Of car seats & strollers.

I was tasked to research for car seats and strollers while I was pregnant with Isaac. It was quite an uphill task considering how NOT technical a person I am.

Comparing specifications is something that I loathed doing, I love it when I am told what to get and what not to get, save my brain cells please!

Then, I was in love with the Bugaboo Bee but I couldn't convince the hub of its functionality vs the price and he knew I chose that purely for aesthetics pleasure. Oh well, things did not go my way of course.

Choosing a car seat and stroller was a totally new category of search and even my best friend Google was confused as I could not narrow my search. So, I was given some key words from the hub, one action closing, light weight, iso-fixed(what is that?!?), weight limit for baby, safety - eh so helpful right? Shrugs.

Thinking back, my old neighbours turned girlfriends did recommend me the Combi strollers but they just don't look good to me and there were so many different models to look at, so it was a no-go.

Somehow and with luck, I chanced upon the Britax B-Agile online and fell in love with the red, the 3-wheels outlook and it even comes with the car seat/bassinet (travel system)! That's when I also discover the Baby Jogger City as they look really similar! The deciding factor was the travel system/ bassinet - the Britax stroller is conveniently build with their bassinet and all the adapters are included but it was not the case for the baby jogger back in 2014 haha. Updates: I see that they have the travel system now too!

When I introduced the Britax to the hub, he further discovered more technical stuffs like the impressive safety standards (which was really important) and Mercedes car seats are Britax seats too, so of course, britax for the baby!

Some key considerations for a stroller will be
1. light weight - though a baby sounds really light and almost weightless, they weigh a ton as they grow, imagine carrying a 10kg stroller (one bag of rice) and another 5kg baby (another bag of rice), that's a whopping 15kg!

2. easy to manoeuvre around - with a child, shit always happen and the stroller is supposed to help and not get in the way!

3. one action closing - in case our hands are full and you need to also carry the baby (ie. Shit happens)

4. mummy friendly - means the mum can handle both stroller and baby by herself when the hub is not around to help. I once see a mum rolling down with the stroller on a carpark down slope as the stroller with the baby is too heavy for her to handle

5. additional accessories like cup holders will be a plus but we did without for many years so it is not an issue for us.

Looking back, will I still have gotten a Britax? Maybe yes, maybe no because I have discovered the goodness of a Babyzen Yoyo! It is super lightweight and more manageable than a britax and it is cabin friendly for travelling too. The only thing I have got to find is the car seat for infant, haha.

Anyway, both my boys have unlocked a new milestone and we have ditched the infant bassinet, YAYS! One to a toddler child seat and the other to a children seat. 🎉

Breakfast Inspirations

We used to do a lot of cafes before kids. These days, we just do the good old hawker centres or coffeeshops since we cannot enjoy the food and appreciate the coffee with the boys around anyway, haha. After all, all of us just need food, good food to kick-start the day!

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

I used to eat simple for weekday breakfasts, probably anything I can find at home (bread, cakes) and a cup of hot drink. As my dad will be around on weekends, we will feast on prata or whatever he buys from the market that day!

After marriage, the definition of breakfast changed as the hub eats differently. I have been doing hearty breakfasts ever since, I don't love it nor detest it, but there are days when I just wanted a simple kueh and the hub will ask if I'm feeling unwell, duh.

Just to name some of the food centres that we frequent, Telok Blangah Food Centre, Tiong Bahru Food Centre & Bt Merah View (Henderson) Food Centre and they have got some really good food!

This is what I have for breakfast today, what's yours?

It's October!

I know I write about this every year, time flies. Not surprisingly, we are in the last quarter of the year. 14 sleeps to Halloween and 70 sleeps to Christmas!

It is no wonder people says the days are long but the years are short. Indeed!

Again, I have been thinking about this space and wanting to document my stay-at-home-working mom life of 2 boys. It will be good memories in time to come right? But you know, procrastination is a killer and it is really shitty being a stay at home mum, I'm serious (yes the boys are really cute and they melt my heart with their laughters and smiles, still it is real shitty being a sahm). So, I treasure any spare time I have very much, ha.

Why the sudden enthusiasm?

A friend replied to my IG story this morning and said, you should start a blog. Actually, I HAVE and since I'm using an android phone now, might as well try my luck at installing blogger on my phone. (I couldn't do it or prob I don't know how to do it previously when I was on A**le) Wala, here we are!

I finally got this flamingo watering can, I love it to bits and Isaac loves it too, so much that he cannot stand that this is mine and not his, so much that he tried to give me a dollar for it and was upset that I told him his dollar is not enough, haha. Pinky flamingo is going to stay on the planter balcony of the new place!

Speaking of which, renovation is starting real soon. Even busier days ahead! 

Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan was opened here in 2013 and it was only until yesterday that both the hub and I went to try it. the queues when it first landed in singapore was no joke, though the first outlet at PS was so near our office. 

we went to the outlet at Aperia mall yesterday, yays no more snaking queues! the staffs were friendly and very accommodating to us too (we have a stroller, groans), two thumbs up!

 our usual orders of egg tarts, har gaos, deep-fried prawn dumplings (ming xia jiao), porridge and of course, the famous baked buns with bbq pork! everything we have ordered were really tasty, and were of good dim sum quality and we will be back with #1 for more!

i love their bite size tarts and i think #1 will love it too! 

the crusts are the non-flaky type and the egg filling is really smooth too, both just melt in the mouth and yet, one is able to taste the different flavour of the crust and filling. :)

the deep-fried dumplings are soooo crispy that you could hear the crackling sound upon each bite and the hub liked it that the prawn filling is so crunchy!

this is my all time favourite, the texture of the buns won me over, soft yet chewy and the bbq pork was really yummy too! i can have all 3 on my own, seriously!

the har gaos would have been good if we had ate this first instead of the deep-fried wasabi prawn dumplings. the har gaos were succulent but the prawn dumplings were so crunchy and they overpowered the texture of the har gaos.

lastly, they have an on-going promotion for senior citizens! 20% off for dine-in at all outlets, from 2-5pm every weekdays, time to bring our folks there! 

cant wait for our next visit!

the 7-hours experience at solo-parenting

happy children's day! #1 had no sch today but unfortunately, the hub had a day packed with meetings. hence, i had a chance at solo-parenting the 2 boys and yes, i survived.

it was a great deal to me; handling a needy 8 weeks old infant and an equally needy 32 months old toddler (read terrible 2 going 3) ALONE was NO easy-peasy.

the first thoughts were:
1. activity
2. meals
3. naps

if only i can execute them smoothly, it should not be too tough right?

activity
right, so what activity should i do with #1? i have many options; playdoh, stickers play, colouring, painting, craft works, glass deco sets, etc. i have all the above materials at home. BUT i also have a needy infant who is still adjusting to this new world and fixing his daily routine, SO playdoh, crafts, painting and activities requiring my full or at least 95%, attention are out.

who am i kidding? my first task was to make sure he finished his breakfast!

in the end, disney junior saved my life. he finished his breakfast and started his 'activity' of watching lion guard. of cos, i did not manage to stop at lion guard, #1 went on to some random time filler cartoons before Blaze and Paw Patrol.

All because #2 could not sleep. 
check out his stomach, i bet he's already very full and still didnt want to sleep.

my headaches boys.

meals
i was prepared to call for delivery but gave up after checking out ubereats and honest bee. i quickly head to the freezer and grab 2 pcs of salmon fillet while thinking about what other things to cook so that #1 and myself can have a nutritious meal.

when #2 finally slept, i made use of the little pockets of time that i had to marinate the salmon with salt & pepper, sliced the onion, boiled 2 eggs & threw the brown rice into the cooker.

and checking on the 2 boys when things get quiet.

thankful that i had baby spinach in the fridge, yays we have veg! 

so, i cooked lunch, super proud! 

#2 was still sleeping when lunch was ready, that gave #1 and me some bonding and feeding time! 

naps
i must be crazy to even think of this. i thought i could put both boys in the same room so that i could attend to #1 while feeding #2 and patting him to sleep. it didnt work, not at all.

in the end, the rationale thing was to make #2 sleep first then tend to #1! failed the first attempt and succeeded at the second round, and it was PEACE at 1440hrs.

and the next thing was to pack up the house, clean up the kitchen and such.

not too shabby isnt it? ha

the view when i needed a breather, a break, a rest, my sanity.

while i hope that i had some help, the fact that i did parenting ALONE boost my confidence to handle and deal with both a toddler and infant at the same time. 

the hub got back at 3ish in the afternoon and i finally had time to wash my face and change out of my pyjamas...