Shopping for #Bumptham at the Baby Fair

Hi Everyone
As mentioned in my previous post, I will share my loots for #bumptham at the recent Mummy Market baby fair at Expo.

1) Fiffy Baby Clothes (3sets for $20). I have bought 6 sets.

2) Fiffy Mittens and Boots (1 pack consist of 3sets for $7). I have bought 2 packs.

3) Puku Bean Pillow- $15

4) Puku Sponge Bottle Brush- $5. This came with replacement brush.

5) Babysafe Playpen Mat Cover- $28

6) KCA Diapers (4 packs at $42)
Wanted to get Mamy Poko due to many recommendations by mommies in forums, I had checked the price at NTUC. There is no savings except you will get a packet of wet wipes when you buy 2 packs.

As newborn required a lot of diapers, KCA was the cheapest diaper in the fair and the quality seem not bad. Hence, decided to give this brand a try.

7) Organic Story EcoForest 22 Baby Wipes. 70 sheets, 10 packs per carton (3 cartons at $86.70)
This works out to be $2.89 per pack and is selling like hot cakes. Ordered 3 cartons as it came with free delivery, delivery will be in 2 weeks time.

8) Moo Moo Kow Bamboo Towel- 3 for $39. Usual price 1 for $39.

9) Moo Moo Kow Changing Pad- 2 for $26. Usual price 1 for $26.

10) Bio Oil 60ml- $12 (usual price $15.50)

11) Medela Purelan 100 Nipple Cream- $15.44

Wanted to get Lasinoh as it was highly recommended by many mummies in forums but I could not locate the booths.

12) SwaddleMe x2- $15 each

Kiddy Palace and Mothercare is selling about $23.90 and $24.90 respectively.

Got another swaddle from another stall at $8. Quality is equally good.

13) Pureen Anti Bacterial Liquid Detergent with Softener (x2) and Liquid Cleanser for Feeding Bottles, Nipples & Vegetables(x1)- $25.50

14) Danrol Wash cloth (pack of 8)- 2 packs for $10

15) Danrol Blanket- $16

16) Carters Snap Up Pyjamas- $10 each. I have bought 2 sets.

17) Lots of Fruits tit-bits
Saw the bag that the snacks are from Wel.B Snacks. The snacks does not contain any sugar and it is vacuumed freeze. 

Would highly recommend the following:
a) Freeze-dried strawberry (6packs for $10)

b) Nu Snacks Fruit Chewy (6packs for $10)

c) Assorted Fruit Chips (8 packs for $10)

Despite the savings at the baby fair, the carpark charges amounted close to $20. We were stuck at the carpark for about an hour due to faulty gantry.

I am currently in my week 33, the next baby fair will only be in Jul. Till then.

Love,
Sherlyn

Surviving a Baby Fair in Singapore

Hi Everyone
Visiting a baby fair is very exciting, it requires proper planning, very energy exhausting. Here are some tips I've picked up on how to survive a baby fair:

pic credit: http://www.mummysmarket.com.sg/

1) Plan/ do research. 
a) Plan out the list of things you need to buy. Not all items are cheaper at the fair eg NTUC was selling Mamy Poko diapers the same price at the fair. The fair was giving out wet wipes for every 2 packets of diapers purchased. Imagine you lugging the cartons of diapers home, you wouldn't save on the taxi fare/ carpark charges.


b) You wouldn't save a lot on normal brands like Kodomo, Tollyjoy, Pureen etc. The massive savings are for premium brands like Mustela, California Baby etc

c) Some of the star/ must buy items are baby wipes, diapers, milk powder, baby cot, car seats, strollers.

d) Breast pump: eg Spectra breast pump, saw the ones on sale were the old models (S1/S2) and is more expensive. Hence, must do homework!

2) Bring a big bag/ luggage/ trolley so it's easier to put all your shopping together.

3) Usually, the organiser will provide floor plan/ guide. For better time efficiency and organisation, mark all the stalls you want to visit on the floor plan.

4) Go early around 11plus to 2pm or evenings around 6plus, it is less crowded. It is easier to browse and make payment. I have visited the fair on the last day previously, most of the items were out of stock.

5) Bring a bottle of water and wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.

6) Bring plenty of cash for faster payment.

7) Be thick-skinned eg some stores have bulk buy at cheaper price, I approached a mummy if she want to share with me as I do not require so much. Hence, there's savings for both of us.

8) Some stores eg baby wipes, diapers offer free delivery with minimum purchase. 

9) When buying diapers, do buy in a variety of sizes as babies outgrow very fast.

10) Leave your kids at home. My friend brought her 2 kids along with her has to leave early as the child was getting cranky.

11) Tag team with your husband eg I went to grab the stuff while he waits around with the loots.

12) There's a tendency to go overboard on shopping/ buy stuff you might not even need. Hence, exert control.

13) Check the items thoroughly for defects, you won't be able to exchange.

Hope you find these tips useful. Probably I'll share what I've bought at the baby fair in my next post.

Love,
Sherlyn

SG50 Baby Gift Packs

Hi everyone
Below are some SG50 baby gift packs which you can redeem:

1) Free one year Mothercare membership

2) SG50 Baby Jubilee Gift

pic credit: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sg50-baby-jubilee-gift-unveiled

3) POSB Smiley Gift

4) Great Eastern Baby Gift Pack

5) AIA
Up to $200 of Robinsons gift card when you purchase Medisave-approved health insurance cover, AIA HealthShield Gold Max.

6) Motherworks 50 Brands Coupon Book

If you know of others, please feel free to share.

Love,
Sherlyn

Dilemma: Public vs Private Cord Blood Banking

Hi everyone
I guess each parent will go through this decision phase. I've read up quite a fair bit and also attended free parenting seminars on the benefits of cord blood banking.

What is cord blood banking?
Cord blood banking involves collecting blood left in your newborn's umbilical cord and placenta and storing it for future medical use. Cord blood contains potentially lifesaving cells called stem cells. source from http://www.babycenter.com/0_cord-blood-banking-what-it-is-why-consider-it_1362261.bc#articlesection1

There are 3 options which you can take:
1) Donate your cord blood to public bank ie Singapore Cord Blood Bank

2) Store your cord blood privately. There are 3 companies in Singapore offering this service.

a) Cordlife
Cordlife's differentiation is that there is no real need to store your baby's cord blood in different locations. Splitting the cord blood unit into multiple bags increases the risk of contamination and the number of stem cells harvested from umbilical blood is limited.




Price Plan:

Upfront Initial Payment (one time)	Annual Payment (age 1 to 20)	Age 21
$1,950	$250	FREE

Cordlife's marketing seem to be more aggressive as seen in their participation in baby fairs where they are usually sponsor/ have a big booth presence. They also have referral scheme where they give out Robinson vouchers and $100 voucher off their price plan.

b) Stemcord
Stemcord’s founders are renowned and experienced practising medical oncologists, hematologists and physicians with vast contributions in bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplantation programmes in Singapore.

At StemCord, cord blood is collected with bag method and they store the cord blood sample in multiple cryo units.

Unlike Cordlife, Stemcord has flexible storage plan.

Standard Payment Plans (w/o) GST	Annual Plan	6-Year Plan	11-Year Plan	21-Year Plan
One-Time Enrolment Fee	$1950	$1950	$1950	$1950
1st Year Storage Fee	INCLUSIVE	INCLUSIVE	INCLUSIVE	INCLUSIVE
2nd & Subsequent Year Fees	$275 ($275/year)**	$1250 ($250 x 5)	$2375 ($237.50 x 10)	$4500 ($225 x 20)
Total Payable*	$1950	$3200	$4325	$6450

c) Cryoviva

3) Do nothing. The umbilical cord blood after the birth of the baby will be discarded after the baby’s birth. This is clearly not a good option.

 
After much consideration, I have decided to donate #bumptham cord blood for the following reasons:
1) It can help save lives for those in need and reaps good karma for #bumptham.

2) I was hesitant at first as I was having a lot of what-if deliberations eg what if my baby/ family members need the cord blood eg autism which is only detected at later stages. However, I believe in the law of attraction, I only want to think of the positive things that can happen ie healthy and happy family. :)

3) Even though private cord blood banking can be paid by CDA account, I wanted to put the money to better use eg send #bumptham to better premium schools.

4) I find the public bank procedures quite rigorous eg they will collect blood sample from the mother before delivery takes place used for evaluation of infectious diseases. This procedure is necessary to ensure that all cord blood units collected are free of all infectious diseases and safe for transplant.

I hope this article will be useful to all first time parents facing the same dilemma as me.

Love,
Sherlyn

Free Diaper Samples

Hi Everyone
Previously, I have shared free samples for mummies, link here. Today, I'm going to share free samples for babies. Here are some free diaper samples which you can request:

1) Drypers

2) Merry

3) Huggies
You may request 1 sample from Huggies Ultra or Huggies Total Protection Pants and 1 sample from Huggies Little Swimmers.

4) Goo.N

5) Bepanthen Ointment (Diaper Cream)

Upcoming baby fairs for you to stock up on diapers supplies:
- Baby Market 10-12 Apr (Singapore Expo Hall 5)
http://www.babymarket.com.sg/

- Baby Expo 1-3 May (Singapore Expo Hall 4)
https://www.facebook.com/babyexpo88

- Baby World 10-12 Jul  (Singapore Expo)

- SuperMom Bazaar 28-30 Aug (Suntec Convention Level 4)
http://supermom.com.sg/supermombazaar2015?gclid=Cj0KEQjw3M6oBRDnnIywo5i287ABEiQAXRm7S97wRmvwcyxj85nklrbe4HukeuCNwpMwUbGwjia49JwaAojY8P8HAQ

- Baby Market 9- 11 Oct (Singapore Expo)

I've received all the samples from the lovely companies, can't wait to let #bumptham try them. If you know of other free baby samples, please feel free to share. Thanks to all the generous companies. Happy sampling!

Love,
Sherlyn

Online Shopping for Little #Bumptham

Hi everyone
I shall share my recent online purchase for our #bumptham. Online shopping for #bumptham is so addictive, I can spend many hours browsing the webpages and you can really go out of control coz everything seem so cute and cheap.


From Taobao
1) Growth Chart Wall Decal, RMB8.80
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.9.ku55p7&id=25648660019&_u=pumksi5ed9c

Review: received the Taobao items on 26 Mar. Print quality is very good and the decal is really huge. Definitely worth the buy.
  I read that flash cards stimulate infant right brain. Flash cards is very limited and quite expensive in Singapore.

2) Black & White Flash Cards, RMB19.90
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.24.ku55p7&id=40984836192&_u=pumksi583d1

3) Flash Cards, RMB16 for 10 books
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.93.ku55p7&id=39245239712&_u=pumksi5408d

Review: Items 2-3 were from same supplier, it came bubble-wrapped. The paper were rather on the thin side. 2 of the books had defects, 1 had the protective layer of the cover peeled off and another ring bind was broken. Considering the books are so cheap, definitely worth the buy!

4) Hanging Flash Cards, RMB37.50
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=40134583699&spm=a1z09.2.9.61.ku55p7&_u=pumksi52ccb

Review: Item was wrapped with cupboard, however the corners were slightly dented. I find this a bit pricey, hope baby will enjoy looking at it.

From Carters
I got the items during their flash sale where they had additional 30% off their clearance items with US$6 flat shipping. As Carters do not ship to Singapore, I had use 65daigou as shipping agent. Their shipping charges is $4.50 for every 500g, you can visit https://www.65daigou.com/China/ShipForMe for more info.

1) 3-Piece Bodysuit & Short Se, US$11.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-sets/V_121D238.html?dwvar_V__121D238_size=12M&dwvar_V__121D238_color=Color#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=18

2) 2-Piece Dress & Cardigan Se, US$8.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-dresses/VC_121D212.html?dwvar_VC__121D212_size=12M&dwvar_VC__121D212_color=Pink#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=57

3) 2-Piece Dress & Romper Set, US$13.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-dresses/V_118A096.html?dwvar_V__118A096_size=12M&dwvar_V__118A096_color=Color#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=3

4) Appliqué Snap-Up Romper, US$5.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-one-pieces/VC_118A034.html?dwvar_VC__118A034_size=12M&dwvar_VC__118A034_color=Pink#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=11

5) 4-Piece Take-Me-Home Se, US$12.99
http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-sets/V_121C618.html?dwvar_V__121C618_color=Color&dwvar_V__121C618_size=6M#cgid=carters-baby-girl-clearance&startRow=0&sz=all&navID=header&start=131

Review: Have collected my items from 65daigou at neighbourhood pickup. I'm very pleased with the shipping service. As the Carters package is 0.76kg, my shipping charges is only SGD$9. 

65Daigou is also very prompt in their email reply eg when I checked the domestic shipment from Carters to 65Daigou warehouse, the items were undelivered as the office was closed and the package was transferred to the local post office. I emailed 65Daigou to check if they will arrange someone to collect from local post office. In USA, unlike Singapore, the local post office will make 3 more attempts to deliver the package before returning to sender.

All the items are very lovely, good quality and workmanship. Looks like I will be ordering many more stuff from Carters.

I shall review the items once I received them. Thanks for reading!

Love, 
Sherlyn

Free Samples for Mummy to be

Hi everyone,
Sorry for the lack of updates. Here are some free samples for mummy to be.

1) Dumex. Get a special pregnancy gift pack worth over $80.

Review: Got the lovely gift pack from Dumex which consist of changing pad, Spring Maternity breast pads, Drypers Wee Wee Dry diaper sample, pregnancy info kit and vouchers in plastic zip bag.

2) Abbott Similac Mum sample

Review: Unable to register online successfully as they require baby details ie DOB and name.
  

3) Nestle Baby Club. 
Receive a new mom bag worth $250 which consist of pink tote bag, Nestle mom &me 350g tin & $3 voucher, Nestle mom &me breastfeeding guide, breastfeeding shawl, Bubchen mama mini sample, vouchers.
 
Choose a weaning bag consisting of Nestlé NAN PRO 2/ NAN HA 2 follow-up formula, CERELAC^® and GERBER^® First Foods. Weaning bags will only be sent to babies after 6 months and below 7 months of age.
 

4) Mead Johnson. 

Join EnfaMama A+ Club to enjoy more benefits. Free 1year membership.



5) Wyeth Nutrition

Review: Received the milk powder sample but didn't like the fishy taste probably of its DHA content.

6) Friso

7) Anmum  

Review: Received the milk powder sample but yet to try.


Update:
8) Great Eastern SG50 Baby Gift Pack
  

Review: Received the lovely gift pack via Registered mail. It consists of very cute bib, bootie and mitten, Pigeon pack which has a milk bottle, bath samples, wipes and breast pads, Great Eastern vouchers.

Thank you to the lovely companies for the free samples. If you know of more free samples, please feel free to share.

Love,
Sherlyn