We Planned The Most Pampering Mother's Day Experience On One App

Just a heads up, Mother’s Day is happening this Sunday, and if there’s ever a universal fact we can all agree on, it’s this: they deserve to be pampered like the queens that they are. Now, the definition of “like a queen” is all up to you of course, but if you’re thinking of something extra special this year, sans the crowds, queues, and inconvenience, here’s our experience. If you’ve yet to plan anything for the special weekend, don’t lose hope because it’s not too late yet!

Our pre-Mother’s Day experience included a lovely brunch set up right at home, with GrabFood delivery to our doorstep, a luxurious facial spa (that I racked up a good amount of GrabRewards points on), a whole variety of gifts on GrabMart, and GrabCar Premium rides, to and from the spa location.

First up, we’ve got to talk about the convenience. Even if you happen to be planning a last-minute surprise, quick and easy services such as GrabMart and GrabExpress allow you to send a gift to mommy dearest, so she knows that you didn’t forget. And you most certainly didn’t! After all, the Grab app is already famous for its myriad of on-demand services.

To be able to do all this on a single app, all with cashless payments too, made the experience especially convenient. Truth be told, I hardly carry my wallet out of my house these days, so I’d be heavily reliant on my phone when out; being able to use the Grab app every step of the way then becomes even more vital, since most of the services allowed me to pay in-app with GrabPay.

Ahead, our experience with the Grab app, and an idea of how you can go about planning for Mother’s Day as well.

BRUNCH

GrabFood — from Columbus Coffee Co.

We started off the morning with an absolutely dreamy experience — a full-out brunch treat set up at home. While dining out is definitely an option these days, there’s something magical about transforming the most everyday of places, your home, into an out-of-the-ordinary experience moms can enjoy, especially when one volunteers to wash the dishes after. No excuses here! An at-home meal is also quite the life-saver if you haven’t yet made a reservation for Mother’s Day, since there are plenty of great cafes and restaurants, even islandwide deliveries, you can find on the Grab app.

Since my mom’s place was located near Bishan, we were in the vicinity of Columbus Coffee Co. located along Upper Thomson Road, known for their hearty brunch fare and my go-to for cold brew coffee. There were lots of options on the menu, from sweets such as waffles and pancakes, to savoury choices including breakfast meals, pasta and burgers for a fulfilling feast, so we were quite spoilt for choice.

Here’s what we ordered: Smoked Salmon Benny, $20.30 ; Earl Grey Buttermilk Waffles, $13.40 ; Almond Croissant, $5.40 ; Raspberry Curd Pie, $8 ; Lemon Olive Cake, $8 ; Flat White, $6 ; The Milky Way (White Cold Brew), $7.50 ; Iced Tea Milkstache (Earl Grey), $8. Total: $76.60.

Of course, you’ll know that any GrabFood order arrives at your doorstep in takeaway containers, which, though functional and convenient, may not be the most presentable if you’re looking to impress. For a true Mother’s Day set-up, we prepared a little corner by the window, and re-plated the food onto white plates (can’t go wrong here!) against a backdrop of linen shawls that made great makeshift table cloths — a little pro tip if you’re in need of fancy fabric that you can easily find around the house. A small dried flower arrangement later, the mood was set.

For the food, we all had unanimous praise for the Smokey Salmon Benny, so that comes highly recommended if you were to order from Columbus. Smoked salmon, sous vide eggs, and hollandaise sauce already make for classic brunch flavours, but what made it extra special were the bonito flakes and little balls of tobiko served on top for some umami flavour, and the soft brioche that made it easy to enjoy the dish. Also delectable was the Earl Grey Caramel that accompanied the waffles, an addition that gave the caramel a more elegant flavour, as well as the Earl Grey Iced Tea that’s topped with foam.

A PREMIUM RIDE TO OUR NEXT DESTINATION

GrabCar Premium

Now, the next part of our day involved heading over to Porcelain Signatures for an indulgent facial. We could take public transport, of course, but it’s much more convenient to book a GrabCar to pick us up.

Using the Grab app, I proceeded to book a ride to our destination at Guoco Tower, only this time I decided to upgrade the experience a bit, with GrabCar Premium. Touted as a more ‘high-end’ ride, for a few dollars more, you’re guaranteed a more spacious and comfortable ride. Our 35-min ride to the spa was easy, hassle-free, and thoroughly comfortable. Even if you’re not headed to a facial, like we were, it’d be nice to level up the commute experience with GrabCar Premium as well!

A SURPRISE DELIVERY!

GrabMart

Just as we reached the spa, we were treated to a special surprise from Grab — mom’s very own gift-bearing butler, who arrived riding a bicycle! It was a cute and whimsical experience, and the basket was filled with plenty of goodies from GrabMart, from skincare and food to a hand-tied bouquet and jewellery. Both my mom and I were impressed by the selection, as I had always used the service to shop for last-minute groceries and home essentials. It was certainly nice to find out that they also offered on-demand skincare and jewellery, which make great gifts for any occasion.

WHAT’S IN OUR BASKET: innisfree skincare ; a dried flower bouquet from bloom by m. ; all butter cinnamon sugar palmiers from marks & spencer ; mini bottle of sauvignon blanc from paneco.com ; a pair of earrings from arthesdam jewellery.

If you happen to be looking for a Mother’s Day gift, last-minute or not, this is a great option that happens to be really convenient too. You may easily access the variety of GrabMart merchants directly on the app, and browse away to see what’s most suitable for your mom, whether it’s chocolates for a foodie, to flowers and jewellery as classic, classy gifts. Delivery fees are affordable too, at just 99 cents for selected merchants.

There’s also a special promo you can use this season to enjoy $15 off your next GrabMart order (min. spend $88). Use the promo code [MOTHERSDAY] to enjoy the discount, valid from now till 8 May for selected merchants, and with limited redemptions available.

A FACIAL AT PORCELAIN SIGNATURES

For our second major treat of this Mother’s Day experience, we arrived at Porcelain Spa’s Guoco Tower outlet, which offers everything from classic and signature facials to full-body treatments. Founded by an established aesthetician and her daughter, Porcelain also happens to be a local premium skincare brand we love, thanks to their luxurious, reliable formulas that do what they promise to do. Stepping into the venue also felt like my mom and I were whisked away to an oasis in the heart of the CBD; the spa was decked out in wood and natural textures that made the place feel even more like a welcome respite from our busy lives.

After we were settled in, my mom was ushered to a private room to start her facial, while I did a personalised skincare consultation to discover more about suitable products for my skin. Mom was recommended the Sun Rescue facial, especially effective for those with sensitive skin or those experiencing heightened skin sensitivity, since this particular signature treatment helps calm and soothe sun-damaged or dehydrated skin.

The 60-minute procedure involved a combination of advanced facial technologies, namely Cryo- and Oxygen-therapies; the first treats skin to a -10°C cooling process that encourages skin regeneration, while the latter uses an oxygen hyperbaric spray and a customised serum to further repair the skin. This is then followed by an anti-inflammatory and soothing custom-blended mask so our skin could soak up all the good nutrients, and sunscreen application since we were headed out after.

We all love a good facial, of course, but what made the Porcelain experience a tad more elevated was the sincere service of the beauticians. My mom was particularly impressed by the attention to detail and care taken to explain each step of the facial process, which was both comforting and interesting to know at the same time. I also asked which part of the facial she had enjoyed — the cryotherapy was definitely a highlight, she said, as well as the oxygen spray that had a relaxing effect when lightly misted onto her face. “It felt just like I was in a spa,” she added. Post-facial, our skin felt smoother, hydrated, and visibly brighter as well.

I appreciated that Porcelain Skin had a whole range of payment methods to choose from, one of which was GrabPay. It’s convenient, and savvy consumers will get to rack up GrabRewards points, or use those said points to offset payments as well, making it a win-win all around.

You can book in advance and make your payment directly at the counter before you leave. There are also two GrabPay options to choose from — either scan the QR code to immediately access your Grab Wallet, or opt for the GrabPay Card.

Even if it’s too late to book mom a facial treatment today, you can still purchase any of Porcelain Skin’s products or gift sets online. Plus, there are some exciting deals you can look forward to if you checkout with GrabPay, including $50 off a min. spend of $250 on skincare items.

And that concludes our day out with mom ahead of Mother’s Day! The overall experience was certainly an enjoyable one for my mom, as it was a special mid-week treat just before things get into full swing during the weekend. On my end, it was an unexpectedly chill one, seeing how everything was made much more convenient and accessible on the Grab app — I mean, how hard was waiting a short while for my ride, or about half an hour for delicious food to arrive at our doorstep? Consider me spoilt as well. You now know what to do for the weekend ahead, or any occasion really, last-minute or not.