Here Kitty Kitty

I am SO in love with handmade. Anything handmade. But especially cute little girl's stuff. Isn't it obvious already? My poor boys, they go around in their K-Mart trackies and hand me down t-shirts. But little missy gets dressed up to the nines even on the rainiest, darkest, coldest days. Who says there's favouritism around here?

:)

(The boys do get showered with love in different ways!)

Anyways, this post is to point you over to this gorgeous site on facebook: Here Kitty Kitty. Stacie, a WAHM (Work at home mom - sounds crazy if you ask me) makes beautiful retro-inspired clothing and accessories that makes other moms like myself melt with jealousy, and husbands cringe with horror, every time she hosts a Market Night sale on her website. Thank goodness that doesn't happen too often.

So the spoils for the night: A cape for my little red riding hood ($30) and a matching bag ($25)! Aren't they gorgeous? *Happy dance* I could not wait to get them in the mail.





Hop over here to see some of my (meagre in comparison!) handmade creations: Hello Dolly, Super-E (sock monkey) and Ollie the Owl.

Happy weekend!

Holiday Diary: Playing Dress-Ups

A few days before the wedding, I dressed the boys up in their tuxedos just to make sure they still fit. They were bought at the start of 2009 for the first of many weddings we attended during the year. Their pants needed to be lengthened, the shirt a little bit short, but overall they still fit quite nicely.

The boys had brand new bow ties for this special occasion, in different shades of purple.

Tuxedos by Precious Children's Boutique, LG20K, Subang Parade.

Bow Ties by DOMII Boutique : Lot 172B First Floor, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara.

Lachie's Pyjama Pants by Cotton On Kids.

Lucas' Pants by MamyPoko.

I'm no Cinderella

I'm about to let you in on my not-so well kept secret! I have gigantor feet, to put it mildly. Alright, so everyone in my family already knows it and friends close to me.

My mom bought me my first pair of heels when I was twelve. It was probably only half an inch high, but already a whopping size 8. This was when I was 12! Barely post-pubertal and still growing! Gaaahhh...

So over the years, my feet grew... and it grew, thankfully only 2 more sizes larger to a size 10. In my teenage years, I remember how hard it was to buy shoes my size, especially in an Asian country. Most shops only stock up to a size 8. So I strutted in my nike, probably made for boys. Thank goodness in those days, all I needed to do was go to school. But as you can imagine, when a certain special occasion calls for dressing up and nice not-too-chunky shoes, it can certainly spark a shoe shopping frenzy which almost always end up in tears.

Anyways, that was history. When I landed in the land down under, I was in shoe haven! Aaahhhh.... sizes, sizes, sizes! Wooo hoooo! I bought my first pair of 3 and a half inch disco shoes, it was glittery silver. And in the 7 years of my uni life, I collected up to 25 pairs of shoes! (Oops, are you reading this dad?) It only escalated when I started working, with my own money to spend.

Now, here comes the clincher. I am 19 weeks pregnant. And already my feet have blown a size up. I know that in NO way, I will be able to find a pair of nice heels for my brother's wedding in Malaysia. So out I went shopping, looking for my perfect pair of glass slippers. And guess what? Most shops in Australia stock shoes only up to a size 10! HORROR!! It came to a point when I walk into a shoe shop, I ask the attendant, do you stock ANY shoes in a size 11! Just pick a box that says size 11! In any style or any colour!

Guess what? I found it. My perfect pair of glass slippers. I heart BETTS shoes.

I think I'm here to stay Australia, thank you very much.

Photo credit: http://www.betts.com.au/ Shown above, PLATINUM in silver, size 11.

Shopping on Coles Online

For the past week, I have been riddled with lower back pain. It was probably from tossing and hurling two very squirmy boys, up and down the car, into shopping trolleys, in and out of swimming pools, up monkey bars and down the flying fox. Though it could also be the tickle wrestle or the human log roll race from one end of the living room to the other. It could be that one session at the gym or that 3 extra kilos I'm carrying around my waist. Whatever it was, I definitely didn't feel like anything physical. Actually, getting out of bed was virtually impossible at one stage. All is better now. Life goes on.

When I heard that Coles Online is delivering free of charge in Melbourne, I gladly welcomed the idea. This is actually quite cool. I get to shop aisle by aisle, by category, or even browse through specials without a shopping trolley and 2 very noisy boys. I don't have to empty out my trolley at the cash register and carry my load into the car.




The prices are the same. In fact I liked how it was broken down to price per unit at the website. The website is easy to navigate. The steps are simple. Just reserve a delivery time, add items into your cart and then check out when you're ready. There is a minimum spend of $50 and the delivery fee varies from 1 hour to 4 hour window. Right now, there's free delivery until midday Saturday for the 4 hour delivery windows.

I got my basic groceries and stock up on a few pantry items. I took advantage of the free delivery to my door and got really heavy bulky items like olive oil, vegetable oil, toilet paper, milk, washing and laundry detergent, canned food etc. They delivered the goods to my door at 4.30pm, my delivery window booked was between 4pm-8pm. All that was left out, was a loaf of bread. It didn't take much to rectify the problem. I called the customer care hotline, and the solution was easily achieved. They credited the amount back into my account. And guess what? I did more shopping for Saturday!

Hmmm... I would probably only ever do this again if there's free delivery or if a physical injury hits me again *touch wood, hopefully not!*. The adrenaline rush of zooming down the aisles with my boys sometimes yelling, sometimes singing, sometimes chucking a hissy fit or sometimes being a good shopping helper are definitely more fun.

Product Review: Milk Baby

Being a stay-at-home mother of two young boys, I like to see what's new for the kids in the market. I like to be the first to know of a product, to give it a test-drive and to spread the good word if it's worthy. I've been a member of Vibe Village since September last year and I've enjoyed doing a number of product reviews for them. The FUN part of it all is that, it is absolutely FREE! And who doesn't love a freebie, especially if you're part of a growing family.

Today, I would like to point you over to Milk Baby.

Milk skincare was created by mother of two Lindy Klim, and wife of Olympic swimmer, Michael Klim. She developed a range of skin care products based on all things natural and organic as influenced by her Tasmanian and Balinese heritage.

This morning, I received a Milk Baby package in the mail from the good people at Vibe Village. The one product that got me thrilled was snotty grotty, a room spray intended for sniffles and blocked nose. I love the pleasant aroma, light and refreshing and not overpowering. The spray contained certified organic chamomile extract, rose hip oil, lavender oil and ylang ylang oil. I sprayed our living room quite liberally with the spray and immediately felt quite at ease. I just loooooveee the smell! It was actually quite soothing and calming.

I like walking into my house smelling something pleasant and welcoming, and lately it hasn't been that way! Sometimes it's the smell of last night's curry, other times the smell of damp stinky socks or poo-ey nappies. Uggghh! Anyways, after coming home from gym, walking into a house smelling like freshly washed baby...aaaahhhhh!

So does it actually unblock a congested nose? I don't really know. We'll find out next time!

All I know is that it smells wonderful, clean and refreshing, it is natural with certified organic ingredients safe for the little ones! And as part of spreading the good vibe, you can get 30% off their Milk Baby range of products by shopping online at http://www.milkskincare.com/ and entering the code "VIBE" at checkout.

150ml snotty grotty RRP $24.95

The Launching of Spring Kids

There is a seriously talented lady whom I admire so muchly. Her name is Leonny Atmadja.

She is Indonesian-born living in Singapore with her husband Wilson, and two most gorgeous and photogenic kids, Anya and Vai. Today, I'd like to point you over to her site.



Not only does she share through her blog Our Everyday Things, the joys, the ups and downs of being a parent (most often you'll find the most practical parenting tips in her blog that I love reading, it's like a ritual everyday!), recently she has opened a new online store! It's called Spring Kids. Here, you'll find a great range of kid's clothing and accessories. I like how Leonny sourced for some of the cutest and unusually gorgeous items like these Polliwalks.



One of the brands of clothing I quite like is Chibiko Corner. Made in Japan, very very Kawaii.

Shown here: Pumpkin Patch Board Shorts, Chibiko Corner Zip Up Hoodie.

As part of its new launch, Leonny is doing a giveaway. 8 lovely Spring Kids items to giveaway to 8 lucky readers, just for spreading the word. So pop over to her site will ya? This contest is open to those who live in the Asia Pacific (Australia included!).

And oh, did I mention she owns the most gorgeous and talented little models for her clothing store. Hmmm... I wonder if they get paid for their work. I'm sure they do, with love.



Two thumbs up for Leonny!

Betts Online

Who doesn't need a shopping fix every now and then? It's therapeutic.

Shopping for me has been a dash in and out of Coles, or a quick hour by myself whilst the boys are asleep under hubby's watch when he's working from home. I have learnt not ever to wander into a boutique WITH my two boys, or never ever to go near the Thomas the Tank Engine coin operated ride else we'll be stuck there for eternity.

Recently, when I blog hopped over to one of my favourite site, I came across Karen's Fashion and Shopping Directory. From there, I landed on Betts. Just like any other typical female, I love love love shoe shopping. Before I discovered eBay, my shoes lined the entire length of the walk-in wardrobe. I had to park my car outside of my garage because they're FULL of shoes. The back seat of my car, before having 2 child restraints, have a few pairs of shoes. For work. For shopping after work. For just in case I have a blister from wearing 2 and a half inch heels at the Emergency Department. For gym. For swimming. OK, so I have come to my senses and gave 2 big bags to charity and sold the rest on eBay.

3 mommy years later, my collection has dwindled to flip-flops, sneakers, a few nice pairs of heels for going out, winter boots, a few more pairs of shoes that were too nice to give away or sell on eBay. (OK, so they still line up the entire length of the wardrobe). Hey, a girl's gotta have what a girl's gotta have! Shoes are like chicken soup for a girl's soul. You ALWAYS need another pair or two. So now I've justified my recent spending online, this is what I bought:

And I LOVED it! Every.single.pair! Most importantly it made me happy.

Go on, hop over. They're good for you! Plus they're having a spectacular sale. Bonus.
Free shipping for orders over $85 and free returns for ALL orders.

My wish list:

Shopping for baby

Eversince Lucas was born, he has only worn Lachie's hand-me-downs. There could be one or two baby items that was given to him at birth, but he only ever worn them twice at the most! Alright, if you must know, he was almost 9 pounds at birth and went straight into a size 000! He seems to grow out of his clothes quite quickly, even the ones lovingly worn by his big brother at a much later age. Aaahh, the smell of these clothes bring back such happy memories.

Last week, I can't help myself buying some new clothes for Lucas. I wanted him to have something not a bit frayed at the egdes, not a little bit stained on the neckline. These little rompers were so cute I just couldn't help myself. Shopping with the christmas crowd was a little bit crazy though. I quickly grabbed a few items (queued at the counter for eternity) and quickly dash back out to the car. Scary stuff!

Tell you what's even scarier. I bought these clothes in size 1 and they were a snug fit!! Gaaaahhhhhh....

We're going for another concert this weekend. My rock baby will be wearing this.

Shapewear buzz

There's a hype in shapewear. Celebrities are wearing them. They are even making their own range of shapewear and calling it celebrity secrets to perfect figure.

Recently I went for a wedding dinner. I wanted to look my best and feel fabulous. I saw a recent story in today tonight about shapewears and review on a few pieces of these fantastic undergarments. The idea is that it takes some inches off and keeps those bits where it should be! Hey, as a mother of two, this story interests me.

I bought my Hollywood Shapes from sportsgirl. It's an all over body shaper with compression panels to flatten the tummy and abs. It has removable and adjustable bra straps, still breastfeeding friendly. The suit is continuous, and that means no VPL's or bulging hips. One size fits most.

With first look, it tells me that there's no way I could squeeze into that sock! However, it is surprisingly very comfortable and easy to wear. The whole idea is that it should be tight, and that there should be some difficulty getting into them. I slipped mine on in 2 seconds. I thought it didn't make too much of a difference, but sure it did firm up my tummy area. There are no VPL's and the breast fit comfortably. I wore it with pants today, and voila, no muffin tops! I am happy with it even if it means taking everything off when you need to go to the toilet!

I know what to get mom for chrissy. :)

RRP $69.95

Tuesdays

I dropped L1 off at my inlaws today.

This morning even before I woke up properly, my head is brimming with my to-do for today. One child less... makes a big difference!

Banking. tick.
Put a claim through to Medicare. tick.
Some grocery shopping. tick.
oooooohhhh, and GRAB at Knox City are having this HUGE sale, with most their tops/knits/skirts/shorts at $5-$20! Of course I had to have a look....and look I did GRAB some pretty good bargain too. Go have a look ladies!!

Oh, where was I?

Send some letters. tick.
Drop by Flamingo Kinder to drop off L1's form for next year! Can't believe he's going to kinder next year! tick.
Join up at Curves....hooray! BIG tick!

Am still on adrenaline overdrive.

Mummy shops

Everyone loves a bargain...or two! I'm a huge advocate for shopping only when there are discounts or coupons, searching out amazing deals and gloat when I find great bargains! So this week at the shops, we found:


Vetta Pasta 375-500g varieties at Coles for $1 each. If you shop like me, you'd have 12 packets of pasta in your shopping trolley, saving you a grand total of $12! These little mini dinosaurs are so cute, they're a big hit with Lachie and his friends at playgroup. They also come in tiny teddy shapes.



Keep a bottle or two of tomato base pasta sauces in your pantry for a quick weekday dinner. Also at Coles, it's 2 for $3.


Brown 400g of beef mince. Add 2 medium brown onions, chopped and 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped. Saute until tender. Chop 3 stalks of celery, 2 carrots and 2 medium tomatoes (or if you prefer, canned tomatoes). Throw veggies in. Stir in sauce and optional 1 cup of dry white wine. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with basil or herbs from the garden and grated parmesan.


These days, online shopping has become a craze with more and more retailers offering free shipping or huge discounts. A plus to shopping online are bonuses you get from signing up to certain websites. My favourite is Borders. Sign up to their shortlist email and get their weekly newsletter plus online coupons. This week you get 50% off all children's books at Borders.


RRP $16.95. We got this today for $8.50.








Maisy Buggy Board book for L2. It has a little ring and can be attached to the pram. RRP$7.95. Got it for $3.95.


Great christmas stocking fillers.
Happy shopping! You'll have to spend to save! heheheheheh.....