Sponsored post: Agapebabies, one-stop multi-store

If you haven’t already know, I’m an online buff.  Shopping online is such a joy especially when you are basically trapped at home with two very young kids or stuck at work with hardly any breather in between except to zip from destination A to B. The husband is always ticking me off for clicking away at midnight instead of sleeping. Sleep? What’s that? Especially when Lil K’s sleep these days are so shitty!

So when Agapebabies.com invited me to be their brand ambassador, I was delighted. Agape has been one of the sites I have been visiting for my needs ever since Big K was born. It all happened when we came back from Australia and started Big K on organic formula whilst overseas. Yes, I know, Genius right? Bellamy’s was what we used as it was cheaper over in Aussie. But Alas! It’s not that readily available in Singapore! Well, not in NTUC at least. And I for one, had no time to go on a search round Singapore. Hence when I found out that Agape stocks up a variety of Bellamy items, I was thrilled! Not only did I find the formula we wanted, I didn’t have to leave the comfort of my home! Yay!

 

It is such a breeze to shop at Agape. Everything is so well categorized.

They specialize in baby essentials such as diapers, milk, skincare, organic food, books, toys, carriers, hugeass playmats and others! Reputable diaper and milk formula brands such as Pampers, Huggies, Mamypoko, GOO.N, Bellamy, Pediasure, Isomil and more are on their list so, really, you can simply be in your pyjamas whilst attending to your little ones and cart some of these items into your bag! 

See all the logos? They are currently partnered with over 150 premium brands and retail over 3000 products in store. That is seriously a huge array of items if you ask me! With all these conveniences, Agape is still able to price their products attractively. In fact, several items are cheaper than retail outlets and they have heaps of bundled deals and sale items! As a mother, I am always on lookout for the best deals and this definitely is a welcome to my pocket.

I  couldn't resist buying the above. Small K is starting on solids and it's perfect that Agape stocks up brands like Holle, Bellamy, Healthy Times, Organix, just to name a few. Also, I couldn't resist getting a book or two too. Have such a soft spot for those and was over the moon when I spotted something suitable for Big and Small K. Plus, they were on SALE!

 

 

Recently, they have tied up with The Sunshine Kids, dedicated to kids apparel, bags and accessories. They've got such a pretty collection of dresses which are so flower girl/ wedding worthy that I'm gonna get a piece for Big K the next time we've got a wedding to attend!

You could also find several familiar brands like Skiphop and Pediped all under one roof. This means their customers can shop between both stores and check out in 1 shopping cart! How convenient! With more stores & products to be added soon, they aim to become a one-stop multi-store for all mummies out there so that shopping can be easy. Psst, I heard more stores will be added real soon!

Additionally, they have incorporated a parenting and lifestyle blog titled The Agape Lifestyle. Want to learn how to cook spaghetti bolognese? You'll be able to find several recipes to whip up for your little ones or tips like how to get your baby to sleep. All these clearly shows how dedicated Agape is towards helping new and experienced mommies alike. It’s no wonder why they have been nominated for the SG Mumpreneur Awards.

To top it off, Agape has a couple of promotions going on:

• First time customers get to enjoy a $10 off their first order when they sign up for an account and newsletter here!
• They currently offer free courier delivery with $80 spend and a free gift given with every $120 purchase. Call me a cheapskate but I think free delivery is a must otherwise, I might as well pop by the nearest mall to get my supplies.
• 15% off playmats
• 10% off Four Cow Farm series
• UOB card members get $10 off when you spent $200 or more

PROMOTION FOR MY READERS:

Now, for another good deal. Agape Babies is offering 5% off all purchases (except breast pumps, diapers, milk and sale items) for the readers of TheMishMashMess. Simply enter the promotional code mishmashmess (valid for 4 weeks from 23 Nov - 21Dec) when you check out. 

So what are you waiting for? Hope on to http://www.agapebabies.com/ now!

Happy shopping!

Don't forget to like Agape Babies on Facebook, or on Instagram (@agapebabies)  and sign up for the newsletter for updates on promotions, contests and giveaways!

*I was gifted shopping credits from Agape Babies to purchase some of the items featured. Any excess sum was paid out of my own pocket. No additional monetary compensation has been received and I do not stand to gain any commission arising from sales using the discount code given to my readers. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products/services. 

Sponsored post: Combi Mega Ride

Buying a stroller is just as complicated as buying a car. It is a rather big investment. When pregnant with Big K, the hubs and I were excited over this big ticket item. The man was obsessed over wheels and envisioned himself zipping the little one as if on an F1 track. We went to several baby fairs, spoke to random parents and spent few months obsessing over baby strollers.  Truth be told, we were rather shallow when it came to our selection. To the hubs, it was Wheels, all wheels. To me, aesthetics. Give me a Paul Frank design or something funky and I’ll take it!

So we when we got our first stroller, ecstasy simply rolled in fast and furious. The hub was delirious when he saw that he could detach the frame and fix the seat. Yup, it was a two piece. Not very smart. Men and their machines. I thought it was rather cool too until I had to go out with Big K on several occasions. Not only did I forget how to detach the fancy machine (due to the many buttons it had), I even forgotten how to fold it! At one point in time, I had a wailing newborn in my car and me, fretting behind, trying to close the stroller! Panic clouded my brain and I called up friends. Clearly I forgot there’s something called YouTube. Imagine my frustration.

Long story short, we amassed a total of 3 strollers within 3years and none fit the bill. Big K didn’t like sitting in any of them and I didn’t enjoy pushing them. Half the time, I was babywearing Big K. But now that she has grown, carrying her is such a back-breaking affair! So when I was asked to review the Combi Mega Ride, I was skeptical. 

But alas!  This beauty is a dream come true! The first thing which drawn me to it was the huge basket beneath. 

It was love at first sight! On a daily basis, to transport a toddler and an infant (to their caregiver’s place), while carrying my bag, my files, another bag for my breastpump and parts, Big K’s school bag and folder and Small K’s daily fresh breastmilk supplies was no mean feat! I had to be an octopus to do this. I was almost in tears when I thought about the day I had to do all these with the old strollers which had tiny baskets which probably is only large enough to fit my wallet?

After using the Combi Mega Ride for a while, here’s why I love it:

·   Super light weight. Don’t be fooled by its size. It weighs a mere 6.8kg. There’s a one-touch release button which is such an ingenious design for mothers who are on the go. This easy one-handed maneuvering is a dream! 

·   Stands up on its own when folded. That’s definitely a plus point as who wants to place the stroller lying on the floor, posing a hazard to passers-by. Well, apparently, none of my other strollers could stand up on its own when folded so Yay to Combi!

·   Reversible handlebar. Swivels around to become front-facing. This was really useful when Small K was first born as we could reassure him that we are there for him. Bonus point for being suitable for newborns and toddlers! While I love the option that I can turn the handle around and push with my baby facing me, I need to get used to maneuvering in that orientation because not all 4 wheels are free spinning.

 

·   The seat can be reclined horizontally to allow Small K to lay flat or placed upgright for Big K to sit. Kills two birds with one stone right? The 5 point harness also allows parents to get extra mileage as the child grows. 

The canopy is large enough to cover the entire length of the seat. This is definitely a plus point as it shields off the unforgiving rays from the sun. 

The little net above also allows me to see what the little one is doing in his stroller. Big K is happy to go on it as pulling the canopy down and play peekaboo with me is her favourite hobby of the moment.

  

·   Safety and quality assurance: The hubby was more sensible this time and said that Combi is known to be great in quality. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is lightweight. It’s stable and smooth on various terrains. Both back wheels have a lock on them, so it doesn’t roll away. Big K is also able to step in and out of the stroller when I take the swivel arm bar out. 

·   Aesthetics: I know I mentioned that I love funky colours. But somehow this shade appeals to me. It’s gender neutral and somehow the hue gives it an unspoken sense of maturity. Love the size of it and it’s comfy padded seat. Whilst many might not be inclined to get a big stroller, I am loving the size. It is actually small enough to pass through escalators, yet big enough to make a statement. In fact, we’ve been stopped several times on the streets by random passers-by, asking us what brand and model this is. This inevitably puts a proud beam on my face! 

With all the superb features, this stroller is here to stay!

Check out the wide range of Combi baby products on the Combi Singapore Facebook Page.

*I was gifted one Combi Mega Ride Stroller to review. No monetary gift was received. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the products.

Milestones at 4months

My memory has been very bad of late. The lack of sleep, peak period at work and soloparenting of a very whiny toddler are the main culprits. Just last night, i went in and out of my car thrice in search of my missing petrol card.  Ended up finding it on the road next to my car! I'm constantly finding myself going into a room, knowing I was supposed to get something but often come out empty handed. 

Before i start having a more severe case of post natal dementia, i think I'd better start penning down 

Small K's accolades:

• He is able to coo and gah. Constantly "talking" to his soft toys n cries when there's no reply.
• Giggles and smiles a whole lot when he sees familiar faces
• Sleeps through the night 98% of the time.  The started when he was around 3months old.
• Is able to grab objects but at 60% accuracy
• Discovered his body parts. In particular his ears which he has been grabbing and *gasp* his penis!
• And..... the biggest achievement thus far: *drum rolls please* ... THE boy can flip! Yay!

OPS! i don't think he's gonna be very happy if he ever sees this :P

Breastfeeding journey Part 2: Review of Spectra & Freemie

It's been 4 months. Say what? Yes, since the day I penned down the nonsense my CL gave me about not having enough milk for my baby, till today, I've sufficient, if not oversupply. So much so I've recently bought myself a 2nd hand chest freezer to further motivate me on this arduous but strangely fulfilling journey.

Initially, I was really struggling to store excess milk. Playing the catch up game rendered me breathless. A fart or a poop seems to use up heaps of his energy. We've progressed from every one, sometimes two hours to an average of three hours interval. Truth be told, I was really quite worried and kept questioning myself," what if I didn't have enough milk? What if I can't reach my target?" I nursed Big K till she was 15months old so anything less would be shortchanging my dear boy. 4months down the road, I'm glad I perserved and stood by my grounds that I wanted to be a cow! A good one no less! I still bitch about the nightly pumps though.

So how did I get all these milk? The quantity doesn't quite give me bragging rights. I've heard of some mummies being able ot express a whopping 500ml per session! I know right! ? I'm doing ok for now, averaging at 200 to 250ml per pump. That's pretty good considering that the boy now consumes approximately 140ml. I occasionally add this goodness to Big K's forumla as well.

So yes, as I was saying, how did i do it? Besides taking heaps of supplements as I've previously blogged about here, power pumping during the early days and pumping at 2 to 3hourly intervals, there's a big secret --- The turning point came when I decided to change my pump. Not that old trusty Medela Pump In Style Advance wasn't doing its job, but it had served at least 5 kids hence I was a tad skeptical of its lifespan. Coupled with that, there was great hype over the Korean brand SPECTRA and FREEMIE from the States. I decided to check them out. The reviews for Spectra was so good, I was instantly sold. Given that I had to pump on the go, and had to carry my SBO comprising of my big bag, another small bag for the pump, my books and two kids daily, and also, Big K's bags, I really needed something lightweight. So, here's the answer to my prayers.....

 

The cute and portable Spectra M1

It weights a mere 300g which made PISA (1.95kg) feel like an elephant. It wasn't moaning as loudly as the PISA which is great as I've to execute this ritual nightly in a room with a sleeping toddler and a snoring husband. Husband, I don't really care, but sleeping toddler --- There's no way I want her to wail her eyeballs out at 2am! The best thing is, its suction's great! In fact, I feel that it drains my cookies much better than PISA. It's gentler too. It is definitely more efficient as I'm able to express more milk at a fraction of the time. 10 minutes to be exact, versus 30minutes on the PISA. This translate to more SLEEP! Yes, you heard me, more SLEEP! In fact, these days I am so complacent that I'll snooze and wake up to rock hard boobies at dawn! Bad bad. But, I am confident that M1 can clear things fast. It has a vibration button which has joint suction duration control, where if you increase the suction power, the duration will also get longer. This helps to empty the breasts faster. It is a Close system and will auto shut off after 30minutes. That helps if you accidentally fall asleep whilst pumping! It also has a massage button that helps achieve a letdown faster. Its in-built rechargeable battery can last around 1.5hours of pumping. This little machine packs a big punch for people who are on the go or need to multi-task. Together with the Freemie collection cups, you can basically do it everywhere!! I've been doing it in the car whilst driving! I believe there's no law that restricts that :P. Spectra is also compatible with any wide neck bottles. Spectra bottles themselves aren't fabulous as they are too light for my liking. feels as if they were going to come off any minute. If they do, i'd really be crying over spilt milk! Also, if you'd like, you may attach it to the tubings of Medela. Versatile eh? This little machine came at a good price of $208 too!! Currently available at Korean Gmarket, Spectra website itself and various facebook groups. A friend of mine even got it from Taobao! It seems to be flying off the shelves!

 Here's how you can connect your Freemies collection cups with the Spectra M1. The collection cups are really an ingenious idea. All i had to do was to slot it into my bras and I was ready to go. It is essentially two hemispheres which you insert a tube in and cup it over your cookies and pump handsfree! Only problem: your boobs will look ginoramous! However, do note that you have to be wearing a tight bra for this purpose. I'm often using my front clip nursing bra. Seems like the cups only like those bras of mine. All other styles got rejected. There were a few occasions when I was happily grooving + pumping to the beat from point A to B only to be terribly disappointed by the yield upon arrival at my destination. I would then have to press the cups against my breasts and let things run for another 5minutes. Waste of time! Anyhoots, I've since gotten a few more front clip nursing bras! woohoo. but Boo coz that means I can't put on those pretty tube dresses :( But, really, this is such a wonderful invention. I'm able to pump as I drive and it takes multitasking to a whole new level! It saves me a whole lot of time. Used to be, during Big K's time, I had to spend 20minutes at least under a shady tree in the oven-baked car, risking any greenhouse effects. I'll be bashing those boobs up (under a nursing cover of course) and looking left and right to ensure that there were no suspicious foreign workers lurking around. There was once, where a bunch of them decided to start some road works right in front of where I was parked. I completely freaked out when one of them came forth and signaled me to shift my vehicle. Fortunately, I had one hand free and could steer nonchalantly. But for now, all I needed was to insert those two cups and away I drive, sans nursing cover at times! Set up time is only 5 minutes. Hurray to this time saver! Some of you may think that I must be mad to take things to this level, but trust me, 15minutes saved here and 10minutes there means a lot! At least I would be able to rush home in time to tuck the kids in on some days.

Using Medela tubings. It's possible to add on a backflow protector to prevent any backflow.

Spectra S1

Another model under Spectra is S1 which is of hospital grade. It weighs 1.12kg and looks pretty much like a cute rice cooker. S1 is a hospital grade pump. Hence comparable to the PISA. It has very unique suction where it vibrates your nipple during suction, triggering your letdown faster and helps to stimulate milk production. It has a Close System that has a timer and night light to make it easier to pump at night. There's also a massage button to help achieve a letdown faster. Its in-built rechargeable battery can last around 3hours of pumping. If you are into serious pumping and want to increase yield, S1 is probably more recommended especially if you are based at home or in an office.

Medela Pump in Style Advance
I used to lug this day in day out, together with my books, my bag and my brains with no. 1 back then. It was a torture really, but i guess the power of motherhood motivated me to do this for 15 months!
PISA is one of medela's best pumps with the strongest suction. It is an open system which starts off with 2 minutes of fast suction before it changes to slower longer suction automatically. It comes with a detachable battery pack which requires 8-10AA batteries. n boy was that battery pack Heavy! For a similar amount of time spent on both PISA and S1 and similar level of suction, the end result is that one may reap higher yield on the S1 compared to the PISA. This understanding is based on experiments done by various mommy friends. For myself, the M1 was good enough in terms of extracting more milk from my cookies. 

Well, with the right pump, i certainly hope that the journey as a cow can be prolonged. It's really tough as sometimes when the lil one is napping and it's time to pump, you really don't know whether to wait for him or to just go ahead and pump. Very often, when you decide to pump, he wakes up! Fortunately, with handsfree Freemie collection cups or my Simple Wishes handsfree bra, I'm able to walk around in the house and even entertain him while I pump. 

I am a happy cow. Are you? Moooooooo

Me time, rest time, all the time

I've been ill for the longest time.  4 weeks now to be exact! Never have i been so ill before. It started with Big K having the fever,  the running nose and cough. Waking up to her nightly cries put my body in toll. During this period, the hubs was not around. How convenient yet again. Then the mil fell ill, followed by the hubs and now finally the boy and i caved in. My nose has been drippy and I've been nasal. The boy's nose has also been running and he's been having phlegmy coughs which rendered his naps n sleeps shitty! At times he was inconsolable.  Who was I kidding? 100% of the time his mood was terrible due to the immense amount of phlegm which came from from nowhere. Must be because I planted too many kisses on his cheeks! No amount of hugs,  rocks,  kisses or latching could calm him down. I can totally empathise.  I'm in such a foul mood too that every little thing can ignite the fire. Eg. Just the other day,  2 acquaintances kept texting me saying i need a maid. Geez guys, u r rich,  what do you know? ! Granted my rationale for not having one is coz i feel we r really coping alright. The hub n i do our parts with regards to chores and i love cooking (though that's seriously though with two in tow) so what else is there for a maid to do? I certainly don't throw my motherly duties to her! I would also certainly not leave educating and story tellings to her and risk the kid having a weird accent. But ok,  it does boil down to finances which i m reluctant to declare. It's not quite that we can't afford but things are already extremely tight. Please don't be asking me to control my shopping sprees just for a maid.  And plus,  i have major trust issues with all the rampant crazy maid stories i hear.  No thanks to having a stranger live with me too. I'll totally go bongkus. So yeah, imagine I've to explain these reasons to people each time they kindly offered their suggestions. 

My body is aching just when i thought I'm recovering. I managed to get Small K to sleep but only to battle with Big K and finally when we all doze off to lala land, no.2 gets choked on his pheglm and the mambo starts all over again.  I'm knackered.  Seriously dying from exhaustion.  Can someone please give me an MC? help is scarce unfortunately. I'm still left to my own devices every morning till 2pm before i head off to work;  and even though mom is around to help on Mondays, she's really more of a trouble than help.  I'm always having to clean up her act after she leaves!  Be it diapers randomly thrown out or wet clothes dripping in my bathroom.  I seriously don't need this at the end of a long day. Where's the hub, you might ask?  Well,  after 3 weeks of being away,  he's finally home!  But he is constantly on standby which gives me the jitters and is due for a long haul again in early October. (this is true only at the point of publication). 

A mother's job is never done and because of this spate of virus, it's making me snap more often at Big K. As it is,  I'm already extremely guilty for not spending enough time with her and following up closely on homeschooling.  These days i just pick whatever's available and shove it to her, hoping i can get some peace for a mere 10minutes. I feel like I'm not doing much at the end of the day. I'd like to pen down my thoughts on my blog, but I would crash halfway after typing the first sentence or two. I would love to go on date nights with the hubs when he is in town, but it's either we are both held up at work or we had to rush back to pick the kids before the MIL goes berserk. I'd like to pack the house a little better and make it more like those featured on Apartment Therapy, but the thought of it being messed up the very next moment holds me back. In fact, the house is in such a mess, it's depressing. Toys strewned all over despite me teaching Big K how to put things in the bucket or at the very least shove everything to one side so that there's a wee bit of walking space. The hub unfortunately doesn't seem to care much. Stuff can be lying all over the place and he can be walking over them the entire day without picking 'em up. Issit just me being OCD and anal about tidiness? 

I'd like to clear more of my wardrobe and perhaps exchange more of them for money or simply donate to charity, but I can't. No time and the running nose was probably triggered by the fact that I was packing one night and all the dust got to me the second day. I would like to spring clean my computer which is oh-so-slow. In fact, i've done so much on the computer that it signaled to me that it was out of space the other day. Disk full, it says. Great. Just what I needed. I really need to get myself a new hard disk but even then, that is being held back coz I don't have the luxury of time to even go to the malls to get one! Trash everything you say? hmmm I'm quite a hoarder even on the technological front. I'm not sure about you but for me to hit on delete button for photos of my kids even though they are already on my hard disk n other computer and some on my phone, I simply can't do it! what if things crash on me suddenly and everything disappears? I needed more backup! I would like to cook more and experiment with more recipes like before, but these days, simple dishes are the way to go. Thankfully, the lil one is appreciating it. She just told me she likes mama's food the other day. I would like to take a day off and just busk in the sun or sit by the cafe with a good book, or go for a well deserved massage, but I can't. Well, i did try. Last Monday when Empress Dowager was around, i dashed out to do my grocery shopping. Walked by my favourite shop that says "back massage, 20minutes, $18". "I could do that", I thought. So, throwing all caution to the wind (yes, caution because I am very pressed for time), I went ahead. 10minutes into the massage, Dad called. Empress Dowager was panicking as Small K was screaming his head off and she thought i had forgotten to feed him! so yup, I had to cut things a little short and rush home. Nope, it wasn't that I was some irresponsible mother who forgot to feed the kid. Empress Dowager just couldn't handle two kids at a time. Note: half the time, Big K was entertained by my dad. I would like craft more and create beautiful things, but no beautiful thing can withstand the test of time and more importantly stand out in this messy house. I would like to finish a book within a day or two instead of having to read a page here or there during pockets of time. I don't even remember what I've read 5 minutes ago! I would like to be on top of things when it comes to homeschooling the lil bub. No doubt she goes to half day school, but i honestly think that I can do a better job and school is just a place for her to socialise whilst I head out to work. I would like to make new friends and attend events, but where can I find the time? It's always during working hours. I would like to keep up with old friends, but even having a conversation via watsapp isn't all that easy. I would like to expand Rhapnroll, but, ok i'm lazy. I'll be totally engrossed and that's not good. I can go on forever and that's just me. Poking my nose in every darn thing and seemingly very capable but honestly, I don't feel very smart as everything seems half achieved. The feeling is consuming me. Even blogging is taking a backseat. The amount of drafts I've amassed is crazy. 

3, close to 4months have passed and I think I've done a pretty darn good job at coping. 2 months into being a mother of 2 and I was off to work again. We've found our rhythm and this is how things look like on a typical day:

730am: Big K screams herself awake. I seriously don't get it. I am next to her and yet, she throws such a fit.
745am: Make milk for Big K after calming her down.
8am: Small K wakes up but I leave him to entertain himself in the crib
815am: Small K starts getting bored and wails for attention. Boob time.
830-915am: washing up (big K can be awfully slow when it comes to brushing her teeth. For that matter, she's always in slow mode) + breakfast time
930am: bathe Small K and play with him a bit whilst Big K has her free play
10am: Make Small K nap
1030am: Bathe Big K and start cooking lunch + pray that Small K doesn't wake up + entertain Big K with some activity. Yes, multitasking! can't help it as Big K will hanker me for an activity. 
1115am - noon: take lunch with Big K and pray that small K doesn't wake up that soon.
Often by now, Small K may wake up in fright and I'll have to calm him down again.
1230: make Big K nap and that involves carrying her and walking round the house like a lunatic. Yup, a bad habit coz everyone else was doing that since Day one. she will sleep on her own if she's with me, but that will probably take at least an hour. I don't have time for that hence i risk breaking my back and rock her to sleep.
1pm: Small K's boob time
115/ 130pm: Big K wakes up, has her milk and gets ready for school
130-145pm: sends Small K over to the MIL's place which is just within walking distance but bringing two kids along, plus the bottles of expressed breastmilk and my bags + Big K's bags. Oh man, it's really a test of strength and it's a juggling act at times.
215pm: arrival at school 
230pm: finally heading off to work. 
9pm: Off work. zoom home like an F1 driver especially if the hubs isn't in town. Hate that their sleep schedule gets screwed up. They need to be wound down by 830pm. Takes me an hour to get them to sleep. 
10+pm: dinner time and washing of bottles etc. That is provided I don't fall asleep with Big K. 
11pm: shower and expression of milk
midnight - I drift off to sleep: work/ Facebook
4/5am: expression of milk; sometimes I need to wake up twice for the same reason but often I'll snooze and wake up only when the cookies are near explosion.

That's how I deal with things every single day. It's rendering me breathless. No doubt very rewarding but I honestly wonder sometimes if I should just ease things a little n be a SAHM. Not saying that an SAHM is all easy job but at least I don't have to run things on a schedule and perhaps might feel a little happier. But the hubs probably will be vehemently against the idea. Weekends are a tad better as things don't really have to run on such strict schedule, but still, i need my sleep! I can't run on a million whys and my boobs, oh my dear cookies...they are on demand. To be honest, the boy is really good but the two take turns. Once I settled no.1, no.2 will ask for something. Sigh...i know it's a common complaint that 24hours isn't enough, but this is getting way ridiculous! This post took me 2 weeks to complete and now I'm well again however i simply can't be bothered to correct my tenses  for the first part of the entry. so, Pardon me!

Small K's Full Month Bash

WHAT?? Did you say that ma boy is already 3months old and I've yet to publish the post about his full month bash?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is really efficiency at its peak! Time flies doubly fast with two in tow! Things are really intense on the forefront but I can't say the same on the blogging scene. I have tons of drafts hibernating!

Ok, throwback.......

We had a bash for the boy at the National Service Resorts Country Club 1.5mths after his birth. Yeah, I know, it was suppose to be a full month party but unfortunately, the man of the house is a bit of a procrastinator hence he was a tad late in booking the place. It was the school holiday period so one should really plan way in advance. However, it was tough to book way in advance coz we really didn't know when Small K will make his appearance to this world. Anywayz, fast forward, I managed to settle the decorations before i gave birth. Yes, i was that excited. Afterall, this might just be the last time I'm organising a full month party. Here's sharing some of the proud highlights of the party:

Printed these lovely bunters out and painstakingly cut and threaded them. Ok, it wasn't that tough actually. 

 

 The cupcake stand (above) and nautical spirals (below) were gotten a month before I popped. All from Oriental Trading. A much talked about centrepiece. 

  

Which party would be complete without a balloon?  Helium balloon sculptures are in vogue these days but i wasn't gonna spend good money on those.  That said, it is a little strange without balloons at a kids party so i sourced for the cheapest! The above nautical balloon is from www.partywholesale.com. was so thankful it's just round the corner from our place and we could self collect to save some dollars. Several places were charging $20-30 per delivery and I was so reluctant to top up for that considering that Singapore's such a small country!

Cupcake toppers made once again,  by yours truly :) compared:to what i did for Big K on terms of diys (which you can see here), this is NOTHING!

 

The yummilicious cupcakes were from Lynda Ann's. An unpretentious little bakery situated at Bedok North. (PS: LOVE LOVE LOVE their rainbow cake by the way)

 

The gifts for relatives were from Sweetest moments as they were the most value for money and had all the traditional stuff. Giving to relatives is a a tricky thing. As much as I love those new-style mochi or cupcake filled packages, the oldies wouldn't fancy such stuff. They would rather the red eggs, the glutinous rice and the ang gu kway. I did, however, got the thank you card specially designed, in sync with the theme. That, at least, gives it a modern twist.Printing of the card was complimentary.

Buffet from Smiling Orchid. Unlike the first time with Big K, we did two rounds of buffet this time. Reason being, the crowd was mightier. You see, during Big K's time, the MIL claimed that it isn't the family's tradition to hold such fancy parties hence there was no need to invite the extended family. (PS: she however invited her own siblings!) My FIL has a hoard of siblings. 7 i think, plus the hubby's cousins and all, it's really quite a kampong. I took her word for it, only to be surprised that all the cousins were throwing such parties thereafter! Imagine my embarrassment! Big K was afterall, the first grandchild of the family! So this time round, I didn't bother and just decided to invite the entire village...Small K is, afterall, the first grandSON of the family and by far the only male descendant of the entire clan of the generation. It doesn't look like we are getting any other males at the rate the rest are going ie either not getting married or not interested in having kids. So yeah, the FIL was delighted and started calling and sms-ing his siblings. It's not that I'm favouring boys over girls but I know, that the FIL is afterall a very traditional man.

So I catered high tea for an estimated crowd size of 60. But guess what? part of the kampong was probably misinformed and came with empty tummies, hence by 4pm (buffet started at 3pm), more than half the food was GONE! even drinks weren't enough! Can't blame me as there were groups of unexpected guests. You know, the friend of mom's...the aunty's children's children whom you have not seen in years and didn't even know they got married! Yup, all those were stuff I didn't anticipate. I should have, given that my first experience with the in laws wasn't too successful either. They couldn't give me numbers and it would be rude of me if I asked for a rsvp.  I did my own estimates, discussed with the hubs and we came up with the number which we thought was close. I guess not. Could tell that the MIL was a tad embarrassed by the situation as she asked if she could take the cupcakes from the fridge and serve it to her friends. Those cupcakes were actually reserved for friends and kids who were coming later as I thought sweets weren't quite the old folk's cup of tea. By then, the whole clan knew that things weren't enough and when I was giving out the cake packages, they even told me to keep it for my friends in case I had not enough!! EMBARRASSING right? I had to explain that those were specially ordered for them and i had ordered more than enough. 

We had round two for friends at 630pm. Back to back and i was almost flat! The turnout wasn't quite as overwhelming as some we're caught up with work,  overseas or have taken ill. But i had quite a good catch up with some old friends and was really glad they came to share our joy.

 My star of the day!

The boy was very coorporative. Cried only when he needed his feeds or when he was lonely. I couldn't say the same for the girl. She was a little emo that day. Wasn't her usual chirpy self. Instead, she refused to interact with the crowd, some of whom she was familiar with and only stuck with the grandpa and daddy, out by the garden. This could be due to the fact that she didn't take her nap earlier that day, or simply a case of jealousy. To date, she's sometimes still making things difficult for me when I'm attending to the little brother, especially when it's feeding time. She'll demand for her milk as well when she actually had hers half an hour ago!

She was all smiles whilst outdoors playing sand with the Daddy. Because of that, I was all alone entertaining the guests. I was like a headless bee flying around trying to handle 101 things. It was a madhouse especially when the guests left and I had to grab the gifts for them! I only have but one pair of hands right? Help unfortunately was scarce. 

A picture with the cousins! Can't tell we r years apart right?  Not sure if i should feel old or young when standing next to them.  Two r still students while I'm already a mother of two.

The boy woke up bright and cherry. He did pretty good in an unfamiliar environment.  Slept quite well,  waking up only once. Love his smiles every morning!

Although I was terribly tired by the end of it all, I was really happy that I managed to put together some memorable times. Only regret was I didn't get enough photos taken. Due to budget constraints, I could only get the cousin to take some shots with her DSLR. Not all the guests were involved as I had to bring her round and prompt her to take shots else it'd be pretty weird for her as well. N clearly I wasn't too free to do so. 

We were very blessed this round to be showered with a whole lot of ang baos and gifts. We would like to thank all our friends and relatives for the wonderful gifts and of course, to create this wonderful memory with us!