X'mas Themed Full Month Party

Usually, full month parties are one of the biggest celebration for the kid. We chose a more intimate option this time round because there was a recent death in the family and any celebration had to be muted. Hence, we went for the same formula as the firstborn's celebration. In a way, it was great because it was fair and the little princess won't be shortchanged in any sense. 

Similarly, her actual full month didn't fall on X'mas itself but I always like themed parties. It brings a lot more fun and people have the option to dress up (should they want to). But any celebration on X'mas is a bad idea because vendors are less keen on last minute orders :'( Here's a list of what you may want to have for your own Full Month Party!

1. Red Eggs + Ang Ku Kueh + Cakes

We went back to ordering from Bengawan Solo . Interestingly, I commented they were the more expensive option previously but this time round they were in fact the most affordable option. In terms of packaging and size of the gift, it looked more presentable. But because we were collecting our orders on boxing day, the factories couldn't rush out the orders in time. So we ended up ordering the Ang Ku Kueh separately and made our own red eggs to pack in a separately purchased box. (Woes of a X'mas party)

We continued to get vouchers for our other friends and family because it is convenient and provides flexibility for them to exchange what they want whenever they feel like it instead. 

2. Food

I really wanted to cater food this time round because the Christmas feasts all looked so good. But my in-laws were so bent on making this an intimate affar and cooking most of the dishes themselves, with the rest of the food being ordered from 101 places. Although the guests thoroughly enjoyed the feast (and so did I), it was a nightmare logistically. 

It was also then I realised milestones in life are never  decisions you can make on your own. The whole family would always want to chirp in a comment or 2. And if you want harmony in the family, you just go with the flow. My in-laws basically spent the whole party cooking. I would rather spend the time mingling with the guests but I guess whatever floats their boat. 

3. Dressing the Baby Up

This has always been my favourite part of motherhood. If you have been a long time follower, you will know how much I love dressing my kids up! And the best part of having a daughter is the plentiful dressing option. I didn't dress her up in tacky X'mas gear in the end because the Sonia Tank Top Set from Lambkin was too pretty to not be worn for her first party. 

My MIL was initially very appalled when I told her our precious will be dressed in black-based floral set. But when she saw the set, even she (being very difficult to please) gave her vote of approval gushing over how pretty and festive it is. My son was also in a matching dark themed but sparkly Marvel Top. The husband and I ended up wearing matching colours of green (me in my 9 Months Maternity nursing dress here, you can read my review here!) which you will see in subsequent posts. 

4. Decorations

For our party, we got a nice statement piece from @gtballoonsss. As far as i am concerned, it is never a kid's party if there are no balloons. The balloons from @gtballoonsss were so intricate that the children won't leave them alone. Initially, I wanted to place it beside the rocker but we had to place it on top of the piano instead so that it could survive the party. LOL! The adults were also very intigued and asked for quotes. If you are also keen to engage them, here's their rates!

@gtballoons can make many different designs so do hit them up if you need something customised! You will be seeing more photos of their balloons in the background as we even did the LO's hair cutting ceremony in front of it. HAHAHA!

The ballons also ended up doubling as an informal photobooth backdrop, so value for money right! I prepared a bit of X'mas themed props for the guests to take photos. But the adults were too busy getting themselves drunk and my husband's side of the family are generally not into such stuff. The kids however were thrilled and so was my side of the family. 

My Bro, the self-proclaimed party engineer of the day also helped to hang up banners, set up table cloth and blow up even more balloons. These light touches helped to transform the old house into a festive place. Believe it or not, the guests stayed over 4 hours that day. Like what! Must be having too much fun. 

5. Cake

I replicated the magic and got a cake this round too. But this time, I went for a more foreign Noel En Bleu croquembouches from The Patisser. Basically, this is a French dessert consisting of choux pastry puffs piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel. You know most guests don't really take the fondued cakes at Kid's parties because they find it too sweet or would avoid the calories. 

I am proud to say everyone tried a piece because they were so curious about this dessert. By the way, the puffs were very delicious and not surfeiting.  And depending on the size, this can end up being much more affordable than a fondued customised cake. An equally gorgoeus statement piece too, I would say. Look at the number of photos we took! With that, I hope you readers had a great Christmas and are pumped up for 2023! One more kiddo, but I will still remain committed to sharing intriguing products with you guys!

Updated Hospital Bag

I did a post on this previously (read it here!) However, looking back, I found I wasn't being "light" enough so here goes my updated version for mothers who are looking to pack light! Photo looking not as aesthetic this time round because now that I am a mother of a toddler, I really don't have as much time!

1. 1 Jacket to keep my Mummy warm.
2. 1 Bottle of Chicken Essence for push energy, but ended up not taking this time round. 
3. Some maternity pads and disposible undies
4. 1 bottle of Biocair Disinfectant Pocket Spray ($15.80) and 1 packet of wet wipes to keep the area sanitise at all times
5. 1 Power Bank
6. 2 underpads
7. 1 amulet
8. Baby's first toy for photography
9. Milestone cards from Happy Starts (You can understand what milestone cards are for here!)
10. Silverette Nursing Cups (Read about our review here!) and Marcus & Marcus silicone breastmilk collector from iTOTS
11. Personal hospital documents and items the hospital requeated us to bring
12. 1 set of nursing dress and bra from 9 Months Maternity to come home in (Read our review here!)
13. 1 nb set from Blue Almond. Quote "BA13YG" to get 10% off any products!
14. 1 extra set in case baby is too fat for nb clothes 
15. Sitz bath tub

Finechi: Story of my stroller bag

A while back, I received my stroller bag from Finechi. One thing for sure, even before the baby comes, the life turns upside-down. Before I could even find proper time to take photos to do justice to my classy diaper bag, it was converted into a hospital bag because my gynae told me our little one could come anytime already. At that time, our stroller/infant seat came too but it was quickly checked and put aside because priorities had change, baby was coming.

Don't be fooled by Finechi's appearance, this bag is incredibly light-weight even after I fixed the sling straps that had a beautiful golden clasp finish. It had a lot of compartment at the side of the bag and it allows me to keep my content organised. To customise your bag, you can either get a fur charm (which comes in a variety of colours) or the acrylic keychains. As the bag is now used a as hospital bag, I am using my spidey acrylic keychain as it will be easier to clean when I am back home.

And yes, all these had been stuffed into my Finechi bag with lots of excess space. we will be bringing a second bag with the less essential items haha (cos photo props are important to this mama, some moments when missed are lost forever!) From left to right:

1. 1 Jacket (cos I felt it was so cold already during the hospital tour)
2. 1 room slipper
3. 1 Milestone card from tinys.co
4. Baby's first toy from Pebble Child
5. 2 Bottles of Brands Essence (there was enough space of 2)
6. 3 disposible underwear
7. 1 Curel facewash sample pack (Cos toiletries are basically provided except facewash and this was the most convenient facewash I could find...lol)
8. Kotex night pads (Am not entirely sure if this would work but some mothers suggested prepping your own just in case you aint used to the ones the hospital provided)
9. Huggies wet wipes and 1 bottle of Acquassimo to keep the place sterile
10. 1 Powerbank (will be stuffing my wires too!)
11. 1 Silverette Nursing Cups (really more for prevention, cos I heard boys can be quite rough with their mother's nipples)
12. 1 Amulet (haha)
13. Underpads from Guardian (Heard you can save some money if you don't use the hospital's)
14. Personal Documents 

Here is the update on hospital bag 2, which we call Daddy's bag. Basically, it is still Mummy and my stuff for when we leave the hospital. Daddy requested for a bagpack so we gave him a free camo one. Mummy's nice bags are in girl shades which Daddy refuse to carry for her. Mummy packed:

1. 1 set of nursing dress and bra from 9 Months Maternity
2. 1 newborn set from Oeteo
3. 1 romper from Little BB Love cos this boy is on the fat side. Scared he can't fit in newborn
4. Hegen Breast Pump
5. Sitz Bath Tub
6. Fav soft tissues from Dewysoft Tissues
7. Pretty nursing Cover from Hush Hush Baby

** Will update the conversion of my  Finechi bag into a diaper bag after I am done with the pushing :D 

Nursing Bra: Yay or Nay

Generally, the nursing bra is used when you are breastfeeding the baby so that you can easily access your boobs during the process. Call me kiasu, but I actually got mine way ahead and I am doubling them up as maternity bras. And I am happy to update this might be one of the best decisions I have made. :D

Firstly, maternity bras are so comfortable. For me, the twins have grown and my old bras just can't do their job anymore. For now, I am going a cup bigger while maintaining the ribs circumference. I think my ribs size might have expanded a bit but I sort of want to restrict its expansion, haha. You might want to go a size bigger if you prefer something less snug. Secondly, I love that it provides really good support for my bigger boobs (which now I realise bigger isn't exactly better). Lastly, they have really nice designs (not granny-like at all).

I have to be honest, my body shape is really changing quite a bit. In fact, I would think that there is not even much shape to speak of. With Covid and all, I feel like I am just lounging around at home and letting loose in a bad way. My hair is messy, I dress like crap and my body is lumpy. The silver lining, my skin is still great though (lol).

But pregnancy really shouldn't be this way. That's why I always feel excited...and a boost of confidence when I find nice, flattering maternity/ nursing outfits/ gears. So I thought I will share with you guys - Cake Maternity. I gotten some nursing bras and a gorgeous maternity dress, but today I will focus on the nursing bras. 

1. Waffles Nursing Bra (US$65)

This is one of the prettiest nursing bras I have seen in the market. So far, all the bras I am using is the drop-cup (i.e. there is a clasp to unhook each side which I find it very convenient). On the inner side of the bra, there is even polka-dots designs. 5 stars for the crazy amount of details. For special occassions, this is definitely my top choice although nobody really sees it. Haha,  I wore it when I visited my gynae not like she can tell. :P

I didn't use to think like this. But now, I think there are some things that nobody sees and nobody else really bothers. But you know it matters and that it feels good when you treat yourself right or when you give yourself a well-deserved pampering treat. And one of these thrills is definitely the nursing bras.

2. Yoga Nursing Bra (US$53)

Although I am not really working out during this period, I am planning to resume my runs to keep my body fit again once I concieve. So, I have been looking out for nursing bras that allows an active lifestyle. Personally, I love the sporty design of this bra (check out the hole in the back) and the Cake emblems at the bottom (most of day-to-day underwears usually have such designs as well) so this is a much welcomed familar design. 

Fabric-wise, Cake Maternity generally is a little thinner at the front so you can actually spot the nipple bump. This was quite worrying at first. However, when you put on your outer clothes, it won't be visible at all. My thoughts is that most people (at least me) don't take photos in underwear so I am not really too bothered by this now. 

3. Navy Stripes Nursing Bra (MYR109)

For Mummies who are on a tighter budget, you might want to consider 9 Months Maternity. In terms of the fabric, there is more sponge at the front. The variety is a bit more limited and the bras are all of the drop-cup design. But if you want something simple, you would be able to find what you need here. Rest assured these bras are very comfortable. If you want to find out more about my review on their other products, read here!

I know some Mums actually choose to purchase from taobao etc. for cheap nursing bras cos they deemed these as one-time uses. Honestly, I feel that they double up pretty well as a staple and if you buy them during the sales period you can get them around the same price as your day-to-day bra. So, I think it is still alright to invest on "inner beauty". Plus for my readers only, quote "ChaaYen" and you can get 15% off for the regular items at 9 Months Maternity!

Nursing Dresses from Malaysia: 9 Months Maternity

Call me blur, but initially I thought there was only maternity dresses. I didn't exactly know that there were nursing dresses in the market (cos in my Mum's time, breast-feeding wasn't the popular option). So when I first knew about nursing dresses, through snooping around websites of cos, I had this cost-saving thought "Could we just have nursing dresses that also double up as maternity dresses?"

I quickly realised the answer was probably no after checking the designs of my nursing dresses. It really depends on the cutting, but most of the time, the priority isn't giving you extra tummy space but the ease of accessing the boobs. By now, I have enough energy to be excited about new clothes again, so here's me flaunting my new shape to the fam!

1. Turquoise Wrap Nursing Dress with Buckle (MYR59)

I tried out 2 different type of openings for my nursing dress, this was the wrap version. My Mum is not too big a fan of this cutting cos wardrobe malfunction are more likely to happen if you fail to wrap your top tightly after "milking".  I personally find it quite easy to access both boobs and you can easily adjust the tightness. A boob flash in my opinion is quite an ungrounded fear. 

This dress has a very vacation vibe which is exactly what I need during this lock-down. My cabin fever has been driving me nuts. By right, I should be on my babymoon so I decided to style this as though I was on a vacation. The material is very breezy and if you are looking for a piece you can double up as a maternity dress, this is a good choice! 

2. Red Draped Nursing Sheath Dress (MYR84.50)

The second piece I got was a little bit more corporate like. I wanted a red festive looking piece because you never know when the occassion calls for it. This used a zip opening, which is more secure than the wrap version. But I do find this cutting a little harder to access the other side of the boob. Definitely, this is not a piece for the third trimester. Even though the material is slightly stretchy, it is not meant to accomodate an enlarged tummy. The material is a lot thicker and warmer but I guess if you will be in an air-con room most of the time, it is fine.

So if you are observant about the currency, you will noticed these pieces are in Ringgit. They are from a Malaysian brand - 9 Months Maternity. They are also on Zalora, but the prices are a lot more attractive if you go direct and you also have a better selection of their pieces (which includes nursing bras, maternity dresses etc.). The only down side is that you will have to get your sizing right as returns might be a little more troublesome, but to be fair, their measurements are quite accurate so you can definitely go direct. To make the deal sweeter for you, quote "ChaaYen" and you can get 15% off for the regular items!