WholeSnail: Snail Tour in Singapore

Not for the faint-hearted, because 50% of the people in our family refused to touch the cute little snails. Lol! Prior to the experience, I only love eating escargots. I am not a fan of the garden snail. But after meeting and learning more about them on a tour at WholeSnail, I am utterly in love with them and ready to rear a few as pets. 

WholeSnail is Singapore's first commercial farm and offer a tour as part of education. The discovery tour is around 60 minutes starting with a sharing session and short tour around the farm (i.e. the facility is pretty small) and ends off with contact with their snails. From the photos, you could probably tell who was the excited ones in the family. 

The tours are pretty expensive at the moment (S$25 per pax), but it is really quite an eye-opener. We even got to see some snail eggs! (And quite frankly, I am just keen to support alternative start-ups). If your CC ever plans a trip there, you might be able to get it at a much discounted price. No regrets in spending the S$100, you can even pick up some merch (which we didn't). 

Currently, there are no sales of escargots to the market. But, you can grab a buttered packet home to taste. It retails around S$24 for 10. I find the texture more chewy than what we can get outside. The husband prefers the flavoured ones at the restaurants, but this works for me. Can't wait to have some pet snails already (LOs think I am rearing to eat them, haha!)

Slime Guilt - Not eco-friendly

A few days back, I brought the kids to a glow-in-the-dark slime-making workshop. Initially, I felt it was pretty cool and the kids had lots of fun. All was good until when they were playing with the slime, it got stuck on their shirts and I just couldn't remove it. So, I researched a little on it. 

And that was when I realise the slimes created were environmentally unfriendly. Basically, to create slime, it requires a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) glue which is a synthetic plastic polymer that does not biodegrade. Also, I started to wonder what happens when we wash our hands to remove the little slime particles and they get stuck in the drainage pipes. 

Guilt honestly started to creep in. And I explained to the children why this would be the last slime we would ever make. My kids were pretty mature about it and agreed with me. My husband tried to comfort me (cos I was beating myself pretty badly about it) that there were way more environmentally-unfriendly actions I engage in. I just couldn't help but think if I had known, I wouldn't engage. 

On a completely separate and unrelated note, I was very impressed with the staff of Elmers. They do have a lot of passion in what they do, making the magic come alive for the kids. My daughter's plastic cracked when it dropped on the floor. Despite packing up already, they literally unpacked, just to get another plastic container for her to store her creation. Their glue is now my top choice (apart from my highly positive interactions with heir staff) is because it is non-toxic, safe for children and have interesting variety. (P.S. I realise glitter is not eco-friendly too, I am now suffering from another breakdown.)

Such a Steal: Treatsure

I have seen many influencers/ youtubers doing this and I always wanted to try it. Basically, it is a buffet-leftover takeaway box. At around S$10+, you are given a bento box which you can fill to the brim with whatever food that is available. That includes seafoods, roast etc., unless it is specifically stated to be an exclusion. Not only was this kind to your pockets, it was also help to reduce food waste. 

Since I had a late lunch day, I decided to give it go. Each place would only have a few lunch boxes available, so it doesn't work if you are there specifically for it because you might be disappointed. Also, the deal can only take place around 1.45pm, after the normal lunch hours. If you are used to an early lunch or have fixed lunch hours, this won't work.

True enough, you are allowed to check out the quantity and choice of leftovers before committing. I got the last box and most of the more pricey items were snagged. I decided to go for what I like and filled up my 2 portion of my box with blue-pea rice and vegetables. The rest were stacked with my favourite meats - beef and friend chicken. It was satisfying to fill my box to the brim! And frankly for a girl, this was way too much food. I think it is good enough for 2 pax. 

Supposedly, I was to share this, this would fall into the normal lunch budget with a wider variety and hotel-level quality sides. Overall, this really is one of my best gem finds. You just need to download treatsure app and you can find more goodies within it. But...I won't recommend the buffet-takeway-bento for your everyday meal. Because it is not sustainable in the long run. Overly rich food would lead to health issues and you will grow sick of this if you were to have this everyday. 

2025 Flavours of Tomorrow Festival

It is our second time going for Flavours of Tomorrow Festival. Call me bias, but it keeps getting better. I absolutely love this event because it introduces me to alternative options that brings me closer to a sustainable lifestyle. It is one of those events that make you feel more fulfilled and a better version of yourself after attending. Previously, the focus was just on alternative proteins, but I was really glad that they incorporated a lot more booths on other aspects. 

The location this time round was a lot more convenient at the newly built Geneo which was right beside Kent Ridge MRT. Talk about workplace goals, this probably ranks high. Beautiful, futuristic and a great selection of food and amenities. The organisers really did a great job making sure the place was quite children friendly - the bouncy castle was there again. 

On a separate note, there was also commendable effort to engage people for different walk of lives. Through the incorporation, of cooking demonstration, clothes pop-up, Grab-boxes, there was a lot more vibrancy. Personally, I was also pretty pleased to see some of the initiatives which I support there. Some being:

1. MoNo.sg - For people looking for some bang for their bucks, you can grab a contribution box (range of price varies depending on the size) and it up with goodies. Please note that ost of the food are close to their expiry date. It is one of my favourite place to check out because they hold very interesting snacks and at really affordable price. Plus, tackling food waste is one of my core casuse.
    
2. Slurpy Bear - We use this as home. The refillable dehumidiser is really effective and quite easy to use. Plus it makes me feel good about myself everytime I opt it instead because it makes me feel like I am contributing to the environment. 


3. w0w Noodles - My favourite. It taste really good and gives 0 glycemic response, leaving no impact on blood sugar response. Great for people with diabetes or pregnant ladies with gestational diabetes. Made from barley, it is high in protein and dietary fibre. As take-up rate is low, the price is still a little on the high side. But with time and a little public education, I am sure it will soon be econmoical. 

Some great new finds/ things I can't wait to try:

• Botanict - The nonya food was really good, can't wait to try the whole menu in its restaurant. 
• Fogo Fungi - Mushroom Grow Kits. Have always wanted one, but yet to get myself one. 
• Strawberry picking at Blooom - Have long heard about it but just couldn't find an available slot that matches our schedule to go down to. 

Flavours of Tomorrow Festival is from 25 – 27 April 2025, 10AM – 7PM at Geneo at Singapore Science Park. Catch it while it is there, don't miss it. 

MoNo.sg - Giving food a second lease of life

If you live/ work near Serangoon area, you must check out MoNo.sg. To keep their concept simple, they are simply a social enterprise that champions the reduction of food waste. You will find items that are either close to their expiry date or slightly pass their best before date. I love how they keep it fun too, because you have to make a donation and you will get a box (the bigger the donation amount, the larger the box) to fill up with all the available goodies. As long as nothing falls out of the box, they are yours to bring home!

What impressed me was really the variety of food. Some were really exotic. As a true blue Singaporean, I tried to stuff as much food I wanted to try inside. You can identify the premium items as you would be limited to specific quantities. And hence, I only managed to snag 2 cans of abalone. Personally, I am not very comfortable with eating food pass their "best before" date so always check the expiry date before grabbing anything. 

Overall, I am pretty pleased with what I managed to snag for the amount I paid. I would have snag more, just that my bag is too full of food and I have another place to run to. It is really a great initiative and I think it is also quite a nice place to pop by maybe once a quarter if you are just up for novelty items. But...if you want to save some money, most of their food here are mostly processed food. Not good to eat too much if you ask me. 

*After Note: The chips is super yummy. 

Flavours of Tomorrow Festival

Possibly the best festival ever, we went to the first alternative festival - Flavours of Tomorrow. Located at Teletech Park within Science Centre 2, it was a slight walk from the nearest MRT station - Haw Paw Villa. We braved the rain and finally reached our destination. And boy, no regrets at all. 

It was super family friendly. The kids were first welcomed by 2 bouncy castles on the top level. Kids being kids were undeterred by the wet bouncy castles and he ran off to slide and bounce as we explored the place. Innate Montessori coincidentally had their open house that day so children could opt to do some craft activities indoors. My kid was in the mood to expend his energy so we allowed him to play in the slight drizzle as we had some spare clothes. 

The food was definitely the highlight because we got to try alternative form of proteins and food that are produced more sustainably. Most of us probably have the opinion that such food would taste awful or odd. But that's not true. In fact, we enjoyed the food so much we will be adding some into our diet. The food variety was extremely wide and we could find more than enough options for the children. 

The ambience was also delightful with busking and there was even free balloon sculpturing for the children. There were also artisan booths set indoors which I didn't have enough time to explore (and spend money). So much things going on, there is just something for everyone!

Quick shoutout to some of the food that blew our minds away:

• Wow Noodles: This is a starchless protein noodles made from spent barley grain suitable for diabetics. I wished I had known about this when I had GD when I was expecting. This would have been life-changing and satisfied any noodle cravings I had. Texture-wise it was similar to Soba. 


• Prataboy: A F&B start up from Ngee Ann Poly, their praffles blew me away. It was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I am not exaggerating, but this is really the best prata I ever had. 


• Kobashi: This bakery had the highest takeaway rate and I am not surprised. Beacuse their sourdough was so on point even when cold. I think I single-handledly wipe out a good 70% of what we bought. No shame in being selfish here. Haha. \

Oatside, which I presume many of you should be aware was fantastic as usual. They even had ice cream served that day. As you can tell, I am probably so bought over I can't wait for the next rendition <3

I upcycled our old Singer Sewing Machine

We had an old Singer machine which was so super run-down. By run-down, I meant it was rusty and the wooden planks were barely holding themselves together. Also, the machine was missing. As this was my late grandmother-in-law's piece, there was a desire for us to upcycle it and keep it around in the house. To be quite honest, cost was one of the biggest consideration. 

Firstly, it was pretty hard to find a carpenter who was even willing to do the upcycle work to create a furniture that we had in mind. Most upcycling shops were happy to "take in" the machine for free and you had to buy whatever their creation should you want to "have it back". It was ridiculous. 

Quite fortunately, we found @Homehustle_sg who helped us gave this sewing machine table a new lease of life and also within a reasonable budget. The whole process took almost 3 months. We needed to move this sewing machine out cos we were moving so they kindly helped us store for a month before works could start on it. Usually each piece takes about 1.5 months to complete. I changed my mind halfway and added a new drawer beneath the table which explains the delay for my piece. 

It is pretty similar to a renovation project.  @Homehustle_sg would consult on the laminate colour and design as well as the length. They would also advise on the piece that can be  salvaged. @Homehustle_sg is more of a hobbyist, but the final product was beyond my expectations in a good way. 

The workmanship was decent (not the finest), but given the price @Homehustle_sg was charging me for the whole project, I wouldn't expect perfection. The cast iron legs were polished and repainted. The side drawers were salvaged and the additional drawer even had soft closing. 

Moving forward,  @Homehustle_sg  will only be taking up projects selectively because he isn't profiting much. Nonetheless, I wanted to share this post to give families who want to preserve their old furniture an option they can go to. I am extremely pleased with my new work desk and I love how it has so much character and a story behind it. The sewing machine managed to reinvent itself for a new lease of life. 

Flower Power - Golden Gift

Ever since I fell sick, I realise the beauty of flowers...literally. I finally understood why people send flowers to perk others up during sad moments. Because flowers do have the power to lift moods. Received some flowers from Golden Gift for Mother's Day. I went for the freestyle flower arrangement because I like displaying my flowers on my table top. If it was a bouquet, I would have to rearrange myself into the pots and to be honest, I suck at flower arrangements.

They arrived nicely in a transparent bag, looking in full bloom. You know something, photos of flowers never have to be edited because they are always beautiful as it is. Immediately after receiving the flowers, I cleaned up our messy dining table (it has been neat ever since). I even propped myself to work beside my bouquet because that was how much I love staring at them and enjoying the scent of nature. Usually, I hate things that create more housework for me. When the petals fell (the purple ones), I felt like the Beast trying to reverse time, haha. 

On a separate note, I thought I would share a little more on Golden Gift and their fresh flowers services. They have flowers catered for every occasion/ events and have quite a variety for add-ons like balloons, chocolates and even alcohol. Same-day delivery is also available (great for last minute lovers). 

My personal favourite are their freestyle products (which I went for) not because I have no idea what to get, but because I like the surprise element. Also, it doesn't hurt that it is more affordable and sustainable too, since the florists uses whatever fresh flowers they have for that day. Another favourite of mine is the bloom boxes - an affordable option for people who like having fresh flowers on their work table.

We survived our first farmer's market

I have always loved Farmer's Market overseas. I would happily visit them and enjoy the local produce. Sometimes I would even grab a bit home to whip a meal. I know Singapore do have farmer's market as and when, but it is always out of the way. And...I feel like I have better things to do. 

But now with a kid, I have to say I feel more game to experience different things in life. I went to City Sprouts with not just 1 but 2 kids. And one is pretty much an infant. It wasn't too bad, I survived and enjoyed exploring with my "brood".

1. Bring a stroller and carrier. Maybe cos we kiasu, we use both. I use the stroller as a "changing pad" and a "bed" if any of the child is tired. The priority goes to the toddler cos he is heavy...at 15kg. 


2. Pack light. We don't use a car so whatever we bring out, we have to carry around. And so...usually I pack 2 set of clothes each, 3 sets of diapers and 2 sets of feedings. Sometimes even a pump, all in a bag. Not too bad huh. All this can be slung on the carrier too!
3. Bring lots of water. The weather was really hot, but there weren't much drinks booth. Kombucha and pressed juice isn't exactly the favourite of my toddler. And there wasn't any coffee available for the adults. :'(

For a farmer's market, it definitely had much to improve but still it was an interesting experience. 

• The farmers were happy to open their farms and my kid got to check out the chickens, ducks and fishes. I managed to snag a nice pot of aloe vera for a really low price too!
• They organised an Easter Hunt for him and that was probably his first Easter Hunt. Lucky that the husband found one otherwise I might need to desperately beg an older kid to spare him one because I don't want my kid to be disappointed. 

Was pretty pleased to bump into a few friends there. Will probably be back again next time, now I am so tempted to have my own plot of little land. Hehe. 

The Fashion Pulpit E-Swap

I have previously posted on The Fashion Pulpit and have been swapping with them once more during post-partum. What happened last round was that I managed to de-stash a lot of clothes/ accessories and freed out so much cupboard space in my family home. To be honest, it was liberating. 

I had a great experience the previous round because I swapped out quality clothes which I actually wore. My spending for clothes fell. I felt like I did a part for the environment and my pocket and that brought me great joy. 

For this pregnancy, I didn't buy any new maternity clothes. Believe it or not, I swapped a size up before my pregnancy and half a size down after my pregnancy, I swapped for clothes that could fit my new "ugly figure". (Sorry but I don't subscribe to the love your new curves bullshit, am going to hit the gym and work them off once I can). And I felt happy again (without spending much) cos now I look good in my clothes again!

If you don't have time to hunt through the goodies, the e-swap is finally open. But...it takes up a lot more points and premium points will not be credited back should you swap the piece back in. Personally I love their selection there and have spent most of my previously accumulated points there.

For Mummies who want to save a bit on wardrobe, here's a great place to get your fashion fix!

Nparks FamilyTrees

Parents with kids below 3 years old, you might be interested in this! Recently NParks launched a FamilyTrees initiative to give Singaporean families the opportunity to plant a tree with their little one to commemorate the child's birth. 

To qualify for tree planting under  FamilyTrees:

• Either one or both parents must be a Singapore Citizen, and;
• Families should have a child under 3 years of age, at the point of event registration, i.e., upon the birth of the child, families will have a 3-year time frame to register for a tree planting opportunity under FamilyTrees.

For those who followed us, you would know this is not the first time we have planted a tree. (You can read about it here.) We more or less knew how it would be like - sweat, potential bug bites with lots of help from the workers so don't worry about not having enough strength to dig a hole. 

The only difference was that the tree we previously planted was very far from home. We wanted a tree that could grow with the kids and had better visibility. With a stroke of good luck, we found a location pretty near our house and because it was under-subscribed, we managed to plant 2 trees - 1 for each kid. 

The perk about being closer to home is that we can invite more family members along and bring our own props (elephant watering can is our own!) :P Just so you know, the website is quite cui and you must really monitor yourself. Don't ganchiong and grab the first slot you see because when it was first launched all the locations were extremely far for me. 

I would have panic-snatch if we haven't went for the first tree planting. Transport cost and far visibility, it is not worth it. So have patience and wait, I am pretty sure this is not an one-off project. 

ALBA: Be rewarded with recycling e-waste

Ever since becoming a little mini Marie Kondo, I have been wondering what to do with my e-waste. It helps that the ALBA Recycling Bins are well located at places you would pass by at quite a frequent basis. Although I have been recycling quite fervently, I thought the rewards kinda of sucks. I was just accumulating points for fun. 

But now, the rewards are actually getting better and you can redeem Grab credits or even $ discounts at Cold Storage. Tip to get the bang for your recyclables: The max. point any one scan (and you can only do 1 scan per day) is 1000 points, so don't go recycling everything at one shot!

If you are reading this, you are probably a fellow greenie. So here's a deal for you. When you download the app, key in "STEP323395069e2f" in the referral code and get an extra 1000 points to start off your recycling journey!

NParks: OneMillionTree Movement

As a family, we were pretty lucky to get a slot to plant a tree under the OneMillion Tree Movement. It was our first time planting and we had no idea what we were in for. All I knew it was pretty cool to bring my toddler to experience it. Here's some tips to make your planting experience better. 

1. Bring as many people as possible. Tree planting is hard work. Initially Nparks restricted us to 2 pax. As I was expecting and had a toddler in the tow, Nparks was really accommodating on the day itself and allowed us to swap our men in the family to do the hole digging instead. You literally do all the work, this is not a for photos only sort of moment. 


2. Involve the family. I think it was a lot more meaningful because the family was there. Imagine it was me and my kiddo with the stroller. I don't think I would have made it there and we would definitely have a lot less fun.


3. Be punctual and present. There was someone who did not turn up in the end because she forgot about it. So there was this tree which was left hanging and the NParks people planted it themself. I dono whether the person was genuine in the excuse but the chance could have been given to someone who would cherish the experience more. 





4. If you bring a toddler, bring an extra pair of hands. To be honest, this is not entirely child-friendly. There were shovels and my kid watered 6 watering can of water on the grass. My Mum and I basically looked after the kid most of the time. NParks was very welcoming towards him though. He definitely had fun too. 


5. You can't tie stuff on your tree to identify it in future. I actually brought along 2 ribbons for it. Haha. In the end, I just took a photo of the nearest lamp-post and a few photos to mark our tree. We are definitely coming back to see it in 10 years time to see it tall and sturdy. 


6. Wear sports wear, covered shoes and a cap. Bring sunblock too. We were lucky the weather was pretty good that day. There were quite a bit of red ants around the grass (nature, what you expect) and my son freaked out a little. But after a while he sort of got used to it and was running wild like a Tarzan. Hehe. 

CNA Green Plan Winner

And so we won...with our post on the Green Economy featuring the Raeusables Sponge from Cheeky Feys. Like I say, I have been really into the sustainable living and have been researching and looking into brands/ businesses that embrace a green approach. In terms of my lifestyle, I am also trying to be a little more environmentally conscious (not always successful though).

Just to set things clear here, I am no tree hugger. But I believe in adopting actions which is within my DNA and not for the sake of just being Green, I won't cut up a perfectly functional t-shirt to be a tote bag. (Ridiculous, I have no idea why the Green Advocates preach that.) I still shop (just less) and I enjoy recycling/ swapping/ blessing/ selling etc. Winning this challenge is especially meaningful, it also makes me feel like I am using the clout to good use :)

Hope you guys don't mind, but you will be seeing a lot more post on topics I am passionate about.

We did our First Ever Swap!

I heard a lot about The Fashion Pulpit so I decided to give it a go myself. The main pushes were (i) I really had too much relatively unworn clothes lying around, (ii) my Mum was pressuring me to move them to my new house which didn't have a huge cupboard and (iii) I am starting to be into the green economy.

The biggest challenge was basically my mother. Was expecting her to say "bring back covid germs" etc. but nope she did not, instead she went "please give your junk a second lease of life" And I am proud to say I did. 

Basically, there are 4 categories and I went for the one-time swap (initially) because I wasn't sure if I liked it and also I wasn't sure how strict they were. And so, I brought like 12 pieces of clothes there and only 6 pieces were accepted. But I guess some of my pieces were pretty valued because I got a whooping 34 points to trade.

I haven't quite figure out how the place is arranged but I guess I will figure it out after a few trips there. The good news was that there was a fitting room so I could get clothes that fit me. I ended up scoring 2 Ukrainian inspired pieces (which I can totally see myself wearing), 1 Zalora and another Mango. And also, drumroll please - a swarovski necklace. WOW!

I spent about an hour (including swapping and choosing my clothes). I think I am just a boring old fart, so I always pick the same style and I didn't exactly go down with a loot. LOL! I enjoyed myself so much I actually upgraded my membership to revamp my wardrobe.

It is really an excellent shopping place for women in particular because we tend to grow out of certain styles fast (I swapped in most of my teenage fashion. I couldn't see myself prancing in mini skirts anymore) and if you have just went through a size change (for me, it is pregnancy, I could basically still fit in most of my clothes, but I just don't look good in them anymore). It is not just giving my clothes a new lease of life. It was also giving myself a new lease of life :)

Going Green - Raeusables Sponge

Ever reading this article on Dead White Men's Clothes, it has set me thinking on re-usable fashion items. To be honest, I am guilty for purchasing more clothes than I can ever wear this lifetime. However, for women we do have more style-trends and I don't think I can survive not keeping up to them. 

So, I thought about options using our rags and spare clothes. I came across the Raeusables Sponge from Cheeky Feys and decided to put them to the test. Usually, we use synthetic sponges at home. 

1. Aesthetics: Our original one is pretty simple and doesn't look too awful in our kitchen sink. But you have to admit that the Raeusables Sponge is practically a piece of art. Kinda of obvious who reign supreme. 


2. Price: In terms of price, both are priced quite similarly, the difference isn't jarring. You get more discounts if you buy more synthetic sponges at home. Raeusables Sponge is priced at $3.45 a piece. 


3. Material: Both have the smooth sponge surface and a rougher netting like surface. For me, it is quite surprising that the Raeusables Sponge cleans as well as our synthetic piece. :)





Squeezing out water: The inner body of the Raeusables Sponge is made of rags so it doesn't squeeze out water as well. Personally, I am ok with this. But my husband who likes a dry kitchen at the end of the days hates that he can't squeeze out that much water.

At the end of the day, I think it is really up to how much you want to do for the environment. Personally, I feel reusable sponges are quite a good option to downgrade our old clothes into. Especially when some of our clothes are made of very good material. Am thinking of embarking on more "green-related" posts. Will probably start a new series next year :D

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Note: Laptop is down, so posts won't be as frequent!

All about Cloth Diapers: Part 1

Hurray, our little one has reached his 2 months milestone. I have to admit that our little cooing infant is growing a lot cuter than the weepy newborn. He is now able to express himself better and react to the surrounding. With his tears and angry grunts, we now better know his wants, desires and needs. 

For his 2 month DIY shoot, I decided to dress him up in diaper. If you are wondering, how come our diaper is so cute and colourful. This is actually a cloth diaper from Shears. Unlike disposable diapers, the designs of cloth diapers are usually lot prettier and are a good replacement for pants/ shorts.  (Psss...money saving tip hehe).  

Now that baby is a little older and has a firmer schedule, we decided to rock the boat a little. Initially, we have always been using disposable diapers because with breastfeeding, confinement etc. OMG, time is very precious. I really didn't have the time and mood for more laundry. By now, baby doesn't poop as much as when he was a newborn. So I thought, let's go a little greener.

Many mothers move into cloth diapering because of the long-term affordability. FYI, to get a full set of cloth diapers to start the journey will usually set you back by S$100++. Some babies also have very sensitive buttocks when using disposables and hence mummies of such babies would also opt for cloth diapers. For us, we really wanted to try cloth diapering because we felt baby was using way too much resources at such a young age. We really want to play our tiny part for sustainable living.

Generally, you would need at least 3 cloth diapers to start the journey. Before baby arrive, I was hesitant to invest in cloth diapers because I wasn't sure whether I would take the plunge. A fellow mummy gave me a brand new brandless purple cloth diaper to start off my journey. Now, let me tell you what other cloth diaper Mummies never share: The brand/ design matters! 

 

At first glance, the design of my brandless cloth diaper seems to work like the Shears cloth diapers. It even had velcro. But you know what, the brandless cloth diaper was so super difficult to wear. And the cloth material wasn't very good as well. It was so frustrating, I was so close to giving up. Fortunaely, I tried out the Shears cloth diaper and regained some confidence in cloth diapering. The quality was superub in comparison and it was so easy to slip in the padding. It was also quite easy to use the buttons to adjust the waist size so that it is fitting for your child. FYI, the cloth diaper can be used till baby is 24 months. 

It also helps that the design was really adorable. In terms of laundry, we have a helper who help us to handwash everything. But when we move into our own home, I will be doing everything myself. The solution: Just rinse out the poop and throw this into the washing machine. It is really a balancing act, and for me time saved > money saved. 

Here's an update, our little one is Shears first ever little ambassador. Shears is a local baby toy and gift set maker. If you are a parent, you are bound to have received their bay gift sets or see them in major retail stores. Moving forward, we will be featuring quite a bit of Shears products because pssst...many of you may not know but they hold more than just clothes and toys! Also, their products are very affordable so we thought that more parents should know that you don't have to break an arm or a leg just to give your child the best. 

A collage of our little one growing up in Shears! We received this set as a gift from a relative and I would like to give special mention to their top. Personally, as a first time mum, I initally hated letting baby wear anything that goes over his head cos a newborn seems so fragile. I now realise that the trick is to find clothes with big head opening! Shears shirt is one of baby's favourite or maybe more accurately our favourite because the opening is big enough for us to slip his head through. Will be sharing more in future posts so save "Shears Baby" tag to follow us through the journey! <3

For Ladies Only: Reusable Pads

This was a particularly hard review to do because periods don't come every day and when it does come, it sometimes slipped my mind. Cos when the blood flows, there is so much more things going through my mind. Hahaha. 

Being more eco-friendly now, I have long wanted to try out washable pads. Some of my friends told me it was too disgusting and it was much easier to use the disposables. And also was it even hygienic? Thank God, Hannahpads answered my curiosity and I finally got a chance to try them. 

Generally, reusable pads are made of cotton. They are organic, toxin-free and very friendly to the environment. Unlike the synthetic pads, I did not develop rashes when using these pads. They were surprisingly absorbent and I did not have to experience moistness down under. I was initially afraid of potential overflows and leakages. But fortunately my tight undies prevented any red boo-boos. 

Hannahpads have 6 sizes -  for your different flow needs. And they have a good variety in terms of design too. Each pad would last for about 2-3 years and you would probably need a few for a cycle. In terms of price, I don't think there might be any overall savings financially, given that a pad can cost between $15 to $30. If you are planning to make the switch, the only standing reason I can think of is for the environment.  

To be honest, washing was a nightmare. I have never seen that much blood and my toilet looked as though I murdered someone. Every time you go for a toilet break, the dried blood on the pads also truly scare me. Part of me wondered, will the pad every be clean again? But with water and soap, you can barely see any bloody remnants after the wash. 

Personally, I prefer using the period undies over rewashable pads given that I feel that both are pretty much the same concept. Period undies seems a little more convenient without the need to put on the pad at all and you won't that pad line on tight-fitting clothes. Also, period undies have black designs that cover up the dry blood. If you are curious about period undies, you can read my review here.

Upcycling with Passion Woodworks

Following our previous post on upcycling, I thought I will share with you another form where you can recycle (pallets) see picture below into furnitures. Although pallets may look rather flimsy, due to their structural arrangement, whereby the wooden planks sit in a cross-section on each other.

Usually, pallets are used during transport to protect cargo as they move from one place to another. They are durable for sure. But I guess some of you must be wondering if they look as good as a deco in the house. Will it make the house look too industrial?

So here's a shoe shelf I designed for myself. Obviously, as you can see it is no longer used for its original function. It is kinda of sturdy so I am using it to store some of my stuff. This includes heavy meat bars etc. Haha. If you are planning to design something yourself, you might consider upcycling pallets.

Most people like me are not much of a DIY person, so you might want to find your carpenter. The wood craftsman behind this shelf is Passion Woodworks. You can check out their crafts. They have a lot of nice designs and you can customise your own so that it fit your function.

Here are some of their previous works which I really like. Do make sure you request your piece to be finished. Otherwise the rough parts may hurt your fingers and scratch your paraphernalia. Alternatively you can also lay paper like mine.

Personally, I ike the natural wood with its flaw and all. But if you are particular, you can always request for your furniture to be sprayed-painted. I think white looks especially nice? So do check out Passion Woodworks and their upcycling works and let me know if you would like to read more about such articles.

Upcycle your Guitar

Feeling crafty or a music lover, you are going to love the new addition in my room. It is an *insert drumroll please* an upcycled guitar. If you have a spare guitar at home and don't really know what to do with it, I guess you really should read on.

But first let me share a little on upcycling. Upcycling is pretty much like recycling but adding more value to it. (Psst. This is my definition, not from an dictionary.) It takes a little innovation and creativity and viola, you may have something new!

So here's the finished product. You may wonder how it look like before we added on the little trinkets. Don't worry, I will show you the pictures later. So I added some lights and ornaments and the pop art guitar looks as one with my room. Find the pop art familiar. I ever had a post with a similar pop art. (Read post here.) Sad post though.

And if you think the guitar before, guess what it has been on TV before with Chen Ning. Whee~~~ So here's some information on how you get your very on Upcycled Guitar Shelf. This is a piece from Hey Izzy.

There are some pre-made designs or you may customise your own. If you are feeling adventuorous, you may even make your own guitar shelf at Hey Izzy's workshop . Apart from guitar shelves, there are also Ukelele shelves and even prints you can find on Hey Izzy. I know I have written about other forms of crafts. Pretty glad I am finally sharing on carpenter-ship. (Quite a dying art) :(  Hopefully this post will revive some interest in it.

Finally, here's what you all have been waiting. The shelf is made up of 2 pieces. And it arrived in a guitar case. The head of the guitar doesn't belong to the guitar but it makes a pretty interesting ornament. And I fixed the shelf myself! That's how easy it is. I hope you enjoyed the post. And do look out for more posts on dorm deco. And you may want to try out the upcycling workshop yourself. It sure sounds like fun!