Shoo! M Shoes Addiction

"No such things as too many shoes"

I never really understood that phrase in the past.

I'm not obsessed with shoes.

          In fact, it is so hard to find a pair of shoes that fit well, comfortable to wear, and don't give blisters! (Ouch! Those blisters are really soooo painful.) So hard that i was always worried when the current comfortable shoes started to give up on me, and i had to start hunting for the next pair of comfortable shoes. It really can be a pain shopping for shoes. lol

And it doesn't help even if I invest more on more expensive shoes; they bite, somehow.

I can recall the better shoes I loved before included JWest with pig's lining, and Ninewest with leather; maybe also another pig's lining, and Elyse shoes, also with some leather lining. Not only they did not cause blisters, they are very comfortable to wear too.

And overtime, with wear & tear, they were discarded.

Then I got introduced to Melissa shoes.

          They are so beautiful!!! and the price for them?? *gasp* Quite expensive for a pair of plastic shoes.. lol

           No harm browsing right? So i browse around, and fell in love with this pair.

Melissa Women's Space Love Special Ballet Flat.



There was a 20% off at Robinsons, and after thinking for so hard and long, i spent S$112 on the black pair. Ouch.

Outcome: I feel i have pretty feet! lol

Then... there was a week when i had to be a SAHM. That did not stop me from shopping, with virtual shopping so prevalent.

And.. there was Melissa sales with Zalora! As i browsed i fell in love with this pair.

Melissa Shoes Womens Melissa Space Love + Jason Wu



I cannot remember how much i paid for it.. it's quite a deal.. around $100? and i thought its quite a good deal. haha..

I was not aware i was poisoned by Melissa.

Being a shopping fan of Amazon, i browsed around and i saw this! gosh! they are so cute!!

Melissa Women's Ultragirl Bow Mary Jane Flat.








Further checks showed this pair is eligible for International shipping to Singapore. And so i carted in more things to reach USD125, and all i had to do wait for it to be delivered to my door step! hahah..


Then dio poisoned liao and still like refusing to admit, i saw this another pair.

Melissa Women's Space Love + Jeremy Scott Ballet Flat.



I bought mine at mdreams singapore at SGD70, and now Amazon is slightly cheaper! like $6. hahahah.. Luckily i wore already.


Then like as if not enough shoes, with the festive mood for shopping, i saw another nice pair!

Melissa Women's Space Love Flower + Ah Ballet Flat


Also can ship here... so..... after much consideration, carted and hit buy... *guilty*

Then that AH shoes are not here yet, i eyeing on two more pairs again.












Best Melissa shoes

Kids Coloring Booklet

My another DIY attempt - a coloring booklet for the little ones!

I have noticed how B loves to color; like how she would initiate the session by telling me "i want (to) color..", and i can see her really enjoying the black and white piece of paper perked up with the colors she added.

Just like the many other things she loves having her mommy to do with her, coloring is not an exception.

There are many benefits of coloring:

1. Strengthens fine motor skills & the muscles of the hand, wrist, fingers..
2. Learns to hold crayon / pencil correctly; i.e., between the thumb & forefinger
3. Promotes creativity
4. Reinforces parents-child bonding as they chat
5. Develops the child's patience as he/she completes / or attempts to complete the picture
6. Helps in hand-eye coordination as he/she learns to color within the lines
7. Lets them discover their favourite color(s), if any
8. Learns the object / shapes / patterns as they color
9. Keeps them occupied at one place instead of running around in the restaurant as you try your best to gobble up your dinner at the fastest time / in a plane / any other waiting scenes

And so Maomi & I bought a set of jumbo coloring pencils. Jumbo as in the thickness of the pencils, making them easier for any 2yo to grip. They are only about 3/4 of an iPhone 6 length; extremely portable. Comes with a shaperner, therefore saves us the trouble to hunt down the shelves to look for the right size sharpener.. hahah..

$3.90 from Popular Bookstore

We found some coloring books in Popular Bookstore too. They are affordable, but i could not bring myself to buy something that seems so easy to DIY. I'm so cheapo..

In fact, i drew on pieces of papers with whites on one-side. Clearly from the picture below, my art sucks; while in the eyes of B, she can tell what her mommy was drawing! hahaha.. So i guess my art ain't that bad.. haha..

and i help to save some trees, and therefore Mother Earth. haha.. Some credits here, please. 😁

My drawings for B to color

If you would like to do the same, here are some themes to share:

🎢 Safari with giraffe, lion and hyena

🎢 Fun in playground

🎢 Underwater world with nemo, dory and octupus

🎢 A Picnic in the park with my family

🎢 ABC

My art is better seen indoors, and now i need to prepare one or a few portable coloring booklets. Inspired by what i saw at the Popular Bookstore earlier, and also some children's books (not for coloring) at Isetan, I thought of making a "Animals & their Youngs" theme coloring booklet.

This would also promote her to learn the names of the young animals instead of generalising them as "Baby xx".

Gathering ideas for more themes

Gathering ideas for cover page of DIY coloring booklet

So I Googled for "animals and their youngs" and compiled a list of images, and painstakingly label each of them, like "Bear - Cub", "Bison - Calf". I believe this would aid in their linking skills & therefore allow them to register better; rather than just color a shape of object without knowing what they are called.

Five Booklets

The 2 on each ends in the picture above are my DIYs after compiling the pictures from the various Internet sources, and modifying by including their terms respectively.

How my DIY looks like

The 2 DIYs when opened up.

I initially only wanted to do the "Animals and their Youngs" theme, but when i saw the pictures from Leapfrog's Baby animal coloring pages, they are too cute to resist printing them too! So i modified them too with their names, and i had the one at the bottom.

Sounds like I spent too much time on this? I find myself enjoying doing this though i'm not an art-&-craft person, and i get to customise what I would like B to know and learn. During the process, I also learn a new animal - Capybara. :)

The other three coloring booklets in the two pictures above are also very adorable & suit what i have in mind, with the objects and their names! Other than these three i have printed out, I found that this lady has a treasure of coloring printables that include more elaborated ones! Impressive!

Easy Peasy and Fun - Free Printable Alphabet Coloring Pages

Easy Peasy and Fun - Ocean and Sea Animals Coloring Pages

Easy Peasy and Fun - Little Bugs Coloring Pages

So.. here are the two DIYs I have done. I added a tinge of personal touch here - personalising the coloring booklets. hahah..

PersonalizedColoringBooklet-Animals

PersonalizedColoringBooklet-Animals and Youngs

If you would like to have them personalised with your kid's name, let me know. :)

Tips: I strongly encourage all to print booklets, under "Page Sizing & Handling" in the Print settings, with (1) two pages per sheet, & (2) double-sided. This way not only saves papers, when collates, folds, and staples the double-sided sheets, you get a single booklet (A5 size) with the correct page order. 

I hope both your little ones and yourself will like these printables, and will enjoy your time together even more. & I hope I'd help you steal some time to enjoy your meals a little more as he/she colors away.. :)

Diapers Bag Drama

I thought i would be able to fend off the Ju-Ju-Be bag poison, but after 21 months, i succumbed to the temptation. hahah..

Before choosing the collection, i decide by style. I zoomed down to two styles; BRB and BFF, and compared based on their product details and $$$.

BRB:
Product Dimensions: 12"W x 16"H x 5"D
Volume Measurement: 20L

BFF:
Product Dimensions: 14"W x 12"H x 6.5"D
Volume Measurement: 16.6L

BRB: 2
BFF: 0

Haha..

Other added great details, as from Jujube website include:

• Padded back panel with breathable mesh for added comfort ... as well as some signature Ju-Ju-Be stitching for that extra flair. 
• Ergonomically curved and padded shoulder straps. 
• Quick grab handle. 
• Cell phone pocket. 
• Mommy pocket with diapers and wipes pocket on the front. 
• 2 exterior insulated bottle pockets … with Thinsulate™ by 3M™. Keep it warm? Keep it cold? Sure! 
• Top storage pocket for your MP3 player, sunglasses or digital camera … Cheese! 
• Memory foam changing pad included in the back panel zipper compartment ... and with an 11.5-inch opening, it is also suitable for tablets, small laptops, magazines, etc. 
• Picture pocket to keep photos handy when bragging to friends.
• Teflon™ fabric protector … helps repel stains.
• Agion® treatment protects the liner by inhibiting the growth of odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew.
• Black Metal Hardware ... we don't trust any of the cheap plastic stuff. 
• Light-Colored Linings ... you can actually see what's inside; it's not just a big black hole in there.
• Machine Washable ... air dry.

A check on Amazon revealed that we could actually get quite a decent deal from it. As seen here:

I added a pair of mini melissa shoes for my girl, and they both qualified for internation free shipping! Awesome right? (Blog on Melissa would be for another day.. hahah! )

& finally my loots arrived at my doorstep! So excited right????!! Even B was so excited that she sat on it. haha..

A peek at my purchase! so happy.. hahah..

This is how it looks on the stroller.. So chio right??

The first thing that caught mama's eyes was the crystal-like accessories on the zippers! They look like glittering stars right??? So pretty!!

Dio poison even more. lol..

Open up to the main compartment, i put the diapers at the top part where the elastic bands are. From the product videos, the mommies simply bind the diapers with the band, but i find it less hygienic. I still use ziplock bags. Maybe it defeats the convenience design. lol..

Bottom is for the food bag & water bottles; hot and normal temperature.

& the two side insulated bottle pockets are of course for the water bottles; one for us, one for B. These are supposed with Thinsulate(TM) by 3M(TM).

Behind the food bag is a mesh pocket that i use to put the disposable diapers plastic bags.

The opposite side of the bag is another big mesh pocket where i put B's spare clothers, diapers cloth, jacket/cardigan.

Probably there is no need to put these clothes in a ziplock bag like i did in the picture since there is zipper on the mesh, but i thought it would be cleaner this way.

& yup! this bag opens up like a luggage, making it very easy to pack the stuff!

I put B's moisturizer cream in the top front pocket for easy access.

I place wet and dry tissues, keys, wallet in the front mommy pocket. There is also a little pocket on the right for my shades. So neat right!

The very front pocket is with a magnet, and got a clear little inner pocket to put whichever photo i might like. I also place my handphone and ezlink card here.

I keep B's coloring book in the top pocket. It is important to put my entertainment in the most accessible place to keep me occupied in the shortest amount of time. hahah..

This bag comes with a diapers changing mat and it is kept in the back pocket. So cleverly designed right?!

Even the back of the bag is not left out in the design!

Such eye-candy with the star prints!

Another jab of the poison! hahah..

With a quick grab handle, and not to forget to mention about the two hooks at the sides that are so useful to hang on the stroller as shown in one of the earlier photos.

Very tempting to buy the jujube stroller hooks!

Anyway, how does it look when carried???!! hahah..

Back view with a casual outfit.

Side view.. Obviously i could not hide my happy look.. hahah..

Also goes very well with wedding lunch / dinner dress. My other hand i carrying my lunch/dinner clutch.

Looks nice right???? hahha..

So yupz.

It's a VERY HAPPY BUY!!!!

Dunno why. maybe it's really dio poison.

Maybe cos it makes me feel trendy. Like very in need to feel trendy ever since i become a mom. Very worried i would turn into aunty-ish.

And.. with this diapers bag, it is really less troublesome with the way i used to carry my bag -- a longchamp bag that doubles as a diapers bag, and another food bag, put both in a adidas backpack. hahah..

This Jujube bag is really very handy for mommies who go out with her baby alone without the daddy. It's much easier to grab the essential stuff out if you are on your own.

I tried once, but it was before this bag came. hahha.. but it's ok, i'm still not ready to be that super mommy.. hahahhaa...

DIY a Diapers Cake

My best friend was going to deliver her first baby, and I was still fretting about getting a gift that would be both appropriate and useful.

My two other best friends gave birth to, altogether, three babies.

My two sisters gave birth to, altogether, five kids.

Been through eight times of sharing baby joy, my gifts evolved around (1) ang bao, (2) "Bu Yao Jin" tonic drink for the mommy, (3) gift basket that usually includes chicken essence or bird's nest drink.

Sounds unexciting, right?

Maybe because i have become a mommy myself, i really wanted to add some personal touch here. hahaha.. im really a cmi friend. I was still so clueless what to give my friend, until when she told me she was 1cm dilated during one of her routine checkups. I was so thrilled and thought it sounded like any time, though that was still like three weeks away from her EDD.

I then thought of going through the mommy/baby gift i received when I gave birth.

(1) Gold chain for the baby -- this one is like Baby's full month

(2) A Braun digital thermometer -- Good idea but think this friend might wanna choose her own..

(3) Ang Bao / Fairprice vouchers -- most practical

(4) Baby clothes set -- Sounds practical too..

(5) A diapers cake

Right....

A DIAPERS CAKE

That shall be it. She said she hasnt bought the diapers yet. So why not give diapers, with some "packaging" to make it a Diapers Cake?

I am a frugal person (no shame about it), & don't really believe in spending more on something that I could DIY.

I am bad at art & craft, but Maomi always makes things look so easy. haha..

So a quick search online for "DIY Diapers Cake", and the first return had so much useful information!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/nataliebrown/diaper-cakes-for-everyone?utm_term=.qsvNv904l#.bppZqMydb

I shortlisted 4 designs from this website.

1) The diapers hot-air balloon (SN 2) looked like the easiest, but where to find that balloon? Furthermore, there would not be much use of that balloon and surely it would end up in the bin..

So... X.

2) The dinasaur themed diapers tower (SN 7) looked like a great gift for a baby boy!

But i would be too lazy to cut out those cute dinasaur shapes.. see.. so bo-sim right? haha.. anyway, knowing her, she would surely throw those shapes away... haha..

So... X

3) The Chuck Taylor cake (SN 9) looked easy too! I would just need to replace the shoes with another gift, since likely my friend would have a preference of shoes for her baby.. Perhaps i could change the color of the ribbon, and dun do that flower since it's for boy.. haha.. Excuses..

ok.. KIV

4) Then the Ugly dolls cake (SN 18) caught my eye! Not by the dolls; but by the great concept! There's a surprise inside the cake! Whoever thought of this is so innovative!!

MATERIALS

So.. after showing maomi this shortlisted cake idea, we quickly went shopping for the materials.

• 3 x 24 Merries Diapers Size S (since it's a gift, i chose the supposely best diapers brand i knew)
• 1 x IKEA laundry / toy basket to be the cake base holder. Neat idea right?
• 1 x clear plastic sheet to wrap
• 1 x 8oz. Medela milk bottle
• 1 x Ralph Lauren romper for 6 mo
• 1 x bottle of DOM

It was maomi's great idea to use the IKEA laundry/toy basket as the cake base. It is useable instead of a normal round cardboard that would get unused and discarded.

It's red cos i used the blue one for B's toys basket. haha.. in fact, this MTB bought the blue & red one with me during one of our lunches together. haha..

Well.. red is also ok for baby boys right?

Anyway, some cardboards are still needed to hold the DOM bottle's weight.

Start bundling two diapers into a roll and secure them with ribbons. I prefer using ribbons to rubber bands as they feel cleaner.

Wrap the bottle of DOM (beneficial for moms who just delivered!) with layers of diapers, before fanning out the first tier of the cake with the bundle of diapers..

When i took this picture, it reminded me of a flower. haha...

Then do the same for the smaller upper tier..

Finalise and secure each tier with another outer layer of diapers unrolled, before fastening with a ribbon.

And.... *DRUM ROLLING*

Here's the end product!!

All wrapped up like a hamper!!

Haha.. I was so proud of our work that i kept admiring it. haha..

Ok.. A close-up.

We replaced the Ugly Dolls with useful gifts like the RL 6mo romper & a Medela milk bottle.

It's like every thing in this gift is so useful!

Romper, milk bottle, diapers and even the laundry/toy basket are for the baby.

The surprise inside, i.e., the bottle of DOM would be for the mommy.

CONCLUSION

It really is such an easy DIY cake! No flour mess, no greasy feel. hahah..

& really, it looks so presentable and if your friend knows you DIY though you are bad at art & craft, she would be touched, somewhat.

So, c'mon, give it a try! Get your hands busy & enjoy admiring your artwork! haha..

Checklist for MTBs!

31 months ago, I found out I was expecting my first baby.

I remember it to be a surreal feeling. A 2cm long life budding in my belly.

And it therefore meant I was the only one who could protect her, no matter what it would take.

A mother's instinct that kicked in automatically.

A lot of details needed to be taken care of.

Let me try to recall & write them down. It might be handy to friends who needed some advice & I could refer them here, before I go into a "I think...urmm.. I can't recall..." mode. Haha...

1. Get A Test Kit

Mom-to-be, please note that going to clinics for a urine test is typically not covered under your company's health care benefit. You must check your company's policies. I thought it would be and therefore be subsidized, but end up I think I could get cheaper sticks from the local pharmacy stores. haha.. 

2. Choosing a Gynae / Hospital

You need to decide if you are comfortable with a male or female Gynae. 

I heard of some hubbies who mind male gynaes, which I thought it's quite sweet right? Or is that considered obsessive? Haha.. Anyway some reviews about female gynaes are they have been through it & therefore somehow is less sympathetic about the labor pain than male gynaes.

Maybe it would be best to get a Gynae recommended by someone you trust, but then that would mean you need to reveal this good news before the 3-month period is over. You could do a "I'm asking for my colleague"-trick, haha.. If it's convincing..

Otherwise, a simple search in Google for "Gynaes in Singapore" works too. You may check out this site: http://www.kiasumom.com/top-100-most-popular-gynae-in-singapore-baby-forums/

As for me, I revealed this piece of good news to my sisters and mom, reason being we are just to close and i couldn't hold it any longer! haha.. so I went for the same Gynae as my sis.

Another factor to consider, other than the gender of the gynae and his/her reputation, are the hospitals he would deliver at, and also the location of his/her clinic for your periodic checks.

For example, some prefers to decide the hospital before deciding the gynae.

I was lucky to have a Gynae with a reputable feedback & recommended by my sister, clinic very conveniently located and near my place (walking distance!), with operating hours into as late as 9pm on certain days. This helped greatly as i could schedule evening appointments on weekdays to avoid missing in work to often and also saved leave days. He does delivery at the hospital i have imagined myself to deliver at if there is ever this day. (lol). 

3. Decide on a Confinement Lady (CL)

Discuss with your husband if an additional pair of hands would be useful during the first month of delivery. This month is crucial for the mother to recuperate after carrying the baby inside her for 40months, plus the amount of strength put in to push the baby out.

Decide whether this person could me your own mother, or your mother-in-law. IMHO, if you could afford the money, get a CL to help instead of someone you know. (1) Mothers or MIL are not young as before; it would be tiring for them to cook in the day and evening, do the baby laundry, tend to the baby, and even do night shifts to care for the baby while you sleep to recuperate. You might not be able to rest well because you would have the nagging feeling of feeling bad. Trust me, this period is a damned emo period, and you will think alot alot alot...

So anyway, if it's within means, ask around your friends or relatives for CL with good review based on their personal experiences. Typically they would be from Malaysia, so for those who don't have a Singapore line, it would be good to use for e.g., Skype to call Malaysia numbers. It's relatively cheaper.

As for me, again, i asked my sister. Unfortunately, the one she engaged was busy during the period i was looking at. My sister helped me to source around, and she recommended one her friend gave very high review. So i gave it a try.

As she was from Malaysia, i requested to meet up for an "interview" at Kranji MRT station. (One plus point for her as she agreed to meet us for a chit-chat!) I still remember, together with my hubby, maomi, we had drinks at the Kopitiam, and asked a few questions. These questions were also prepared upfront before we meet to make her trip more fruitful!

Questions like:
(1) No. of years of experience in this line
(2) The kind of food she would prepare during confinement period
(3) Whether she can cook for the hubby and other family members in the house. Be upfront about the no. of additional mouths, because remember, her primary role is to take care of the mother and the baby
(4) How would she handle if the baby is hungry; feed BM or FM? This is just to get a sensing of her views on BM and FM. Some CL can be like so pro FM, and initially if the mother could not have enough BM supply yet, it could create a conflict.
(5) How would she handle the laundry? 

4. Review your Diet

With the guidance of your Gynae, eat healthy!

It depends on whether you believe in the some myths like no coconut in the first two trimesters as it is deemed as too "liang" (cold) for the body. I followed this. hahah.. and i took coconut drink in the last month into my pregnancy as it is believed to help with the labour, and the baby will come out with smooth and fairer skin. hahah..

Some say no bananas too, which i followed. Not sure was it becos i lacked of potassium and therefore i had leg cramps / water retention. hahahah

I am for the big NO-NO for non-fully cooked food, like half-boiled eggs, sashimi, salads unless it's prepared by yourself or someone you trust with good hygiene. These type of food typically contain bacteria, which could be harmful to the foetus.

I also avoided seafood, for fear of they baby getting sensitive skin, as some say.

Oh oh! and of cos caffeine! I avoided it totally. well. ok one or two sips once a while. That is, after the first trimester. Otherwise i totally abstained from it. Gynae said there is studies that show caffeine causes miscarriages. I guess caffeine lovers need to control abit la. haha..


5. Look out for Baby Deals

Breast pumps, milk bottles, play mat, diapers, baby cots, stroller.... It's good to visit the baby fairs and have a rough feel of what things are required/ sold/ price range, even though you are early in the pregnancy. 

The upcoming Baby Fair is Baby Market happening from 14-16 Oct 2016. Pre-order now open from 14-20 Sep 2016.

www.mummysmarket.com.sg

Personally, i find Robinson's gave good deals too during baby fairs, or even like during GSS. During these periods, there is usually an instant like $30 coupon deduction with some minimum purchase, which you would definitely hit as those items are usually big ticket items! And what is even better to this? If you are a Robinson's member, you get another 5% cash rebate in your bill! Isn't that awesome??!


6. Do a Closet Makeover

I was so depressed when i couldn't fit into my usual clothes as the days went by. Those maternity dresses / tops also look quite boring, and a little mature for my liking. 

After much consideration, I bought a pair of maternity pants from Springs Maternity. It's quite expensive!

Then i turned to dresses, and got two dresses from Zalora. That was also my first shopping experience with Zalora!

Then i got tired of dresses, I could still remember i was so happy when i saw elastic leggings on sale in Espirit. I bought 3 of them; blue, grey and black. haha..

Anyway, these days with such easy access to websites like ASOS, or even US websites like Gap and thereafter ship over by using proxies like EzBuy, it makes the selection of maternity clothes wider! haha.. Makes me feel like wanting to buy those clothes now. hahahah.. Get ready ma.

7. Choose a Name

Time to choose a name for your baby! Boy, Girl!? Do online search for ideas, watch movies for more ideas! haha.. then go online and check the meaning if it suits your liking!

For those who are more traditional and want to do some fortune telling for the names, now the hospitals made it super convenient! There is typically a counter in the hospital where you can pass the guy the 8-characters of the baby, and he would "tell" and give you a list of names to choose. 

8. Make Care Arrangement

If you are a working mom, you would be interested to find out more on Infant/Child Care subsidy for Working Moms, and the locations of infant/child care centres near you; be it near your home or workplace.
https://www.childcarelink.gov.sg/ccls/home/CCLS_HomeParentsSubsidies.jsp

I believed times have changed. In Year 2014, I was still able to register my interest by putting my name with the Infant Care Centres directly, such as PCK SparkleTots in areas near my place and workplace too. I also registered online for My First Skool at http://www.myfirstskool.com/registrations/preschools. I also put my name in some private ones just in case there is no slots for the Goverment ones.

I was very fortunate to receive offers (like job offers. hahah) from two infant care centres. One was near my place, another near my workplace.

Pros of having it near your place:

• Convenient to bring her to school if you needed a short break or some me-time, needed to take medical leave cos you are unwell, needed to be on leave to catch up on errands or chores
• Convenient to bring essential things like milk powder or bottle if forget to pack in (Ya, it happens!!)
• No need to worry about the transport if you are not driving. How to carry a baby, a barang-barang for the baby's use in school, your own work bag?

Cons of having it near your place:

• Need to rush back from work by 7pm, the typical pick-up time before you get fined $1 per minute. haha.. actually, it's not so much about the money. It's holding the teacher back, in a way, and worry overtime the teacher would be unhappy. Also, how would the kid feel, with all their friends gone home and left only him/her?

The pros and cons of having it near your workplace would be the reverse of the above. Imagine you are on leave and you still need to bring him/her to your work area to deposit him/her in the centre. How anti-climax is that to your leave day!!?

9. Start or Continue an Exercise Regimen

Do check with your Gynae on what form of exercise is good for you and your baby.

Running has always been part of my exercise regimen.

I also read some online blogs that said jogging is generally ok for mothers who are already a frequent runner.

Then my Gynae advised against it. (1) Rise in body temperature that might be bad for the foetus, (2) Vibrations to the foetus that might be bad, (3) strenuous on the back, knees and feet, especially with the extra weight gained.

So... I turned to brisk-walking, which he also advised against for the same reason as running.

He advocated swimming, and had to be at least 3 times per week. Maomi and I made an effort to achieve that, and the bonus $100 from the ActiveSG was our sponsor. haha.. Our SAFRA membership also helped too. Sometimes we go public or SAFRA pool, depending on our location for that day. hahah..

Only when like 37 weeks into my pregnancy, I would climb stairs every other night. It is believed to aid in the delivery. haha..


10. Sit Back, Relax & Wait to "POP"

I like to do these three things each night.

(1) Watch Ellen Show 
http://www.ellentv.com/
I agree totally that positive ions are very important for an expectant mother. They need to stay happy, and refrain from getting stressed up or unhappy. 
Watching Ellen Show helps me. i laughed and laughed. hahah..

(2) Listen to Classical music
Apparently there is research that backs that Mozart music helps the brain development of a child, even unborn babies.

I like to listen to Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 too! It reminds me of the baby scene from the Japanese cartoon, Magical Princess Minky Momo, when she was reborn. (Anyone watched/still remembers Minky Momo???  🙋🙋🏻🙋🏻🙋🏻)

Anyway, just YouTube for Mozart or Chopin!

(3) Listen to nursery rhymes
I downloaded Fisher Price apps, and played songs like shapes and colors, or even some nursery rhymes for my baby.

Well, people said they could hear us even when they are in the tummy. haha..

No harm giving these a try! :)


I hope these are some useful tips for any MTBs! And, Congratulations! :)