Beautiful Clothes from The Baby Closet

By now, you would have seen our little one wearing some really gorgeous pieces from The Baby Closet. Now that x'mas is coming (very soon it will be CNY), I thought it would be good to share early so that you guys can stock up early if needed.

 

If you haven't heard of The Baby Closet before, that is because they are quite new. The Baby Closet is a Singapore grown family run business with curated baby essentials. Not only are these products very beautiful, they are also organic and produced through sustainable methods. Each piece is individually tested and hand picked, hence this might explain the price range. Also after multiple abusive washes, the apparels still look brand new. What sorcery is this o.O

What I love about their pieces are how intricate they are. The material is also of good quality and soft to touch. I always grumble about the lack of designs for boy's apparels but The Baby Closet proved me wrong with their variety. 

• Sail Away Bodysuit ($42.90): This is one of my favourite pieces cos I love everything nautical. I like that it can also be unisex and is a very fancy piece for a boy. There are 2 buttons on the strap so you can adjust the length as baby grows older. The details are very intricate too! Check out baby wearing this here!


• Polo Bodysuit in beige ($39.90): Personally, I am not into simple designs. But this piece look really good on my boy. I think it is because most babies look good in white/ beige. I like the metal buttons though on the piece cos it is a bit different from the other plastic-buttons rompers. And how do you know, this piece is of superb quality? The buttons doesn't rust after multiple washes! Watch him wear this here!

• Suspender Shorts ($40.90): I like this piece the least because my baby has very thick thighs and it is difficult to dress a big baby in this. In terms of design, it is really intricate with functions pockets, suspenders (nice, finally the boys get a bit of fashion) along with my favourite metallic buttons. Looks best with a plain inner piece but being an excessive mom, I don't have that many plain inner pieces to match. Baby wore this here!


• Short Sleeve Rashie Set ($51.90): This is a really beautiful swimming suit (non-thermal). The only grouse would be it is pretty small fitting. Thank god the pants could be stretched further (even after he wore his swim diapers) and to fit his thick neck and big head, we zipped the top partially. He still really looked really cute, you can see him flapping around in it here. 

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

Baby goes staycation

I did think quite long and hard before finally deciding to risk it and bring the family for a staycation. At this point, the Covid situation was worsening and we could only dine in 2s. Back in June, we couldn't even dine outdoors and we thought it would be lame to go ahead with the staycation so we postponed it. 

Initially, we were supposed to stay in Sofitel @ City Centre. However, as they became a Stay-Home Notice Dedicated Facility, we were moved to Fairmont Singapore instead. I was quite impressed by their honesty (which gave me a bit of faith in the measures that they would put in place) so I decided to go ahead. Upon reaching, I realised Fairmont was an approved hotel for the Green Lane Passengers when I spotted people in PPE. I admitted I freaked out a bit and wanted to take a cab back but the taxi driver being highly efficient had unloaded my luggage.

To be honest, the first day at the Fairmont didn't go well. During the weekends, the restrictions changed so the operations teams probably couldn't react too. My booking was apparently not transferred properly. They got my name wrong and addressed in the wrong salutation too. The complimentary dinner was no longer part of the package (sad), but since we were in town there were quite a lot of good food around so the Hubs told me look on the bright side and not let this affect my mood for the next few days. 

Since we can't dine out as a family, we decided to have our meals in our room. They had this online ordering system. But somehow, it wasn't working very well and I had to call in to make my orders. They also got my orders wrong (I think) and we ended up with Antidote's high tea (around $90 for hotel guests). I have to say this was the best high tea I ever had. It was so good that it made my day literally (and after that, everything just got better too!)

Our plan was to use our staycation as a base to explore the other areas. The CBD area was like a ghost town and I managed to take many nice scenic shots. (Nobody in sight!) It is kinda of surreal and sad at the same time. But it was quite safe for baby because of the lack of crowd. Fairmont is at quite a nice location so we could take a nice stroll to most of the nice attractions - Gardens by the Bay (read about our experience here!), Esplanade, Chjimes.

Although it was a staycation, it did feel a bit like we went overseas haha. Nice food around their vicinity (if you are not into room service) includes - Hvala, Senor Taco, Wooloomooloo steakhouse etc. Yums. 

One of the highlight for any kid (if you don't stay in a condo) is probably the pool. Not only did I bring our own unicorn float, I also brought his shades along. The pump ($25) and float ($20) (both from Baby Spa) took a good 25% of our luggage. In fact the husband and baby's stuff took a good 60%. For the first time, I packed very very light for myself. Baby was decked cutely in the Short Sleeve Rashie Set ($51.90) from The Baby Closet. (First time and probably last time wearing cos he grows big so so fast!)

We were initially quite hesitant to bring him to the pool but according to my husband, Covid doesn't spread at the pool. Also, you had to book for a slot at Fairmont. So at any one time, there were a max. of 2 families at the different ends of the pool (non-heated by the way). You could also only swim in 2s, hence I was the official photographer. Cute towel is from Cheekaboo.

Thought we will end with some quick tips for parents who are planning to bring their kids for a staycation as well. We did prepare food for the baby - mainly fruits. He also shared our fruit platter for breakfast. For the sterilizing of bottles, we brought our own tingkat (yes, you didn't hear us wrong) and poured boiling hot water in it to do it the traditional, portable manner (haha).

By the way, room cleaning is only on request. So thank god, I brought along my zip-lock samples packets for baby's soiled diapers. Locked the stench in and kept our room fresh throughout the whole stay. My favourite collapsible snack container ($19.90) from iTOTS was also very useful for acting as a bowl for baby or a container when on the go!

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For  Baby Spa products and services, quote "Chaa10" to get 10% off. 

For Cheekaboo products, quote "CHAAYEN20" and you can get 20% off! Valid until 31 Dec 2021. 

We went to the zoo (Covid Edition)

Decided to do this post because there are probably many parents out there who are contemplating to bring their kids out and are hesitant. Some tips from us to you so that there are at least some things to look forward to during this Covid.

Dressing our little one in the classy and simple Polo Bodysuit in Beige ($39.90) from The Baby Closet

1. To minimise the risk, go during a weekday. That's what we did, we took leave to do that (but oh wells so many days and nowhere to spent it on anyway) There was barely anyone, the most people we saw was during the feeding session and everyone was scattered around quite safely. 


2. Packing list: We brought a lot of food, snacks, milk and water for baby. (There is a water refill station near the Ah Meng Restaurant). For the adults, we only brought water and an umbrella haha, so much difference!


3. In terms of baby travelling tools, we used a stroller and and the carrier. On top of that, we just bring along our diaper bag (read our review here) and our food bag. We actually took a grab (for parents without car), that's how we travel "light".





4. Shows: To be honest, I have no idea how to book any of them. It is limited to 50 slots. Even though I was there trying to book 20 mins after the session opens, I still fail to book them. So no tips from me cos I am unsuccessful. 


5. Feeding time: I had a bit more success in that, maybe because you needa pay for the sessions. Still, you needa book ahead online. We failed to get any slots to feed the giant tortoises which were scary by the way. We ended up feeding the goats which were really fun (video is up on our IG)


6. Carousell ride: The rides were still available. We ended up taking it 3 times because it was 1 for $4 and 3 for $8. No brainer which one is better right? Haha. You even get your choice of animals because you have the carousell to yourself. Shiok. 





7. Don't be disappointed. Our little one didn't react to the bigger animals (which we thought were more fascinating) maybe because we never exposed him to them. He was only interested in the penguins, dogs etc.), basically on the animals he have seen in books.


8. Duration: We stayed from about 10am to 4pm (6 hours). Pretty long for a baby standards. Baby took a nap at around 11am (He needs 2 naps daily) and another after we left. So depending on your child, you can plan accordingly the items to do based on their nap time. Won't advise to stay too long if you have a fussy baby.


9. Things to pack: We packed an additional set of clothes and 2 diapers. Lots of wet wipes and a hand sanitiser! Psss...the toilet near Ah Seng Restaurant is the cleanest and most baby-friendly.

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

Exploring Clementi Woods Park in SmarTrike

For the sake of my own sanity, I have been exploring parks. Somehow walks in the parks clear my head better. If you are no homebody like me, grab a cup of cafe coffee and enjoy it at a park, it will make life a little sweeter. 

This time round, we are exploring Clementi Woods Park. Honestly, this didn't used to my sort of park. It is really green and boring. But now, I actually like how unpretentious it is. Maybe that's why the expats like it too. You don't really see many people there, great for Covid situation, only some ang-mohs walking their dogs or strolling with their kids. 

I like to think I am walking my Dalmatian too! Hehe. We got our little one a trike and he loves it. There are many brands out there but this one caught my eye because it had character. It works like a stroller, just that it can be modified into a tricycle when baby is older. The shade can be adjusted and there is a little cup holder at the front. If it was foldable, this would have been perfect. Price-wise, SmarTrike has quite a strong brand so I think below S$200+ still seems reasonable. 

We were at Clementi Woods Park to do his 10 months photoshoot and baby turned a few heads. Hard not to I would think *chuckles*, he was dressed in The Suspender Shorts from the Baby Closet ($40.90) and was riding his trike proudly. We might be exploring more parks with baby in the next few posts. Now I really want to be a green parent too!

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

Journey to the West: Jurong Lake Gardens

Our baby really enjoy going out, but given the Covid situation, we decided to avoid indoor aircon places. So parks, like Jurong Lake Gardens seemed ideal. To be honest, I did some research before going. But I think no amount of research is going to prepare me for what lies ahead. 

Our plans included having a meal at Fusion Spoon. We had a pizza and the Nonya laksa and the food was rather average (captive market). Some of the items such as the merlion ice-cream was definitely targeted at the tourists. $5 for a tiny piece, no way! With a baby, we never made it further than the Passion Wave because he did a fart which we though was a shart and fell asleep halfway. 

Despite my boundless whines, Jurong Lake Gardens is really pretty and has a lot of nice spots for photos despite us not venturing too far in. Secret spot alert: The toilets near Clusia Cove is absolutely gorgeous. Baby had quite a bit of fun playing with the pebbled seats and crawler plants. It was also a lot more cooling than the rest of the place. I actually even bought a change of clothes for him, but Clusia Cove is close because of social distancing. 

If you have a baby and wonder how on earth you can do here? Well most of the play areas are more suited for the toddlers. But babies are very curious by nature and have their own form of fun just touching plants and having them rubbed against them. They would also observe a bit of wildlife (i.e. water hens...erm not entirely sure if they are called that but that's what another father told me, butterflies, bees and pet dogs?)

Some survival tips for fellow parents:

1. Dress up! Baby was decked in the Sail Away Bodysuit ($42.90) from The Baby Closet. I was also in a matching romper and the husband in a matching colour. There is really so little going out opportunities, so I really try to make an effort to dress us all up when we step out of the house. Don't say I am overdoing it, because we did see other parents/ babies there and everyone was dressed like it is CNY all over again :P


2. Bring a stroller. You can dump baby in it when your arms get tired or let him sleep in it so that you can still take photos and go on a date. (Yea, this mama still got it in her!) A stroller is also quite a nice prop to hide the bulging tummy :'(


3. Pack lots of food for baby. We brought like milk, biscuits and water so that he remains bearable despite the sweltering weather. Awesome strategy!





4. Use insect repellent and sunblock. We got a Mylo sample ($6.50 for 10 pcs), which we pasted on the stroller. Seems effective. Didn't use a sunblock and the boys survived, I didn't. I am now a lobster. 


5. Bring a fan! We don't have one for the stroller, but it seems like it would be a good idea, if we had one at that time!


6. Lots of sanitiser/ wet wipes! Baby is still at a stage which he likes to shove things in his mouth. So we really need to wipe him or the area first.

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