Sudio Sweden Wireless Headphones - Regent White ♪ + {Promo}

Recently, Lil Pumpkin has upgraded to "adult headphones" that's a lot more stylish and sleeker - the Sudio Sweden Earphones in Regent White. They definitely are a pair I would gladly use myself too.. ♥

Lil Pumpkin is always on-the-go with us. We don't have a helper so if she's not at school or any of her extra-curricular classes, that usually means wherever we go, she goes. Sometimes this means that she's at work with us {either at my office or at her daddy's clinic}, or even if we go for our gym sessions / fitness classes.

Her own special little study area at the box📚🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #sgkids #sgfitness #sgfitfam #noexcusemom #mobilus3 #motherhood

A post shared by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Mar 21, 2016 at 3:06am PDT

We will always put her in safe areas away from the weights/ exercise areas in clear view, and give her strict instructions to not go anywhere with strangers or stray away.

Usually, the gym / fitness classes we go to have understanding staff who help to keep an eye out for her too and luckily for us, Lil Pumpkin is a good girl who listens to our instructions and knows how to entertain herself with school work, games {current favourites are word searches & puzzles..} or her favourite videos.

When Lil Pumpkin was younger, she used a kiddy pair of headphones from JVC that I bought from Japan. I've seen them in local stores though. I bought them mainly for our travel flights as the airline earphones are pretty uncomfortable and often slip off {can be such a hassle adjusting them with a trayful of food & blankets all over!}, however she also started using them if she watched her videos / listened to music outside of home.

I reckon good kids headphones are those that have an effective volume limiter {experts recommend 70dB or at most 85dB} to protect their sensitive ears, have minimum noise leakage, and fit comfortably on their smaller heads.

The JVC Tiny Phones {HA-KD5} are sturdy and have comfortable, soft padding. It also has an efficient volume limiter {85dB} and restrict noise leakage relatively ok. Cool thing is that it also comes with some stickers for Lil Pumpkin to customise her headphones and they aren't that expensive too. I'd recommend this kids earphones if you're in the market looking for one. They are built for ages 4 and up.

Lil Pumpkin has been using her kids headphones for about 3 years now and although they still work fine, the cords are rather icky and get tangled easily so I'd prefer her to have a convenient wire-free experience.

There are wireless kids headphones in the market but since she's growing up so fast anyway, adult headphones aren't such a bad idea especially if we are looking for quality headphones that last long and are comfortable. Plus, I can use them too! haha

The Sudio Regent headphones are really, really comfortable. There's leather padding on the headband even, and of course the ear cups, but I'm not kidding when I say that the padding is pillowy-soft and feels comfortable even during extended use which don't worry, isn't often. We tell Lil Pumpkin to rest her ears after an hour or so of use... but she usually doesn't use it for long periods at a go unless we're on a plane and she's watching a movie.

Even as an adult headphone, it fits snugly on Lil Pumpkin at the smallest setting. You can adjust the size easily by lifting the headband up and down its gold metal accents so that it fits a wide variety of head sizes.

As with any wireless headphone, Sudio Regent requires its own power supply and has an inbuilt rechargeable battery. It takes about 2hrs for it to be fully-charged and good thing that its battery life is about 24+hours too, because sometimes Lil Pumpkin forgets to tell us to help her charge it haha. Even with its inbuilt battery, it's just 177g and feels pretty light.

The Sudio Regent headphones connect to any devices via Bluetooth 4.1 and supports multi-pairing. We help Lil Pumpkin to set it up as she's still too young to figure it out herself.

All you have to do is switch on Bluetooth for the device, press the Play/Stop button on the headphones, then pair them after you see the blue and red light. Easy peasy. Bluetooth has a range of 10m so technically speaking, if she wants she can move 10m away from the source device and still hear her audio.

I'm no audiophile, but sound-wise I think the Sudio Regent headphones are pretty good. By that I mean that the sound quality is strong, clear and balanced. There's minimal audio leakage as the ear cups form a good seal {just nice for my ear size and covers Lil Pumpkin's ears fully} and you won't disturb others if your volume is too high but we've taught Lil Pumpkin not to do that. Sometimes she forgets, but most of the times she follows the instructions.

{As there's no volume limiter, the only way to really monitor is by checking on the volume every now and then.}

It's definitely good enough for Lil Pumpkin to use for casual music-listening and video-watching. 

The white & gold look is very attractive but I know it will get dirty pretty easily, especially when a kid is using it haha, so I try to give it a wipe-down with a slightly damp cloth after each use. If you like, Sudio Regent headphones also comes in Black.

One thing I'd have appreciated is if it came in its own carry pouch but no biggie, we've many empty bags at home to keep it in when not in use. The metal bars protrude out quite a bit though so they aren't very compact though.

While Lil Pumpkin's previous kids headphone came with stickers for customisation, the Sudio Regent also lets you have your own unique headphone with the customisation of its ear caps. Sold separately at S$29 each, you can choose from 4 fun designs that match Sudio Regent White or Black headphones. Lil Pumpkin chose these pink ones herself!

I hope they have more designs and colours in the future though! Or maybe even one where you can draw and design something yourself...  like those Starbucks "Create Your Own Tumblers"??

Sudio Regent Wireless Headphones are sold via Sudio Sweden's website at S$299 each and make a great gift for tweens like Lil Pumpkin, teens or adults. If you use my promo code below in addition to the tax rebate, it will cost S$156 i.e. you save S$143!!! That's excellent savings and it's not even a GSS promo haha.

Sudio Sweden delivers to Singapore with free express shipping {takes 3-5 working days} and currently, there is a complimentary summer tote bag {worth S$33} with every purchase. Have a look at their website for more information and product details.

Promo: Quote "sakuraharuka" for 15% OFF for any Sudio Sweden product from their website. Valid until Sunday, 31 Dec 2017. In addition, you get additional 20% instant tax rebate if you purchase outside EU!

P.S. Look out for a giveaway on their latest Wireless Vasa Blå earphones coming up real soon! (•‿•)♬

 *Disclosure: This is a review for Sudio Sweden. All opinions are my own. 

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JUMPY Plus Kids Smartwatch {GIVEAWAY + PROMO}

Most primary schools, like Lil Pumpkin's, ban mobile phones in school... and I support this idea. Mobile phones can be addictive. Especially smart mobile phones where you can surf, chat, watch videos, take photos, play games etc. on them. Gone are the days of simply using the phone to call or send text messages, then putting it away until the next use. Nowadays.. you just feel like using them All. The. Time. #truestory

Of course, mobile phones are definitely useful in many ways but for young children, there is no need for them especially in school and having them around can be disruptive and distracting. Also, why put them under extra pressure of looking after something so expensive and valuable when they should be concentrating on paying attention in class??

Not to mention that as parents, we don't want our kids to call anyone or access the internet so freely at such a young age too. 

However, as Lil Pumpkin gets older and her daily schedule gets more complicated, sometimes we really need to reach her ASAP. For example, there are days when we unexpectedly have to arrive later than usual to pick Lil Pumpkin up from school and want to inform her so that she won't panic and think that we forgot about her.. However, it can be difficult to contact her without a phone... and that's when I wish she had one haha. Does that happen to you too? 

Things are so much easier now with her JUMPY Plus Kids Smartwatch though. Designed just for kids, the JUMPY Plus smartwatch is a mobile phone, GPS tracker, activity helper, fitness companion and more. We can now contact and locate Lil Pumpkin anytime without the need to buy her a smartphone!

With JUMPY Plus, we can preset 5 numbers for Lil Pumpkin to make and receive calls i.e. unknown numbers won't be able to contact her, and she can't contact strangers either. She's able to talk freely only to us {or her grandparents whose numbers are locked in} or send us simple text messages with emojis, hand-drawings and voice recordings ( ᐛ )و

The microphone/ speaker works well and Lil Pumpkin can receive / make calls with good, clear quality. She really likes to call us on it now like a walkie talkie ahahahaha...  

Do note that a nano SIM card {we're currently using 4G network but it works for 3G too} is needed to call or text, and you need to sync it up with a phone {compatible with both Android & iPhones} via an app to kick-start the fun. You don't have to bring a phone around with the smartwatch though as it functions as a mobile phone by itself.

If Lil Pumpkin is busy or in class, we can also remotely switch JUMPY Plus to "school mode" using our phones. While locked in this mode, her watch can only be able to tell time and make emergency calls so that she won't be distracted when she's supposed to be studying! haha..

I hope Lil Pumpkin won't need to use this added safety function, but IF she is in any danger or has an emergency, she can also easily press a SOS call button to notify me or other people on her call list immediately. If she is unable to pick up a call during an emergency, we can remotely listen in on what is happening to her.

The SOS call button isn't the only safety feature though. It has an inbuilt GPS tracking device for us to check on her location via our smartphone app. Alert areas {e.g. home, school, gym} can also be set up so that we are alerted on the phone when she enters or leaves the proximity.

I'm impressed that JUMPY Plus has a pretty sensitive intuitive interface {1.6" full-coloured 240 x 240px touch screen} for a kids product. With just gentle swipes and touches, you can scroll through notifications and the menu which includes interactive edu-tainment games, story-telling, a pedometer {!!!}, a virtual pet and much more!

Other features that Lil Pumpkin likes to play with is the Voice Note function where she can record 20+ voice notes and the Personal Alarm where she can record her own alarm notification messages e.g. "Time to pack my school bag!"... Too darn cute. I can also set up daily schedules with the Smart Calendar and record voice reminders for her on my phone to help her develop good habits too.

JUMPY Plus is specially designed for kids aged 4 - 12 years old, however I think younger kids may find some features too difficult to use {plus I think it's too expensive a watch for them!}, and older kids may find the games & storybooks too childish. I would recommend JUMPY Plus to kids aged 6 - 10 years old.  

The smartwatch's battery is easily rechargeable with a magnetic cable and usually lasts about 2 days. You can monitor the battery status on your phone and get a notification when the batt is low. There are also 10 different watch themes and you can also change the phone strap colour {although I don't think the local distributor sells just the straps}. It comes in red, green, blue and yellow.

If you've an accident-prone child like Lil Pumpkin, don't worry because JUMPY Plus is water-resistant and made to withstand heavy kids play. I do wish it came with a watch guard though to protect the face more from scratches and hard knocks...

If you're young at heart and want it for yourself, don't worry too because JUMPY Plus fits adult wrists as well haha.

Playing around with @lovelilpumpkin's new #JUMPYplus kids smartwatch that's wrist-gesture activated haha.. You can call, text, locate & even play simple games using this ⌚️💕Review, giveaway & promo code on the blog tmr🌸 #sakuraharuka

A video posted by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Jan 23, 2017 at 4:43pm PST

Honestly, I don't mind wearing it for myself too because sometimes I need a break and really feel like disconnecting online and the world-at-large, yet still need to be contactable by my family. This fuss-free smartphone with limited access is perfect for those reclusive days ♥

Find out more tips about using JUMPY Plus on their Facebook page and purchase the watch on JUMPY Plus Singapore website at S$278 each. Use my promo code below for extra discounts!

Promo: Quote "JPSakura10" for 10% OFF every JUMPY Plus kids smartwatch! Valid until Tue 28 Feb 2017 only. 

For my own special friends & blog readers, I've ONE JUMPY Plus Smartwatch in Green {worth S$278} to give away!! With JUMPY Plus, parents can stay in contact with their kids while the children themselves can enjoy this super cool high-tech watch, just like mummy & daddy's. 

Giveaway Method: Random Draw

1. Be a Sakura Haruka Facebook page fan

2. Subscribe to my upcoming newsletter. Make sure the email add you used to subscribe is working as I'll be using that to contact the winner. Remember to confirm the subscription and check your junk folder in case the confirmation email goes there.

3. Like & Share this Facebook photo and tag 3 friends. Make sure your post is public!

4. Leave me a blog comment telling me your best exam tip + FB name you used to like the page + name you used to subscribe to the newsletter. For those unsure of how to comment, choose "Name/URL" option then add your name and comment.

Bonus entry:
1. Follow @AiSakuraHaruka and @Jumpy.SG on Instagram
2. Repost this photo on IG & tag @AiSakuraHaruka @Jumpy.SG #ASHxJumpyGiveaway + your FB name + 3 friends. Make sure your post is public!

ONE random winner will be chosen. Just complete all 4 simple steps + bonus entry {if you like}!

UPDATE: The giveaway has ended. The winner is Nadia Kua. Stay tuned for more blog giveaways on Sakura Haruka! Check out my current readers promos too. Thanks for your support!


Details:
* Open to Singapore residents only.
* Ends Monday, 6 Feb 2017 2359hrs {Singapore time} 
* Incomplete or inappropriate entries will be deemed invalid and will not be included.
* Winner will be announced by Thursday 9 Feb 2017 on this blog post and notified via email with further instructions on how to collect prize. Winners have 2 days to reply, or the prize will be redrawn.
* JUMPY Plus Kids Smartwatch prize is available only in green. No exchange of colours allowed.  
* Nano SIM card not included.  

For more of  Lil Pumpkin's Primary School journey:

P1 Registration Experience

School Uniform Shopping @ Bibi & Baba

P1 Orientation Day
First 3 Days of P1
10 Types of Parents in Whatsapp Groups
First Primary School Parent-Teacher Meeting for P1 Sem 1
Short Pixie Bob for School
Ergonomic School Bag Shopping & Tips for Choosing One
JUMPY Plus Kids Smartwatch for School
What's An Appropriate Slumber Party Age for Kids? 
3M LED P1610 Polarizing Task Light to Protect Eyes When Studying

For tips on P1 preparation:

Comparison of Popular Maths Enrichment Classes

20 Things to Buy for Kids Entering P1

20 Tips from Other Parents for Kids Entering P1

25 Advice Tips from the School for Kids Entering P1 

20 How to Learn Chinese Tips

* Disclosure: JUMPY Plus Singapore provided the kids smartwatch for giveaway. Terms and Conditions apply.

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TYR Singapore Showroom Swim Gear Shopping

Recently I went down to the TYR Showroom at Bukit Merah with Jo to check out on swimsuits and gear for myself and Lil Pumpkin. TYR is a USA manufacturer of recreational & competitive swimwear, swim caps, swimming goggles, triathlon gear etc. and is one of the most popular brands among the swimming community.

You can find TYR merchandise at World of Sports outlets but the showroom sells a much wider array of TYR swim wear, googles, caps, training equipment etc. Also, if you belong to {selected?} swim teams, you also get discounts off your purchases. I think it's about 30% off!! (*^▽^*)

It's been a long time since I swam competitively. When I first joined my organisation about 5 years ago, I was quite active in the swim team and took part in my first and only Masters Swimming Championship ੧(❛▿❛✿)੭

Since then, I stopped regular swim training and just liked frolicking in the waters.. after all, I'd been swimming competitively almost half my life, so it was nice to just finally enjoy the cool, relaxing waters.

A few weeks ago, Jo told me that she was going to take part in this year's Masters Swimming Championship for her club. She asked if I wanted to join too and a part of me stirred. After all, once a swimmer, always a swimmer haha.

Things got busy at home and work so that was put aside until recently, I received an email from my organisation's swim team calling for participants to represent them in the Masters Swimming Championship. Oh was that a sign??

After encouragement from Jo and hubby, I finally put my name down and signed up to compete last week with some random seed times for the events I wanted to take part in haha. Goodness, I didn't even have a proper one-piece swim costume {I prefer two-piece tankinis as they are easier to go toilet in heh} and had to go find one to compete in!!

It's been so long that I wasn't even sure of my costume size... Finding a swimming costume isn't all that easy, especially if you want to wear it to a competition. I mean if you're just wearing it to the occasional visit to the pool it might be fine if it doesn't fit completely well, but if you want to wear it to compete in.. it needs to fit like a glove. Too tight and your boobs / butt will fall out plus you might get a wedgie, too loose and it was "expand" in the water and catch air bubbles.

Also, there will be spectators watching the competition so you definitely want to avoid any awkward situations!! (〃⌒∇⌒)

Tucked away in one of the warehouse buildings in the industrial area, the TYR showroom was really quiet when we went on a weekday... which is pretty good since you don't need to jostle with the crowd and can take your own sweet time browsing and trying the items.

Jo was looking for some rashies for her little girls but she didn't find anything that she liked.

There's a very good selection of goggles here.. Lil Pumpkin and I are currently using TYR Velocity Metallized googles which has UV-protected and anti-fog properties, silicone cushion gaskets, double silicone headstraps and an adjustable nose-piece. But most importantly I like that it has  mirrored lenses which is really useful on sunny days, especially when you are swimming back-stroke.

I wanted to get some silicone swim caps with cute slogons or designs but they didn't have many of that and I didn't find any that I fancied. The showroom stocked mostly plain coloured silicone caps as the staff said most Singaporeans preferred those heh.

There are also waterproof bags, mesh bags, noodles, kick boards, paddles, hand paddles etc.

I bought a big nylon mesh bag for Lil Pumpkin to use during her swim class to put her swim gear and kick board. The open weave mesh means I can still leave her board etc in the bag and they will still dry easily.

There's a diverse assortment of swimwear patterns and colours for casual and competitive swimmers, but I was expecting even more.

Jo was too. She said they did use to have much more swimsuit choices.. but now they seem to sell more triathlon stuff.

I liked these 2 swimwear patterns and had a hard time choosing just one haha. I already bought 2 new Speedo swimsuits before our visit and highly doubted I was going to take part in any more swim meets after this one haha..

In the end, I chose the bright, geometric design. It was the first one that caught my eye! ❤

Some of the triathlon gear spotted.

I have utmost respect for triathletes. Swimming is already so tough, imagine having to swim, run AND cycle consecutively over long distances!!! *clap clap clap*

After our little shopping trip we went to have some delicious Mexican food at Guzman Y Gomez, Star Vista. So awesome!!! They are really generous with the portions and I always leave feeling so full, and so satisfied (*＾▽＾)／

It was a really fun mummies-day-out for us! Thanks for the company, Jo! ❤

Anyway, go visit the TYR showroom if you or your kids are into swimming!! But in case there are any policy changes in regards to the swim team discounts, please check with them first, ok?

TYR Showroom
8, Jalan Kilang Timor, #03-01 Kewalram House
Open 10am - 5pm {Mon - Fri}, 10am - 12pm {Sat}. Closed Sun & public holidays
Tel: 6702 6734
Website: http://www.tyr.com.sg

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Agape Babies: One-Stop Shop for Mums & Bubs + {Promo Code}

Hands-up if you like to shop online.

Yeah, my both hands are up too. I mean, most of the times you can buy things that are cheaper than what you'd find in a physical store, especially since you can easily browse through different websites to find the best price.

Also, it's so convenient since you can even shop in your pjs haha. Especially when you're a mum and the only free-time you have to shop is at night when the house is quiet and kids are asleep.. tell me how many physical stores in Singapore {other than Mustafa??} are open at 2am in the morning?!

Plus, you don't have to deal with crowded shopping malls. Urgh. 

As much as possible, I'd try to shop from local online shops but sometimes the products I'm looking for can't be found locally {or are much too overpriced} and I have to ship them in from overseas. 

A photo posted by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Apr 5, 2016 at 2:23am PDT

But then, it is a pain in the a** when it seems like you have to wait like what seems like FOREVER for your overseas package to arrive!!! #thestruggleisreal

Seriously. It can be such a joy shopping from local online shops! I ordered these from #AgapeBabies yesterday {they're having #GSS discounts now!} for Lil J & early this morning, the package arrived!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 You can see what else I got on #Snapchat 👻 Sure beats waiting a few weeks for overseas shopping to arrive haha 😝🌸 #sakuraharuka #sgkids #sgfamily #motherhood #shopping #onlineshopping #sgshopping #babystuff

A photo posted by Ai Sakura  (@aisakuraharuka) on Jul 7, 2016 at 11:25pm PDT

And that's why I'm absolutely pleased as Punch when I recently ordered at Singapore-based Agape Babies, and the whole package was efficiently delivered to me the next morning. Seriously. Blown. Away.

The super-duper fast courier delivery isn't just the only thing I like about Agape Babies.

They are also known to have one of the widest selection of goods for mums-to-be, mums, and children online as they are home to over 250 brands and 6000 products. From diapers, milk, skincare, food to toys, books, play mats & clothing.. almost everything you need for family life can be found here.

Agape Babies is the authorised retailer for many premium baby brands such as 3M, Philips, BABYBJÖRN, Organic Harvest, Bellamy, Trunki, Ergobaby etc. It really is a one-stop shop for mums and bubs!! ❤

Despite the wide variety of items, shopping on their website is a breeze as everything is neatly categorised with clear product information and pictures. It's mobile-optimised as well so you can still easily navigate the site and shop conveniently using your smartphone on-the-go too. 

That's great because I actually like to just chill in bed and shop online instead of sitting in front of my computer at my desk.. I've enough of that at work haha. 

Yup, they also sell the stylish and functional Jujube diaper bags that's oh-so-popular with mums nowadays.

I can see why so many of my mummy friends carry it though... it has so many pockets to organise the baby stuff, and the prints are can be so cute / beautiful that they hardly seem like a typical frumpy "diaper bag" but rather a pre-mama glamourous bag to bring out and about!

If you have never checked them out before, now is a good time as they are currently having their Great Singapore Sale {GSS} so over 800 products are on discount.

I saw some pretty amazing deals and picked out some items for myself, sister, Lil J and Lil Pumpkin below.

The Unicorn Skip & Hop lunch bag is mine by the way for me to bring my obentos to work. Because, unicorns (*^▽^*) Quite excited to have regular family board games nights and play some of my fave childhood games like Scrabble & LIFE with Lil Pumpkin but we'll probably start that after our home renovation project heh.

Throughout the year, Agape Babies also has exclusive Weekly Deals every Wednesday and first-time customers also get S$10 or 10% off their first order and a free gift of either a Mustela Trial Kit {worth S$10} or a Bellamy Milk 400g tin {worth S$25.95}.

Happy shopping and let me know if you find something interesting there that I might have missed!! xox

Promo: Quote "aisakura5%" for 5% OFF purchases at Agape Babies. These exclude sale category items, diapers, milk, breast pumps and Jujube products. Valid until Friday, 19 Aug 2016 only. Free courier delivery to local addresses for orders above S$80 and overseas shipping available.

P.S. Next-morning delivery is only for those orders made before 2pm the day before. If you like, you can also self-collect from Newton, Sengkang or Old Airport Road. Since Newton is where their main warehouse is, you can actually drop by on the day itself to collect!!

Disclosure: This is a review for Agape Babies. All opinions are my own.

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Where to Buy Customised Stroller Liners & Drool Pads in Singapore?

Getting customised stroller liners and teething drool pads seem quite the rage now, especially when the Tula craze started a few years ago. It wasn't really like that during *ahem* my time... I think (o^▽^o)  Like changing clothes to suit the season or mood for the day, parents like to change their stroller liners and baby carrier drool pads often for stylish, unique looks to match their own {or the baby's} outfits or feelings! 

It’s been about 5 months since Lil J joined our family and a few weeks back, she was baptised. As a little celebratory gift for our special girl, this happy aunt here ordered a customised, handmade stroller liner set & drool pads from Sunday Kids for her.

Lil J has a dull grey stroller and black baby carrier which I thought needed some brightening up (✿╹◡╹) Plus, the liner & drool pads make for a practical gift.

A cotton liner will keep Lil J cool and dry in the tropical heat while protecting the stroller from the usual mess of snack leftovers and even diaper accidents… which every mummy knows happens oh-so-often haha. And drool pads help to protect the straps of my sister's expensive baby carrier from dribble & drool, and will save her from washing the whole thing too many times!

One thing good about Sunday Kids liners/ drool pads is that they are reversible with bright patterns on one side and a matching plain color/ design on the other side. If one side is dirty or in case you just want a quick new look, you can just flip them over #valueformoney

Based in Singapore, Sunday Kids was founded by fellow mum Veronika Fischer who lovingly sews stroller accessories {e.g. liners, strap covers}, car seat liners as well as baby carrier accessories that's suitable for many brands. I like that most of the fabrics she offers are high quality cotton sourced mainly from USA and Japan. Veronika reckons that Japanese prints are the cutest and I no doubt agree! (´౪`)

Fun trivia: Veronika, her brother, father and daughter were all born on a Sunday! In her family, being a “Sunday Kid” was always associated with good luck, and since Sunday is traditionally a family day connected with relaxed, happy feelings {something that Veronika wishes to reflect in the colourful products she carries}, she chose the name “Sunday Kids” for her shop! #nowyouknow

Don’t worry if you don’t have a standard pram / stroller / carrier model. After choosing the fabrics, I spent a few days corresponding with Veronika regarding Lil J’s stroller as she has a Bfree iwalker, a US brand which is rather large and not very common here in Singapore. Veronika was very patient and guided me on the measurements and photographs to take to help her make the best fit for the customized stroller liner and accessories.

That's the great thing about buying from small businesses like these - the owners take great pride in their craft and tend to be more attentive / provide fantastic personal service (^q^)

Anyway, my sis and Lil J has been using the items for about 1 month now and she helped to provide me with some feedback on the items which I'd share with you here:

Stroller Seat Liner
"I would have preferred the padding to be thicker so that it'll be more comfy and protect the baby's back & buttocks against the bumps. I'm currently using this on top of the existing padded liner. Fabric-wise, the white stars with grey background is interesting but isn't too loud, and matches my baby's grey stroller perfectly! Not to mention good against dark stains and dirt too. I'm glad that the customised liner fitted my stroller well too even though the model isn't very popular here."

Stroller Strap Covers
"These are comfy and cushioned. Love that they are sewn with snappers and padded for baby's shoulders! They also protect her delicate face against scratches from the rough bits of the straps, and the snappers definitely make detaching / attaching a breeze when it's time for washing."

Stroller Bumper Cover
"Baby loves the cute, funny-faced cats!! It's also padded so nice and soft especially since she tends to kick her feet against it. The cover is a slip-cover but it would be good to have snappers/ velcro closures too as while the bar is detachable, it has side "metal clips" to hold it in place when inserted into the pram so you have to stretch and pull the cloth over.. which I'm afraid might cause tears."

Stroller Handlebar Covers
"These are great to have especially with Singapore's weather, as our hands will perspire. They also add color & character to pram. This pair of 2 covers come sewn with velcro and so are easy to fix on. Some added padding would be nice for a softer feel."

Toy Strap
"I use this to strap Baby's teether toys. It's very useful as it's long and also comes with buttons for easy attachment and removal."

Baby Carrier Drool Pads
"Love the customised pads for baby's own carrier and the buttons used - color even matches the sweet design! Pretty nice detail there. It would be even better if it was thicker since Baby sometimes falls asleep in the carrier and her head falls sideways onto the pad. With thicker padding it would feel gentler on her head like a mini pillow heh... and make it more versatile!"

Overall, my sister said “I love love love the choice of cloth patterns you've chose for us and the product design from Sunday Kids!” Yay! Great to know that Lil J’s gift is so well-received and won’t end up as a white elephant haha.

If you’re a first-time parent looking for something special for your new baby or a parent with 2-3 kids looking to upcycle your stroller with a fresh look, check out Veronika’s Sunday Kids website, Etsy shop or Carousell store.

Sunday Kids sell ready-made items too which is so convenient if you’ve no time to wait 2 weeks for a customized order. Ready-made stroller / pram liners starts at $50 while customised liners with your choice of front and back fabric, filling and finishing start from S$60. All accessories {strap covers, bumper cover or handlebar covers} cost S$15. Free delivery to Singapore addresses and overseas shipping available.

In case you’re wondering {because I was too haha}.. it is not possible for customers to provide your own fabrics to Veronika to sew as the fabrics have to be suitable for the liner i.e. only medium to heavier weight cottons that are machine washable, and she cannot guarantee for the fabric in case of cutting or sewing mishaps.

Veronika joins our local fairs and markets regularly so if you prefer to feel/ see her actual products before purchase, do follow Sunday Kids on Facebook for updates on where she might set up a pop-up stall!

Update: I gave Veronika my sister's feedback as well and she explained that she uses cotton filling for her products and it is naturally thinner & and not as lofty as poly fillings... so may not feel as padded as my sister would like it to be. Also, poly fillings sometimes feel lumpy and the synthetic material may feel hot or uncomfortable on a warm day, as it does not breathe well. Do take this into consideration when purchasing!

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Glitter Glam Fashion Models for the Day! ✿

If you're a long time blog reader or follower on my other social media sites {Facebook, Instagram etc.}, Glitter Glam shop needs no introduction from me. Ever since early last year, Lil Pumpkin and I have been big fans of this local brand and have been wearing their collection of matchy-matchy mother-daughter clothes.

I don't like their clothes just because the clothes are matchy-matchy {they have non matchy-matchy ladies wear too by the way}. I like them also because they are very well-made and use good quality materials that last a long time through many washes, parties, events and rough play.

We are still wearing our first few dresses, even up to now!! Although they are kinda short on Lil Pumpkin now hahaha...

For those that are new to the blog, Glitter Glam is a home-grown Singaporean brand that was started in 2007 by the mompreneur, Mary. As a working mother herself {and also one of the nicest brand owners I know}, she creates clothes with strong character, excellent fit and great comfort not just for successful career women, but also for mummies who, let's face it, have one of the toughest jobs in the world, and deserve to celebrate their hard work in style. Remember, there's still Me in Motherhood and no shame in dressing well for yourself!

Mary Had A Little Lamb is basically a mini-sized version of Glitter Glam collection... because what's good enough for mummy, is good enough for our little girls. The spin-off line is meant to celebrate motherhood and the extraordinary connection between Glitter Glam's female clients and their children.

On and off, they have small collections for boys too so mums with sons can look out for that. I think they have a capsule collection coming up early next year for the whole family. Yes, including pieces for dads too (★^O^★) 

Anyway, back to how we came to be their models for the day...

America's Next Top Model is one of my fave TV shows #nojudgementplease and Lil Pumpkin watches it with me. Maybe she was influenced by it, or maybe she misses doing "fashion shoots" with me {sorry, no time!!} but one day she suddenly asked me if she could "be a model and have her photos up in the shops".

I was pretty surprised since she never makes requests like that. She shows interest in some things e.g. singing, dance, drama etc. but she would not usually ask to specifically attend classes or pursue those interests. Usually, we as her parents would notice what she is keen on, ask her if she'd like to do more of it, and then she will tell us yes or no. 

But since she requested so explicitly this time, well, Mummy has to try and help her make her wish come true, right??

Truth is, Mary and I have discussed about shooting a campaign for one of her collections some time back. It's just that I've been reeeeeeaaaaally busy due to work, my fitness training, family commitments etc. and not able to make any of her shoot dates.

It's good that things have started to wind down for me the past 2 months. I broached the subject again to her and since Christmas / New Year was coming up soon, she asked us to model for that collection. Sweet!

Mary and her team at Glitter Glam x Mary Had A Little Lamb did all the arrangments - booking the studio, photographer, make-up artist... even arranging for the clothes to be sent to our home for fitting and collecting them back to iron/ prep for the photoshoot.

All we had to do was to turn up for the shoot on a Saturday morning early this month (●´∀｀●)

Before that I'd told Lil Pumpkin that we were going to be models for a day and do a fashion shoot for Glitter Glam x Mary Had A Little Lamb. She was soooo thrilled and couldn't wait for the shoot day to arrive!

I'd to preempt her as well that the photo-shoot will take around 3-4 hours and she will have to change clothes & pose many, many times to take many, many shots. Maybe she was too excited to care but she gamely said, "no problem Mummy!"

I had my doubts though as knowing her, she will get bored and distracted after 1-2 hours max. Which I guess is pretty acceptable for young kids.

If I take her shots for "fashion shoots", I usually make sure that we keep within the hour and do it chop chop kali pok. Because after her patience and enthusiasm runs out, even if she does stand still and let you take her photos, it will all show on her stunned-like-vegetable-stop-taking-my-photos-when-will-this-end face (≧∇≦)☆

On the photoshoot day, everything went pretty well actually! There were a few hiccups like the make-up artist arriving 1 hour late {!!} and Lil Pumpkin's energy running low after the first few outfits, but overall we managed to take shots for around 10 outfits each.

It was pretty fun and such an eye-opener. Modeling isn't all about just looking at the camera, smiling and posing.. you need to follow directions, think about your facial expressions, think about your hands and leg placements, move to show the outfits in the best angles etc. Of course, Lil Pumpkin and I aren't professionals and lacked the experience, but we tried our best to "work it" haha. Appreciated Mary and her team for making us feel so comfortable on set too.

Mary's little girl {she's Mary Had A Little Lamb's inspiration & brand model} came along to the shoot as well and although the last time they met was more than a year ago, Lil Pumpkin was overjoyed to see her again and the two of them chatted like old friends o (◡‿◡✿)

Both of them modeled and took some shots together. I love their natural, playful innocence!

All the outfit photos in this post were taken that day and goodness, thank you Glitter Glam x Mary Had A Little Lamb for taking such beautiful photographs of Lil Pumpkin and me!!

As the main photographer of our family, it's rare when I can just relax and let others do the work of composing and taking the shots while I stand in front of the lens. And that's why I love it when we have our family photo-shoots (*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ

Thanks for all these lovely memories and the opportunity for us to be your models for the day, Mary. I thought it would be a good chance for Lil Pumpkin to appreciate how hard people work to earn their keep, and learn what goes on behind the scenes for a model too. After we went home that day, she told me she wanted to do it again haha... maybe next year darling.

Oh, our photos are all up now on on Glitter Glam's online shop so Lil Pumpkin did have her wish fulfilled too heh. Please pop by to support her, see the rest of our shots or purchase any outfits you like in this post, although some will only be released in a month or so. You can also buy in their physical boutique at Harbourfront or counter in any Isetan stores.

If you sign up to their mailing list, you'll get S$10 off your first purchase immediately. Follow Glitter Glam on Facebook and Instagram for information on new releases and giveaways too!

More Glitter Glam and Mary Had A Little Lamb posts below: 

How to Work the Matchy-matchy Mini-Me Fashion Trend

More Mother-Daughter Matchy-Matchy Dress Finds

Going Matchy-Matchy for the Festivities

Matching Cheongsams for Mums & Little Girls

 Happy 7th Marriage Anniversary

Our family photoshoots:

Indoor studio photoshoot with Essence Studios

Outdoor photoshoot at Marina Barrage

Outdoor photoshoot at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Outdoor photoshoot at Chinese Gardens

Outdoor photoshoot at East Coast Park beach {for a #SG50 book & exhibition}

Indoor fashion photoshoot with Glitter Glam

 Outdoor photoshoot at Gardens by the Bay {East}

P.S. If you like my motherhood stories and random musings, please vote for me at Her World Plus Social Media Awards here. Voting ends 15 Jan 2016 and you just have to do it once, not daily! Thank you!!

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Getting Her Ears Pierced at B*dazzle, Singapore

Lil Pumpkin crossed a big milestone... she got her ears pierced!! My oh my... I guess it really is time to admit that my little one is a baby no more and is a big girl now. Sobs sobs.

Since she was about 4 or 5, I'd asked her a few times before if she wanted to get her ears pierced, but she firmly declined and said that she was scared of the pain. But recently, she told us she wanted to get her ears pierced and asked if we could bring her.

I guess some of her friends in school have earrings and she's influenced by them to want to wear pretty earrings too (｡◕‿◕｡)

Last weekend, we brought her to B*dazzle at Wistma Atria to get her piercings done. It was the most decent place I could think of to get ear piercings. I remember when I was little my mum brought me to get my first ear piercings at a goldsmith shop... but I'm not sure if they still do it??

As a teen, I also went to some shops at Far East Plaza to get more ear piercings, but I thought it's better to go to a more reliable and reputable shop for Lil Pumpkin （‾◡◝ ） I didn't want to risk her getting any allergic reaction or infection!

We always pass by B*dazzle on the way to Takashimaya and often see people getting their ears pierced there. Plus, it's been around for a long time so I guess it must be pretty reliable and reputable.

B*dazzle prides themselves on safe, sterile and painless ear piercing. They also state that they use a disposable cartridge ear piercing system that keeps each earring sealed inside the cartridge which is then disposed after each piercing to prevent the spread of communicable disease.

The staff at the shop were efficient, but I wouldn't say extremely friendly or helpful. B'dazzled doesn't charge for the piercing service itself, but from the sales of the earrings chosen so I guess that's why the lady who attended to us seemed to want to push for the most expensive earrings... which are 14k-18k solid gold studs that cost from S$89. 

They actually sell a whole range of titanium, solid gold and nickel-free earrings made of Grade 303 surgical steel. I intended to get solid gold studs for Lil Pumpkin in the first place as it's the safest choice to prevent any inflammation, but would have appreciated if she took the time to tell us the price and features of the other earrings as well, instead of just telling me the price of the most expensive range and trying to convince me to get it.

She only briefly talked about the other earrings when I asked. Customers like options and to see that they are getting the best value-for-money, right?

FYI, the cheapest pair from the entire collection is S$49.

The staff that attended to us also seemed very rushed even though we were the only customers in the store at that time. I haven't even finished signing the consent form yet and she was getting Lil Pumpkin to sit on the chair and marking her earlobes for piercing!

I had to tell her to slow down, and to give us time to think & prepare. I mean, my little girl is getting her first pair of ear piercings! It's a milestone not just for her, but for us as parents too and I wanted us to savour the moment and experience.

In the end, we chose a pair of simple solid gold ball studs {S$99.80} for Lil Pumpkin that's suitable for daily wear and school. I remember that the first pair of earrings my mummy got for me was a pair of simple heart-shaped solid gold earrings too.

I wonder where they are now... hmm.

When it was time to pierce her ears, they sprayed some anesthetic and another staff came over so that they can pierce both ears at the same time. I highly recommend this for kids so that they feel the pain only once... and won't chicken out after the first piercing!! (>｡<;)

Lil Pumpkin was a bit apprehensive, but didn't seem too scared and her daddy held her hands for support. She only gave out a little whinge at the end. Oh my brave little girl! #achievementunlocked

Took a video of her whole ear-piercing experience *grins* If it isn't working, please watch it on my YouTube channel here.

We also bought a bottle of alcohol to clean her ears {S$10.70} twice a day and I told her NOT to touch her ears for at least a week or so. Last time when I pierced my ears, I was told to turn the earrings a few times a day so that the new skin that's trying to close the hole does not form so tightly against the earrings but I read online that some people recommended not to do it as it might irritate the piercing.

Both sides seem pretty logical so I just balance and twist it once a day. Anyway so far so good as there's no infections or messy secretions and Lil Pumpkin reminds people not to touch her ears. Sometimes I forget when I'm helping her wear clothes or tie her hair and accidentally hit her ears. Oops.

She is really soooooo happy with her new pierced ears and couldn't wait to show her friends and teachers in school! I think she looks a bit more "mature" with the earrings now.

B*dazzle offers a 6-week free after care service and we were told to go back for a review within a month. I think it's a good place to pierce your ears at if you're looking for something fast, convenient and safe. I won't say it's entirely kid-friendly as the staff don't seem too patient, but they are professional and the earrings are hygienic & approved by Health ministries worldwide.

Just be sure not to rush your decision and choose a pair of earrings that fit your budget, and one that your kid will love and want to wear for at least 2 months {the time taken for a newly pierced earring tunnel to heal}.

B*dazzle Jewelry
#B1-41 435 Orchard Rd
Open daily 10am - 10pm
Tel: 6235 6948
*Also available at Raffles City, West Mall & Junction 8

*Note: This is not a sponsored or paid post. All views expressed are my own.

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