Pregnancy & Parenting

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Toys For 1-2 Years Old Toddler

    Small Home – Big Playground Our baby is now TWO!!! *Eeeek*   In this strange and isolating time of year 2020, we have had to acquire more “tools” to keep our daughter appropriately stimulated. We have long been a fan of create-more-buy-less philosophy, as well as having lived in small dwelling for much of our life, we have always try to be very conscious of our purchases. A great YouTube channel The Parenting Junkie has a very informative video on Minimalism and Toys which outlined ten categories of toys to inspire children of all ages. For us, we found that the list had helped us immensely on choosing the type of toys…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Stroller Mod – Raising the Canopy

    My girl had a growth spurt recently and all of a sudden she is pushing the height limit of the stroller canopy!  We have had our Phil & Teds Voyager 2019+ for a year now and we have both been very happy with it. (See our full review on the stroller) So far the only gripe we have is that my almost-two-year-old seems to be reaching the seat height limit already. However, while trying to remove it for cleaning one day, I realised that the stroller canopy can be mounted at a higher position! With a little modification, we are able to increase the height limit of the canopy by…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    What you need for Breastfeeding – A Retrospective

    A FIRST-TIME MOTHER’S RETROSPECTIVE ON BREASTFEEDING   After breastfeeding our daughter for a full year, I found that the only things essential for successful breastfeeding are: BABY, MUMMY and A GOOD ATTITUDE TO LEARN. RESEARCH BEFORE HAND Being a first-time mother, I obviously knew nothing about breastfeeding prior to the birth of our daughter. I knew that I want to breastfeed for as long as circumstances allow, so I did my research before the birth, including attending online breastfeeding classes. You may forget everything the minuet your newborn arrives. However, the learning process increases your confidence.  And having these resources on hand, especially visual guides for feeding, e.g. pictures and…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    I Wish I Knew – The Postpartum Breasts

       POSTPARTUM BODY CARE – A GOOD BRA TO ELEVATE YOUR BUSTLINE AND YOUR SPIRIT   Our baby girl is 20 months and she is not a baby anymore! As she is getting bigger and stronger everyday, I found my own strength going the opposite way. It’s about time to get back into a more active lifestyle. One thing I wish I have thought of right after giving birth was that I SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER BRAS during and after my pregnancy. As a first-time mother, I had little time and even less motivation to think about my body in the first year. The least I could have done was…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Stroller Review: Phil & Teds Voyager 2019+

    A good mix of flexibility, maneuverability and capacity The Phil & Teds Voyager 2019+ is a new convertible stroller with a unique offer   Living in the US, the stroller brand Phil & Teds occasionally pops up in my research.  From the local playgrounds, to airport in the Mid-west and the street of Paris, I have occasionally caught glimpses of their distinctive strollers. They are a New Zealand-based company with a long history of producing great three-wheeled all-terrain strollers and stroller with Inline convertible capacity. During our most recent quest to find the perfect double stroller, their latest stroller lineup released in Feb 2019 peaked our interest. Amongst those, is the revamped four-wheeled…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Presidential Letter

    Presidential Letter Whether or not you agree with the President of the United States, recieving a letter addressed to your new born is still a souvenier worth obtaining. However, there are a few restrictions. The letter needs to be requested within Baby’s first year. And only United State citizens are eligable for Presdiential letters. Each President has a different process of obtaining a Presidential Letter, so it is best to check the President’s website. An example of the content letter that we sent is below; Mrs <Mum’s name> and Mr <Dad’s name> are proud to welcome Ms <Baby’s name> to the world. Born in .  Please send <Baby’s name> greeting…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Choosing Cloth Diapering System!

    So much cloth diapering products to choose~ Here is how to decide what to get! Our baby girl turned 5-months old! We have been trying out cloth diapering for the last three month. Personally the reason and motivation are quite obvious: I don’t have to keep buying disposables and there are no more plastic going to the landfill. However, the idea on what to use was not so forthcoming. We started researching the topic months before the baby was born. Suffice to say there are no shortage of blog posts, databases and YouTube videos online that gives detailed run-down on the terminologies and use of cloth diapers, as well as…

  • Pregnancy & Parenting

    Certification of Birth

    Sample Certification of Birth, Pennsylvania Having given birth at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, a Certification of Birth can be expected to arrive within two weeks. If your experience is like ours, where there was a typo in the name, you’ll need to have this rectified. If you follow the instructions on the back of the document it’ll ask for the affidavit to be filled out in the presence of an Notary Public, original documents in support of the correction et cetera. If you call the Division of Vital Records at 724-656-3100 an automated machine will present one additional option where the hospital the birth occurred at can correct the typographical…

  • Food & Drink,  Pregnancy & Parenting,  Travel

    Where to go with baby in Philly?

    Hanging out with the Fam is hard work Our baby daughter is one month old!  As new parents, trying to maintain some normalcy in social life has been hard. Even a causal outing or catching up with friends and family are always restricted by feeding and nap time. But the biggest challenge remains: WHERE CAN WE GO? Where are the change and feeding facilities? Is the place too loud for sleepy babies? Can my stroller fit through the aisles without upsetting other patrons? With restless child(ren), stroller and diaper bag full of gears in tow, some research before heading out is needed to avoid frustration and chaos.  While we often search on Google to…