge. The therapeutic baths and sauna rooms are on the other side of the room. You'll need to take a shower before dipping into the baths or going into saunas. Each bath varies in temperature and offers different medicinal effects.

Here are the several baths that they offer:

Giok Bath - This bath is created by submerging the jade stone deep underground to collect its energy.
Salt Bath - Releases stress and muscle pains. It also kills fungi on your skin, making it brighter and more elastic.
Loess Bath - Loess is living soil with medicinal properties that we energize the body.
Mugwort Bath - Known for its vitamin and calcium. It's especially beneficial for females to heal irregular menstruation and cramps. 

At this point, you could also get someone to exfoliate your body. Experienced body scrubbers are available for an extra cost. They massage your body to improve circulation and help remove dead skins. After your time at the bathing area, you could go back to your locker, get dressed and enjoy other amenities offered at the Jjimjilbang.

Me wearing their smocks after bathing. Do I look cute in them?

Giok Bath

Rest area in the bathing area

Get Pampered at Beauty Salon

Ladies could also get pampered at the beauty salon on the first floor. You could enjoy services like getting a haircut, a shave, nail art, lash extensions, foot care and trimming eyebrows. Just keep in mind that these cost extra on top of your admission. 

On the 2nd floor is a lounge area, a place where you could hang out with your friends, watch tv or sleep. I especially enjoyed the hot stone foot therapy when I was there. It helped relax my muscles and release tension from walking.

Hot stone foot therapy

Many people like to relax and hang out freely in the open area after bathing and sauna

Play Area for Your Children

Jjimjilbang is a family-friendly activity in Korea. And that's why some larger bathhouses like Siloam Sauna even has a designated area for Children. Parents could relax and escape knowing their children are safe and occupied in proximity.  

Lots of Amenities at Your Disposal 

What amazed me while experiencing a Jjimjilbang is that there was a peck more to do then just bathing and saunas. At Siloam Sauna, you could exercise at their fitness center, sing karaoke, play chess and table tennis, use their computers, host seminars/meetings, and play arcade games! All of these amenities could be found on the 3rd floor and are included with your admission.

De-stress and Escape in Fomentation Rooms

Fomentation rooms are what made Jjimjilbang unique. These heated or cool cave-like rooms are formed by natural materials to provide therapeutic effects to your body. At Siloam Sauna, there're so many rooms to choose from, such as the Oxygen room, Hard Charcoal Cold Room, Ice Room, Grotto Room, Blue Jade Room, Loess Sauna, Salt Sauna, Fire-based Sauna, and Jade Sauna. To detox and improve blood circulation, you could choose the high-temperature rooms like the Salt Sauna or Jade Sauna. These rooms can be found on the 4th floor of Siloam Sauna and are usually shared with all genders. They are definitely worth a try if you're new to the Korean Bathhouse experience.

Fire-based sauna

Jade sauna

Salt sauna

Ice room

Charcoal cold room

Take a Power Nap

The bathhouse also has designated sleeping rooms for those of you who need to catch some sleep or stay overnight. Snorers are also encouraged to nap in their designated room so everyone can enjoy a comfortable and quiet time. 

Fuel Up With Traditional Korean Food

After you're well rested, it's time to fuel up with food! A large cafeteria-like restaurant is available on the 5th floor. Everyone could enjoy delicious Korean cuisine without leaving the bathhouse. Koreans like to snack on a smoked egg with a cup of Shikhae after Jijimjilbang. Shikhae is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage that is usually served cold and is super refreshing to cool your body down. If you're down for a meal, a variety of stews, noodles and rice dishes are also available. The restaurant accepts credit cards.

What do you think about the Korean bath experience? Would you give Jjimjilbang a try?

Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time!

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Check out my posts of other bath experience!

Hot Springs of a Lifetime in Kinosaki Onsen (Japan Travel)

My Turkish Bath Experience in Istanbul

Hanging out with friends can be difficult as you get older. And during winter months, there's not much out there for you to do together. Besides drinking at a bar and eating out, there're still fun things to do indoor with your bffs. Today, I'm sharing some of the activities that my friends and I love doing together to get by the dreadful weather.

Host a Cheese or a Charcuterie Party (with Sangria, of course)

Cheese parties are the best parties! We love to explore different types of cheese and bring over our favourites for everyone to enjoy. Serve them on a cheeseboard with crackers and fruits as you please. For a fancier take, try making a cheese fondue with white wine and baguette pieces. The warm and gooey cheese is perfect for colder days. And, you can't call it a party without having any drinks! We love making our own sangria. Simply combine sliced oranges, mangoes, strawberries, berries, ginger ale, and a bottle of red (or white) into a beverage dispenser. And let them sit for at least an hour before serving.

Not a fan of cheese? You could do the same with a Charcuterie platter. For colder months, we also like to make mulled wine.

Get Together for an Afternoon Tea Potluck

Potlucks are fun. But afternoon tea potlucks are even better! Everyone could bring their homemade baked goods or bake something together at a person's house. Not a baker? Just bring over pastries from your favourite bakery or patisserie! You could also take this idea one step further and decorate the space like Breakfast at Tiffany's or Alice in Wonderland tea party.

Visit an Instagram-Worthy Museum or Exhibit

It's all about the 'gram these days. Pop-up exhibits and museums set up for the 'gram are all the hype. I had a blast taking pictures and boomerangs everywhere with my friends when we visited The Happy Place. We had a fun-filled afternoon with tons of pictures and memories to laugh about. Check your city to see if there're similar exhibits set up near you.

Get Pampered at a Nail Salon or Spa

Painting nails are therapeutic. So, why not enjoy a relaxing time with your girlfriends at a spa or at a nail salon together. You get to catch up and chit chat while getting pampered at the same time. Just make sure the venue is big enough to accommodate your group. The last thing you want is to have everyone cramped inside a tiny space for an hour. Check out 13 Fabulous Nail Salons in Toronto to go with Your BFF and 10 Best Spas in Toronto.

Set Up a DIY Workshop at Home 

You could host a DIY workshop at home and have your girlfriends come over! We love making crafts for ourselves and our loved ones. So, we'd get together at someone's house, find tutorials online, gather materials and make something together. We've made things like hand scrubs, candles and lip balms using all natural ingredients! Check out some DIY inspirations here.

Make Your Own Paint Night

Doing your own paint night at home with your friends is a lot easier than you think. You just need to have a few paint brushes, bottles of acrylic paints, plastic cups, disposable trays and blank canvases. All of these can be purchased from the dollar store! You and your friends could agree on an image to see who replicates best or everyone could paint something they like. Either way, it's bound to be a blast. Pour some drinks, blast some musics and paint away!

Sing Your Lungs Out at Karaoke

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Karaoke at a local bar can be intimidating. That's why my friends and I love renting a private room all to ourselves. You could book a room at night with a minimum spend. Or you could take advantage of the Happy Hour special rate that often includes snacks and non-alcoholic drinks in the afternoon. Check out my go-to places like Ten23 or Take One Karaoke that offers happy hour rate. Or check out 12 Best Places to Go for Karaoke in Toronto.

Escape a Themed Room 

If you and your friends are into solving puzzles and finding clues, then you'd enjoy escaping a room together. Escape rooms are extremely popular these days. Brilliant and thought-provoking themes make escaping that much more interesting and exciting. In case you're unfamiliar with escape rooms, these are rooms set up with a back story and puzzles for you to solve. Each puzzle will either unlock another puzzle or lead you to another clue and ultimately escaping the room. It's a great way to build teamwork and improve communications. Some escape room places even offer board games and bubble teas as well. Check out one of my favourites, Omescape or Top 10 Room Escape Games in Toronto.

Become Ninja Warriors at an Indoor Obstacle Course

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If you're the active type and prefer to get your body moving in winter time, then paying a visit to an indoor obstacle course would definitely get your adrenaline going. We visited the 30,000 square feet Pursuit OCR and boy, did we feel like kids again! The place features a huge ball bit, vertical wall, monkey bars, techno lighting and a tricycle race track. It's a super fun place to go with your friends while building muscles together. If you can't find an obstacle course in your city, you could visit your local gym or community centre for classes to do together too. 

Put On Your PJs and Binge Watch an Entire Rom Com Series

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Slumber party was my favourite thing to do with my friends from secondary school. And it often includes lots of snacks, drinks and some kind of Rom Com series. You could show off your onesies or pyjamas and kick back for a night in. It's fun to laugh and get angry together as the plot builds up and scream together when your man crush makes a cameo.

What's your favourite thing to do indoor with your bffs?

Valentine's day is fast approaching! While a memorable Valentine's day might take some effort and time to prepare, it doesn't have to be that way. For those of you who are looking for a quick and easy Valentine's day dessert, I'm sharing my favourite cake decoration idea that can make any cake looks fancy without having to do a lot of work today! And what's even better is that this decorating method doesn't involve making your own fondant. All you need is your favourite cake recipe and some Pocky sticks on hand. Sounds pretty simple, right? Let's get started.

What are Pocky sticks?

Pocky sticks are one of the top-selling products from Glico. They are crispy biscuit sticks covered with flavoured cream. The most popular flavour being the chocolate and strawberry cream. I love them as snacks as a kid. And even today, I still bring them with me when I travel.

What You'll Need

• Strawberry Pocky (the amount varies depending on the size of your cake. For my cake, I used 2 boxes)
• 1 box of fresh strawberries
• Pink ribbon

Instructions

1. Pick your favourite cake recipe and make a cake out of it. I made this easy no-bake cheesecake following the recipe here. Next time, I'd stack another cake on top so it will look better and taller. 
2. Arrange the strawberry Pocky sticks vertically and stick them around the edge of the cake.
3. Cut up the strawberries into slices. The pattern and colour of the strawberries resemble rose petals so I arranged them in layers on the top of the cake. Alternatively, you could also put strawberries in whole on the cake.
4. Tie the ribbon around the cake into a bow
5. And you're done! 

I hope you give this cake idea a try! Check out my Cake Art and Food Art for more ideas.

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Have a happy Valentine's Day!