Launch of Maison 21G Cashmere Wood

I am quite excited about this because this isn't the first time we have reviewed on Maison 21G (read post here). I have always wanted to try out their workshops and was quite pleased to have an appetiser on how it is like. Maison 21G launched its latest scent - cashmere wood. If you have been following us for quite a while, you would know that we are quite into the woody vibe.

Cashmere Wood reminds me of a work in the forest. To me, the scent is fresh yet warm. There is something soothing yet distinctive about the scent. During the launch, we took a sniff at each and every ingredient in the blend. It is pretty interesting to smell how each scent interacts with each other to create the concoction. 

To make it truly yours, Maison 21G recommends for the scent to be blended with on of its other 34 core scent. We did have a bit of short-cut by telling them our general preferrence. I preferred something more floral and sweet and was recommended Frangipani. The Hubs tried out ginger, even though he doesn't even take ginger, he was in love with the spicy scent. 

For us, we only added one other core scent. I used to be very excessive. But now I believe that more isn't exactly more so I stopped at 1 (you can go for more cores by the way). Each 30ml bottle is priced at $95 and the bottle can be engraved to make it one and only. It truly makes a very luxurious gift. 

Apart from the parfums, Maison 21G also allows you to customise candle scent. In historical time, fragrances were only reserved for the rich and powerful. Scents was used to boost statuses. If you have a scent that you love, you can also fill your whole house in it. 

Personally, I found the shortened version of the perfume blending still very fun and encourage couples to have a go at it. To spice things up a little, make your other half blend his perfect smell for you. I am pretty sure the product which entice his nostrils would make you even more alluring when you spray it upon yourself *winks*

Bathtime Dilemma ft. Ariston ST33

We decided to delve deep into this topic because for every new homeowner this would be one question which you would need to take into consideration when building your dream bathroom. One of the considerations is whether to take instant water heater or a storage water heater. Just so you know, we picked an instant water heater. 

If you have just received your BTO keys, you will realise that the house nowadays are very, very small. You really have to make everything compact and functional. Quite frankly, both the husband family and mine use instant water heater. We are not very used to waiting and a bulky storage tank in the bathroom just didn't quite appeal to us (Note: Our ID can hide it, but it comes with additional charges.) 

Just a tip for new homeowners, cos I didn't know this beforehand. If you want a rain shower, you should opt for a storage tank so that there is enough pressure. You can still install a rain shower using an instant heater, but it isn't as "shiok". My personal favourite in terms of design is the Ariston Andris2 Top (S$489) which comes with wifi technology, so you can prepare your shower ahead as it does takes some time to heat up. 

For our house, we picked Ariston ST33 (S$259) for both our toilets. Coincidentally, the husband's family was also using the exact model so we kinda knew what we were getting into. I love it for its sleek design and made my toilet had a premium look. We will be releasing more photos in baby bath-time posts so stay tune. 

Speaking of baby, one of my favourite feature was the precise temperature control (it takes about a minute for the temperature to regulate). I really hate mixing the right temperature for my baby. This model can also memorise up to 3 shower temperatures (1 for the husband, 1 for me and 1 for the baby). The whole system was quite intuitive to use hehe. 

To get your shower pouring, the only additional item to purchase is a tap. I got my mixer from TOTO (S$192) as there was a sale at that time. (Note: You don't have to use a mixer to control the temperature.) Looking back we should have gotten one that has an extra faucet so that I can fill up my pails for washing. 

In terms of installation, it is not particularly difficult. My husband's family installed the system by themselves. For us, the plumbing installation was included in part of the ID's package so we happily let them do it...hehe :D

So far, I am very pleased with the outlook of my house. As a new mother, shower time is a luxurious me-time and I really enjoy these moments. I think the investment we made to make the house look like a nice airbnb was really worth it. Do stay tune as we slowly release snippets on our house and our reflections on what we did well or could have done better :

Tip: Buy from shopee during their perpectual sales to enjoy bigger cost savings!

Niu Year, New Ear (Accessories)

Okay, this CNY seriously a bit no mood to dress up that much cos with an infant, we have cut down quite a bit of visitations. But still, the family had to host a few guests. It is quite weird to dress up when you don't really step out of the house. But still, it is basic respect for yourself and the guests, I presume. Plus, I don't really want to scare the girls on the "aunty evolution" after motherhood. 

I am pretty proud of this find this CNY. The accessories from Little Raindrop is very dainty and elegant. I was very in love with all the pieces I receieved and was the packaging is so pretty. However, they are a little small and can't really be seen in the other photos. So here's a close-up of them all.

1. The Belle ($22)

This is a very nice assymetrical piece. On one side, it is a rose. And the other side, it is the image of a lady resembling Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The golden piece is on a shiny background but it is pretty clear where the focus is on. Depending on what you wear, it can pull off both a classy or casual style. For a Mum, studs are awesome because there was no way baby can yank it off me :P

2. My Initial Bracelet ($28)

Name Accessoreies used to be quite the rage a while back. It is about high-time the trend comes back. I do adore the fine detailing of this piece. However, I find it a little too thin and am perpectually worried that it might get trapped on something and be yanked off. If you are not into conspicuous accessories, this should be for you. Unless you look closely on the wrist, you would probably not notice it. If you name is made of a few initial, you would be quite disappointed to know that you can only choose one. 

3. Crabby Stud ($15.60)

Hehe. I found this piece to be particularly adorable. Plus, it is not very pricey too compared to the rest. My son has a hat with crab motif around it so whenever he wears it, I am bound to be wearing this too. Oh ya, if you notice this seflie is a little different. I anime-d myself. It is kinda trendy lately, so I too have jumped on the bandwagon and made myself one. Hehe. 

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Lately, many people privately told me that I am focusing too much on baby...really? haha. I will try to show more self-love in future and flaunt more LOTD of myself. When I do that, don't complain that I am a narcissist ar HAHAHA!

Travel Aids: I survived CNY with an infant

 I think too many people forget to give thanks to the travel aids that make travelling possible with a young child. Particuarly during CNY, the amount of travel increases by a few fold (our little one has been a homebody most of the time because of Covid and only travel to his grandparents house.) So here's a post to thank our top 3. Hehe. 

1. Wet Bags ($10)

Wet bags are an absolute must-haves. Usually, I use them to store baby's clothes changes neccessities. This includes some diapers, a small packet of baby wipes, spare hankies, a jacket (for cold weather) and a separate set of clothes. Within the wet bag, I would store another wet bag to store the soiled clothes and hankies. Apart from segregating items, it also prevents contamination by the soiled items on other items in the diaper bag. 

The pink rabbit wet bag from Reveriebelle is the smallest in my collection. I used it for CNY because of the festive pink colour and also because it was small enough (16.5cm x 17.5cm only) to slip into the oranges bag. Honestly, wet bags are things you can splurge on a few, haha. After baby grows up, it can also be used for swim classes or Mummy's own gym workouts. :P

2. Taf Toys Musical Mini Moon ($24.90)

This was an absolute life-saver because my baby hasn't really been taking public transport much. To be honest, because of Covid, we haven't been stepping out of the house much. My little one love cars and buses figurines. But when a car zoomed pass him at the bus stop, he panicked and broke into tears. On the bus, he was also quite nervous. 

We attached the musical moon to the stroller (quite easy) cos it is clip-on. And he has been clinging onto it ever since we go on bus rides. He has been a lot calmer and is now comfortable to look at the scenery around him. The musical moon sings 3 happy tunes and 1 shushing sound and comes with a light. It acts as an effective hands-free distraction and at quiet places such as lifts, baby would be seen staring at it.Quite a must-have for sanity's sake!

3. Stroller Cards for the car seat ($20)

As baby was taking quite a bit of car rides during CNY, we also used the stroller cards to distract him. The stroller cards were attached to the car seat carrier and was dangled on top during car rides. When not in use, we slip it by the side. At the relatives' house, if the chats get too long and boring, we would also take the cards out and use it as a book :D #dualuse

Personally, I really love this set (from Reveriebelle as well) because it is so cheery and colourful. I also like how it has prompts for the user to engage the child. Now, my baby can't really talk yet so he would just mouth/ try to imitate our mouth what we tell him and smile when we ask him questions. But as he grows older and out of his car seat, I think this would still remain quite useful as a strap book instead. :)

Let us know if you have any in your list. ** We will be having a giveaway from Reveriebelle, so stay tune~!~

LOTD: I survived CNY with an infant

I have no idea why people can be so excited about "recouping" during CNY when newly weds finally have a baby. Honestly, it was so exhausting. Baby was over-stimulated and his sleep pattern was very affected. It was really tough even though I had a very smilely baby. Initially, I was very excited about dressing him up. 

But it grew really tiring for both me and baby lol because i) his grandparents (on both sides) were overzealous to show him off, ii) relatives were extremely eager to have a photo with him as though he is the CNY mascot LOL! and iii) it was hard for me to keep him in pristine condition throughout. 

I have to admit I am quite proud of the looks I have dressed him in. This was his look for Chu 1. The theme was food. So check out his pineapple top in teal from Anak & I ($25) as well as his mini cloth ice-kachang shoes ($16.50) from Reveriebelle. His shoes in particular received a lot of "oohs" and "ahhs" from our relatives. The mama here was bursting with so much joy that all effort made to dress him up was worth it, haha!

One of the biggest life saver was his bunnies bandana bib ($10) from Reveriebelle. Baby has reached the drooling stage and I have to admit it would have been so difficult to keep him dry if it wasn't for the bib. The bunnies bandana bib came with minky dots at the back. To preserve his clothes, we pretty much handwash his clothes. For his shoes, I wipe them after each and every use. Tip: Go for 1 size up so that you can use for a longer period.

Chu 2, I went for an unicorn theme hehe. For the photoshoot, we all wore the same designed masks because I reckon it would only be during Covid season that face masks can be taken as a statement piece. Hehe. The little one was wearing the Aden Unicorn Bamboo Onesie ($16), matched with unicorn 3D socks.

On Chu 3, baby messed up his clothes. He gave his father a "nice slab of gold" and we had to change him. My Mum washed the Unicorn Onesie and it prtty much dried overnight cos the material was so soft and light. :D We paired it once again with the ice-kachang shoes and he looked dapper too! No one knew someone had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction moment. :P Will be sharing more about our travelling aids.

** We will be having a giveaway from Reveriebelle, so stay tune~!~

Quick Drink: Ft Soma

Now that I am breastfeeding, I am always thirsty. It is more important than ever to have a pitcher with huge capacity. I am not sure if any of you have come across Soma Water Pitchers (S$68.90). It is not just a pitcher, it also acts as a filter and allows us to enjoy filtered water straight from the tap (I still boil my water by the way!)

Firstly, don't you agree that the Soma Water Pitcher looks absolutely charming? The handle is made of wood while the container itself is made of a shatterproof BPA-free plastic. If your home is of the scandenavian or a woody theme, this is a perfect fit. 

The initial wash is quite a bit of a hassle. You have to wash it a few times before you can "take the plunge" to ensure that the filter is absolutely clean. After that, it is pretty convenient (even for someone who doesn't take the tap water). The only downside is that you can only put cooled water into it. 

We will be reviewing another product from Soma so stay tune!

4 Months Old Ritual for baby: I designed our own family tees!

Finally, baby turned 4 (months old)! It seems so fast yet so slow. 4 months is quite a milestone for many because in the past most babies don't survive pass infancy. So it was like a sign that hurray, you made it. Because we had a bigger celebration for his one-month old and me being extra, also did some fancy photoshoot for his 100 days, we decided to simplify things. 

If you google online, you would find that the rituals include rubbing chives, eating drumsticks, drooling on biscuits. The in-laws were pretty adamant that all this was just symbolic gestures and decided to simplify the whole procces. They simmered a practical black chicken soup (that would be edible) by Mummy too. 

Admittedly, simple rituals don't make good photos :'( But as usual, the extra in me refuse to cave in to simplicity. I...designed a whole set of family tees for us. Because I don't have the photoshop app, I used powerpoint to draw and design from scratch. Although it doesn't look the most polished, I give myself quite a few good pats on my back for this little art project of mine. 

We pretty much punned around his nickname. The Hubs was pleased yet embarrassed by the shirt. But yet sometimes he would ask if were going to wear it again. Personally, I find family tees very sweet but I find there is a lot more meaning when you design it yourself. (Note: we will keep updating with more photos every time we wear them out!)

For those who are curious, we got them custom made at Happy Todd (less than $25 each). You can either design your own or get their pre-designed pieces (which are also very cute). Every now and then, they do release new designs so you can follow them and keep a lookout. I particularly love the manga ones by the way. Hehe. 

The quality of the tees are pretty decent. I like the fact that the image is quite waterproof and free from baby's drool and food accidents. During the shoot, baby was drooling non-stop and the drumstick fell on him Hahaha. From the looks of it, my baby seems to still enjoy his mother's breastmilk more and is not very interested in food.)

*For my readers only, quote FF15 and you will get to enjoy 15% off. :D

No longer a low supply mummy (Feat. Milk for Bubs)

 I decided to pen this post because I wanted to give hope to other mummies out there. If you have been following my grouses and journey, you would know I started as a low supply (supplementing about 25% to 50% of formula milk). After my confinement, I fell sick and my supply dipped. By the the 3rd month, I am proud to share that our little one is fully on breastmilk. 

My supply is "just-nice", which means that if I slack off too many pumps, I would probably still have to rely on formula milk. So far, we are still doing well because I try to take boosters such as lactation cookies. I have also stopped pumping on a 3-hour basis for the night and only pump after baby has his night feeding (he is not sleep-trained by the way.)

Not all boosters work very well for me, but the cookies from Milk for Bubs ($19 each packet) was particularly yummy and effective. I truly had problems to stop eating to the extent I actually grew obviously rounder...oops. Milk for Bubs is quite generous in the ingredients and the cookies were a good mouth-size and not crumbly. You can just pop it into your mouth as a midnight snack. :D

Personally, I preferred the taste of the chocolate oats cookies but weirdly the white chocolate almonds cookies were very addictive, I had more problems stopping when I was eating the white chocolate almonds cookies. Maybe it is because these cookies are made from top quality ingredients like grass fed butter and fortified flour. Low GI brown sugar is used for the bakes so that is less sinful. 

Milk for Bubs also sell granolas ($15 each packet). I eat it as a cereal, however it is not as effective for me although there is increase in milk (probably because I drink a lot of fresh milk along with me). These granola are a healthier version. It does not contain any refined sugars and is made with 100% all natural processed ingredients. For those who are curious, the lactation ingredients added for the goodies at Milk for Bubs includes natural and organic ingredient such as coconut oil, brewers yeast (100% halal sourced and certified), flaxseed and wheat germ!

If boosters doesn't work for you (my other boosters are milk, sashimi and fish soup), you can always try supplements such as fernugreek. I have checked with my gynae and it works for most women. If all these fails, you can always get your gynae to prescribe motilium for you. One thing I realise about mummies is that sometimes we don't speak to medical professionals enough. Personally, I find it very useful to consume when the period threatens to come and end your breastfeeding journey prematurely. 

Hope this post helps all other low-supply breastfeeding mummies out there. :D 

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