Sample Store Editors' Party

A couple of weeks ago, on 22nd August, Saturday, I was invited by Sample Store to attend Sample Store Editors' Party. Thank you Sample Store team for organizing such an awesome party for all Sample Store Editors! It was my first editors' party and I was really excited knowing I got to meet so many wonderful & good looking ladies at the event. I felt a bit nervous too hahaa.. I was like planning what to dress up, what shoes to wear and what hand bag to carry, etc.. Despite having 6 extra kg of baby weight stuck inside me, I determined to look at least presentable. Lol!

The Sample Editors' party was conducted at Full of Crab, located at 195 East Coast Road Singapore 428900 (nearby i12 Katong Mall). Full of Crab is an American styled restaurant that serves fresh seafood with bursting flavors, cooked with tasty sauces such as Cajun, Garlic and more secret ingredients. The decor of this restaurant caught my eyes the moment I stepped in. It was unique and cozy. It looked like a good hang-out place with good food to spend quality time with family & friends.

The boss of the restaurant was so generous, all of us were fed well with generous portion of crabs, seafood, fries, cajun wings, fried sweet potato, free flow of soft drink and many more. The portion was too generous that we couldn't finish all. The food was too good and I was particularly impressed with the delicious garlic butter crabs and cajun wings. It was one of the best ever! To a food lover like me, I was kind of missing the taste when I was back home. so, I nagged my husband to bring me back to Full of Crab next week and he said "yes".

 

Ready to eat

 

Super delicious food, are you drooling now?

 

I can't wait to have my wonderful dining experience at Full of Crab again. For more information, please visit Full of Crab website: http://www.fullofcrab.com

 

  

Sample Store Editors were not only pampered with good food but were also exclusively pampered by FOMO Digital, the one stop social media marketing solution provider.  

 

The editors were allowed to take as many pictures as possible, got our pictures edited and uploaded into social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc and got our pictures printed on the spot.

It was instant and personalized. The "on the spot" instant photo printing was awesome and I loved the good service provided by FOMO Digital team too! They did a really good job. For more information on how to engage their service, please visit their website at https://www.fomodigital.com

 

 

And now, good news to share with my readers!

Sample Store will be organizing Ka Bloom + Beauty Fair on Saturday, 5th September at TripleOne Somerset, Makers' Market #01-10, Singapore 238164, 12pm-6pm and you will need to sign up as a Sample Store member to receive RSVP invites on 1st Sept to this beauty fair.

Alternatively, you can download the mobile app from 1st Sept onwards on the app store & sign-up as a member and simply flash the app at the beauty fair to get in. Attendees can bring their friends as the event is open to ALL, for as long as they've downloaded the Sample Store mobile app from 1st Sept onwards.

You will also receive instant win with every mobile check out at the event. PLUS exciting exclusive promotions (from Partners of Sample Store), hourly lucky draw (win prizes worth up to $2800), door gift worth $69.90 and photo booth (with unlimited instant prints). What are you waiting for? Be a Sample Store member at https://www.samplestore.com/ and RSVP now!

As a Sample Store editor, I was really pampered by the sponsors and wow! just look at the beauty and hair products I received in my goodie bag. I was more than being pampered, I was really treated like a real princess with so many branded beauty and hair products.

 

Goodie Bag from generous sponsors

 

And my lucky draw prize

Specially dedicated to all sponsors participated in this party a big "THANK YOU" for sponsoring me the goodie bag (worth $300) and lucky draw prize (I was really lucky to win the 5th prize, worth $135.6). A big thank you from deep of my heart to:

Tsubaki (Tsubaki Koji S that has hair and scalp moisturizing and softening effect)

Ma Cherie (Haircare that cares my hair in the most luxuriously sweet way)

ZA (ZA true white Ex series that are formulated with whitening ingredients such as Vitamin C essence for skin whitening & moisturizing. And also ZA killer volume curl mascara that creates ideal 110 degree curl even on downward straight Asian lashes with ultra curve brush)

Aqua Label (A moisturizing line that enhances the skin's moisture density, achieving moisture-laden, irresistibly soft, supple and bouncy skin and a whitening line that focuses not only pigmentation spots, but on overall facial dimness)

Majolica Majorca (The perfect automatic liner that is easy to draw, long lasting, quick dry & resistant to perspiration)

Senka (Speedy perfect whip that creates thick, creamy foam for deep cleansing and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturized and also perfect puff that is 3 layer make up remover puff with in-built cushion effect to gently remove make up)

BioNike (defense tolerance 100, protective and reinforcing base cream for hypersensitive & intolerant skin)

Sampar (skin quenching mist to freshen up & soothe my tired face)

I can't wait to try these awesome beauty & hair products and share my review here and overall, I really had a good time at the party with super delicious food & good service from both Full of Crab crews & FOMO digital crews. And having fun moment & good time with fellow beautiful editors and thank you so much Sample Store for organizing this wonderful party!

Until next Sample Store event. See you!!

 

(Sponsored Post) Baby & Junior Race 2015

Hi Fellow Mommies & Daddies

I would like to invite you to an exciting Baby & Junior Race 2015 on 19 Sept 2015 - 20 Sept 2015, 10am to 6pm at D'Marquee @ Downtown East

Calysta will be 9 months old in September and she will be taking part in the 5-metre races for Little Toddlers category (8 to 12 months) and this will be her first race, so we are really excited and looking forward to the race

Organized by eXplorerkid, new categories this year include Travel Dash, for kids three to four years old, where they get to race on top of a cute Trunki! Young toddlers from eight to 23 months can take part in the 5-metre races, while older kids from two to six years old can take part in the 10-metre race categories with their mommy & daddy



 

Event Details - Baby & Junior Race 2015

 

Date: 19 and 20 September 2015 (Saturday & Sunday)

Time: 10am to 6pm (various timing for different race categories)

Venue: D'Marquee @ Downtown East (1 Pasir Ris Close, Singapore 519599) (Nearest MRT EW1 Pasir Ris)

 

Register at https://register.pinkapple.com.sg/cgi-bin/registration/bbjr2015/prereg.cgi. Registration closes on 6 September 2015. Registration fees for eXplorerkid and NTUC members are $16 and $26 respectively, while that for the public is $36

 

Upon registration, you may also sign up as eXplorerkid member at a special rate of $9.9. eXplorerkid members enjoy discounted play rates at indoor playground, privileged rates for birthday party packages, and many more!

 

GOOD NEWS for my readers!

 

There will be promo code for my readers upon registration and the promo code is BLOGBFF18 and my readers will enjoy the rates at $18 instead of the public rate of $36. So that's 50% off! How awesome isn't??

 

Here's to watch the teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzSRdOPs8QQ&feature=youtu.be

 

For enquiries on registration, please call 6582 3149 or email bbjr@explorerkid.com

 

See you there!

 

Mommy Netty & Baby Calysta

(Sponsored Review) New Drypers Drynights & Drypers Wet Wipes

Hi fellow mommies & daddies

 

 

What is the most challenging thing you have ever experienced in your parenthood journey?

Being a full time mum of two, the most challenging thing I have ever experienced in my motherhood journey is interrupted sleep. One of the causes for interrupted sleep is leakages of baby's wet diaper.

What could possibly be worse than waking up in the middle of night to a crying & wet little baby, cleaning her up, changing her diaper, clothes and bed sheet? Been there, done that!

Thanks to Drypers for sending Calysta New Drypers Drynights & Drypers Wet Wipes, I'm no longer a panda mama with black eyes. I have my beauty sleep back!

New Drypers Drynights Review

Calysta has been wearing the new Drypers Drynights for almost 1 month and yes it took me almost 1 month to try and do this genuine review. And here's what I thought:

1) Superior absorbency with longest absorption core

 

I normally clean Calysta up and change her a new fresh diaper at 6pm and usually Calysta sleeps at 8pm and I don't change her diaper until 7 or 8am in the next morning (more than 12 hours) The main reason is I just don't want to wake her up (when she wakes up, she refuses to sleep back and no thanks, my eyes are black enough!) and my other (selfish) reason is I need my beauty sleep (yes I seriously need it!)

And I'm impressed! NO leakages at all! She can mostly sleep through the night! She does latch midnight but it's more like dream/sleep latch and she doesn't wake up at all, thanks to the new Drypers Drynights, my baby girl sleeps comfortably!

From my experience being a mother, baby doesn't normally sleep comfortably when her diaper leaks and she's wet. Having to wear the new Drypers Drynights, it has NEVER been my case to change Calysta midnight or there's NO one night out of so many nights wearing Drypers Drynights she needs to wake up, change her diaper & wet pajamas!

The absorbency is superior! More than 12 hours regardless her sleeping position (she's normally sleeping in all kind of positions; tummy, back & side) and its longest absorption core to ensure leakage from the back is prevented, thanks to the smart innovation, Drypers Drynights' secured elastic leak guards that work hard to give my baby security & assurance to sleep through the night

Moreover, the unique technology allows for quick, even and effective absorption and distribution of pee and poo into the diaper to ensure 12 hours of long lasting dryness. Happy baby is happy mommy!

2) No diaper rash for her sensitive baby bum's cheeks

Calysta has been wearing Drypers Drynights for almost 30 days and so far she hasn't encountered any diaper rash yet. Drypers Drynights is gentle for her sensitive baby bum's cheeks. And there's no need for diaper cream! Yay!!!

3) Fitting is just nice

Calysta weighs 7.4 kg at 8 months old and she's wearing Drypers Drynights size M  (6-11 kg) that fit her just nice ~ not too tight and it doesn't leave her any red marks on her thighs. It's not too high and it's not too low, the fitting is just nice for her ~ so far no leakages of pee and poo at all! To me, diaper fitting is very important, if it doesn't fit well, pee and poo will leak and it's really awful to clean baby up when it comes to leaking poo. Yucks! Thanks to Drypers Drynights, I haven't encountered leaking pee/poo due to to wrong fitting. Phew!!

Drypers Drynights retail at $13.45 per pack and is available at all major super and hypermarkets from November 2014. Drypers Drynights come in 1 pack type for each of the 4 sizes. M~40 pieces, L~34 pieces, XL~30 pieces and XXL~24 pieces.

Interested to try? Simply logon to www.facebook.com/dryperssingapore to request a sample now!

Drypers Wet Wipes

Another product I really love! The scent is so good, it smells like my favorite baby powder.

What I really love about Drypers Wet Wipes

1) The Scent

It's like so so so nice. Really smells like baby powder. Even smells better than my usual baby powder. The smell of softness, the smell of baby, the smell of love and florals are all packed in one!
And having to use this wipes, there's no longer stinky bum bum after diaper change. Bye bye horrible poo poo odor!

2) The good quality & thickness

The baby wipes are big enough to clean Calysta up and one of the features I like is its thickness! It doesn't tear easily and I wouldn't doubt its superior quality at all.

3) It doesn't irritate my baby's skin at all

Its alcohol-free formula is not only suitable for newborns but it's also gentle enough for Calysta's sensitive skin. It keeps Calysta's delicate skin moisturized thanks to the effective formula which is enriched with:

** Oat Kernel Extract to soothe and calm baby's skin
** Pro-vitamin B5 to keep baby's skin moisturized
** Baby Friendly Fragrance approved suitable for babies by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA)
** Alcohol-free to prevent dryness of baby's skin

4) One for all purposes!

I love baby wipes especially those with lovely scent like Drypers. Not only I'm using it to clean my children up but I do use it for myself whenever I need to freshen up the 'tired-looking-me'. The lovely scent will absolutely wake me up & I feel instantly fresher in minutes!

Baby wipes are simply handy and best innovation ever! I can use it for so many purposes (baby wipes can be used to remove make up too) and I can't possibly imagine life without baby wipes

Drypers wet wipes come in 2 sizes: 2 x 40 pieces & 2 x 100 pieces

For more information, please visit Drypers website at http://www.drypers.com.sg/

Or like their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dryperssingapore

Thank you Drypers for keeping baby Calysta dry, making her sleep through the night comfortably & making her a happier baby ~ the journey with Drypers is unforgettable and I will continue this journey until her toddlerhood and share my experience with fellow mommies & daddies

 

What I have been thinking...

What I have been thinking...

I have been neglecting my personal posts for quite a while because I have been really busy with sponsored reviews/media invites/sponsored posts etc. While it's really good to have part time pocket money from writing sponsored stuff but deep inside, I feel like I'm getting more distant from my blogging hobby. The point is I love to note down everything about my children & their milestones. I love writing about personal stuff I like but right now I'm just too busy to do it (sponsored posts are taking so much of my time, maybe I should rephrase it, my children are taking so much of my time and I have so little time to write and that 'little time' is wasted for writing whatever sponsored stuff) until tonight, my inspiration to write for sponsored stuff is GONE. And here I am, writing a personal post!

Baby no 3, yay or nay?

I have been thinking for quite a while if I should have no 3 or not. I'm a planner! I planned baby no 1 and baby no 2 and I planned in such a way that their age gap would be close (19 months difference). And no 3 is absolutely a big decision, not only I'm outnumbered (27 month old toddler & 8 month old baby) I'm not confident if I can handle 3 young kids under one roof. Having 2 is already stressing me out most of the time. I'm talking about toddler temper and baby refusing her foods and plus when they are both sick! not that I'm ungrateful, I'm beyond grateful having my two babies. Just that I can't imagine having 3 and I'm not ready! And how my life would be with 3 kiddos?

I have been discussing with my husband about no 3 and he seems confident that I can handle 3, hahaaa.. And he really thinks do it now or never at all! He thinks that he's getting older and it's going to be super duper tiring if our last kid comes years later when both EJ & Calysta have grown up (starting over is not really in our picture).

As a planner, I'm thinking even if I want to have no 3, I should have him/her in 2017, not only rooster year is suitable for both of us (Chinese zodiac thingy) but the age gap is just nice. 2013, 2014 and 2017 (4,3 and a newborn) I'm sure both EJ & Calysta will be adjusting well with the new baby. And I will be 34! One last baby before I close my baby shop at the age of 35! Seriously no more baby after the age of 35!!

But plan is just a plan, I'm not sure if fertility God would agree with us or not hehee.. Let it be fated! If it's fated, we will have no 3, if not, that's it! We are happy with 2 kids now!

Losing the extra baby fats

                                                        8 more kg, like seriously?

Oh God! I seriously struggle a lot with my weight. I'm stuck with 8 kg! Why is it that much? The reason is I got pregnant with no 2 when my no 1 was only 10 months old and at that time I haven't lost all my baby weight yet, I was stuck with 5 kg post pregnancy weight and bam, no 2 was in my tummy! I gained 25 kg in my first pregnancy & gained 17 kg in my second pregnancy and I lost 14 kg 8 months after I delivered Calysta. So here I am, adding extra 5 kg of weight from 1st pregnancy and extra 3 kg of weight from 2nd pregnancy, thanks, I have 8 kg of fats in my body!

I have started to go on diet when Calysta turned 7 months old. As she's taking 3 times solid food in a day and she doesn't latch that much anymore, so I thought that was the time I could go on diet & start to lose weight.

So I'm cutting down my carbo dinner & replacing it with protein and more protein. I also go for Zumba fitness, kickboxing and body sculpt class every week and I have lost 2 kg in a month. Currently my weight is at 68 kg, come on, 8 kg, it wouldn't be that hard, right? Reality is it's really hard and it's a hard work to lose a merely 1 kg of baby weight!

I'm going to write down on my blog my post delivery weight loss progress and I hope when you goggle "Singapore mommy post pregnancy weight loss" bam, you will be here! Hahaa..

EJ & Calysta

I have also been so busy preparing Calysta's first DIY birthday party. I have been paper crafting for quite a while and sharing (I hope I have the time) my DIY stuff here soon!

 

 DIY birthday project

EJ & Calysta have been fighting! It seems like EJ doesn't like to share his toys with his sister and he goes violent whenever Calysta snatches his toys away. "Bad girl" is EJ's new favorite word now! And Calysta is a stubborn girl! If she wants, she has to get it & force her way! And here's my life now, a full messy house of screaming and crying with lots of fighting! Will write more about kids when I really have time.. But seriously where did my time go???

(Media Invite) Kakis Bistro & Bar Exclusive Breakfast Session

Last month, July 25th, Saturday, my family was invited by Kakis Bistros & Bar at 289 Farnborough Road, Singapore 509747 together with other bloggers to enjoy an exclusive breakfast session. It was an exciting morning filled with fun games and exciting activities with beautiful scenery & greenery surrounding us.

Kakis Bistro & Bar was re-launch in November 2013 in Changi Village, within a Plant Nursery (Greenology) and their missions are FRIENDS, GREEN, LOVE. A perfect gateway location to have a good quality time and to chill out with family and friends.

Here's the Kakis Weekend Breakfast Menu :) Personally, I think the prices are so worth it, worth the good foods and the beautiful scenery surrounding the bistro & bar as well as relaxing & cozy place to hang out with family and friends.

Thank you for providing us with this paper and color pencils as well. It really helped to keep EJ entertained while we were waiting for our breakfast

EJ enjoying his coloring while waiting for his breakfast

With sleepy baby Calysta

 

The beautiful scenery :)

Super cozy bar

 

 A very relaxing place full of greenery, I can't agree more! It's simply beautiful and breath taking!

A perfect place to enjoy your breakfast session with your family and friends

Yummy nasi lemak. I would rate that 8/10! The chili is really good and the fried chicken is really crispy, accompanied with hot fragrant rice. Delicious!

My boy loved his kiddy pancake so much that nothing left in his plate :p I would say it's a healthy choice of breakfast for kids too

We have also tried Little Hero Big Breakfast (Sunny Side Up, Grilled tomato, Bacon, Sausage, Bread) and Rosti with Jumbo Hot Dog which unfortunately I didn't have the pictures. I was nursing baby Calysta when the foods came and both my helper & my boy were too hungry (and of course the foods were good and tempted them to eat so much) and they ate half of the yummy foods before I had the chance to take pictures. Hahaa.. I would rate Little Hero Big Breakfast 7/10 and Jumbo Hot Dog 8/10. My favorite would the Jumbo Hot Dog, not only it tasted good but it was very filling too!

I would recommend this place to those who love to enjoy beautiful morning with refreshing greenery with their family members and friends.

Enjoy the good foods, enjoy the greenery!

(Sponsored Post) Beautiful Me Pre-Launch Campaign

Hi Ladies

Singapore-based-e-commerce start-up Beautiful.me is launching www.beautiful.me, Asia's premier online shopping club for everything ladies need. The members-only online shopping destination offers an extensive range of over 5,000 beauty, body and baby products from 300 top global brands at special members' prices.

Never Pay Retail

Member prices start low. No minimum purchase requirements means you can buy what you need now and save more when you buy more. Every purchase comes with Smart Reward Points which can be redeemed for free samples, product trials and gifts

Save Even More

Exclusive Flash Sale, Group Buys and Daily Deals allow members to choose how they want to save. Smart shopping Cart Technology helps members track how much they are saving as they shop, offering various delivery and packaging options that come with bonus rebates - allowing members to save more

Get Paid to Shop

Instead of paying for traditional advertising, Beautiful.me pays their members to help them promote. The more social you get, the more you earn. Unlock cash rebates and rewards when you share your purchase on social media, write a review, or when you refer friends.

Beautiful.me charges an annual membership fee of $49 (waived for members who sign up before August 26th, 2015) which is backed by 200% Satisfaction Guarantee (if you don't save more than double what you paid for the membership, Beautiful.me will refund you the difference at the end of the year)

And here's the good news I'm going to share with my readers

Beautiful.me has just kicked off their Pre-launch Angel Members Program! Join now for FREE MEMBERSHIP & earn rewards when you refer friends.

*From now until August 26th, 2015, sign up as an angel member at http://goo.gl/4xouk6 to enjoy six months of free membership

*Refer 5 friends and you'll receive one full year of free membership, as well as early access to the beta site

*Refer 10 friends and you'll be rewarded with a share of up to $800,000 in cash rebates or 5% of what your referrals purchase in the next 12 months. That's extra pocket money you can earn without ever breaking a sweat.

*Referring friends couldn't be any easier, either; sign up now at http://goo.gl/4xouk6 and get your unique link with friends and family. Once they sign up, they become your referrals and Beautiful.me takes care of the rest. All you will have to do is keep track of your rewards and rankings in our Rewards Portal and enjoy the pre-launch madness!

(Sponsored Post) Sample Store SG50 Exclusive Promotion

Hi beautiful ladies

There is an exclusive promotion from Sample Store.

Sample Store will be launching a SG50 campaign in the month of August and there will be a giveaway of an exclusive beauty hamper worth $19.65 for every $5.99 checkout on Sample Store!

Check out Sample Store at: https://www.samplestore.com/