An open letter to my baby: Happy one year!

Aedan, you have turned one year old!! 

Happy Birthday to you!! 🎂

It has been such a journey! I have to say my life has changed so much (for the better) because of you. 

I still remember the feeling of you living in me, especially when you kicked me so hard during the last trimester that it seemed like you couldn't wait to come out. I was so afraid that you were going to destroy your home (my womb).

I remember the day when you were born. When I waited 17 hours after my water bag broke and pushed for more than an hour to finally see your face. That day was miraculous. It was tiring but all worth it when I saw your face and hear your cry. You cried so loud. 

I remember the many moments we had when I breastfed you. The first time was indescribable. You looked into my eyes as you suckle like you were trying to tell me "thank you mommy for feeding me". I'll never forget the look. The feeling that I'm able to provide for you. No words can describe this feeling. Also the painful first month when we both were still learning. Now we are both good at it. It has been one year.. Every day and night, we have so many moments together.

Life is such an adventure with you. You've shown me your new tricks everyday and it's fascinating to see how you have grown so fast. Many times when I look at you (especially when you were sleeping peacefully at night), I thank God (or whoever is there watching) for giving me such an angel. Life is so much more complete with you. 

There were so much precious memories although it has only been one year. Many more years of adventures with you. I hope I can remember all the memories forever.. Even if not, I hope my blog will help me remember all these beautiful days and moments with you. 

I love you so much! 

Thank you for coming into my life. ❤️

Though you certainly will not understand this letter now.. But I hope you will read it many years later.

- Mommy eve

Breastmilk Keepsakes' Makers in the world

If you are looking for something to signify your breastfeeding journey, why not consider turning them into beautiful keepsakes.

Wondering where to make breastmilk keepsakes?

Here is a list of online businesses that make them! "not in any order of preference except for the first on the list which is my favorite"

Update: 

Thank you so much for bringing new content into this post. I have updated my blog

11 19 Breastmilk Keepsakes' Makers in the world

I have personally communicated with these owners for information and realized that most of them are actually mommies themselves. 

Previously I have rated their service but have removed the rating as it's getting harder and harder to rate with new makers coming onto the list who are aware of the rating criteria. 

Anyway, different people may develop different "chemistry" with these mommies so I will recommend you to visit each of their websites to get more information.

Breastfeeding is a personal choice. And similarly, choosing your breastmilk keepsake's maker is a personal thing too. 

1. Keepsake by Ryo

Photos credit to Keepsake by Ryo

- Location: Singapore
- Accepts international orders
- Website: http://www.keepsakebyryo.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/keepsakebyryo/

2. Precious Lifetime Memories

Photo credit to Precious Lifetime Memories 

- Location: Singapore
- Accepts international orders
- Website: No website
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Precious-Lifetime-Memories-627589484011008/

3. Tokens of Eternity

Photo credit to Tokens of Eternity

- Location: Singapore
- Accepts international orders
- Website: http://www.tokensofeternity.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tokensofeternity/

4. Beyond the milkyway 

Photo credit to Beyond the milkyway

- Location: Singapore
- Accepts international orders
- Website: No website
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthemilkway/

5. Mommy's Milk Pendi

Photo credit to Mommy's Milk Pendi

- Location: Singapore
- Website: http://mommysmilkpendi.blogspot.com
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MommysMilkPendi/ 

6. Milk bunny Singapore

Photo credit to Milk Bunny Singapore

- Location: Singapore
- Accepts orders from Singapore & Malaysia
- Website: No website
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MilkBunnySingapore/

7. Beyond the willow's tree

Photo credit to Beyond the Willow Tree

- Location: Australia
- Accepts international orders
- Website: https://www.beyondthewillowtree.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthewillowtree22/

8. Hollyday Designs

Photo credit to Hollyday Designs

- Location: Illinois
- Accepts international orders
- Website: http://www.hollydaydesigns.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/breastmilkpendant/

9. Baby Bee Hummingbirds

Photo credit to Baby Bee Hummingbirds

- Location: Australia
- Accepts international orders
- Website: http://www.babybeehummingbirds.com.au/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/babybeehummingbirds/

10. Breastmilk Jewellery

Photo credit to Breastmilk Jewellery

- Location: Australia
- Accepts international orders
- Website: http://www.breastmilkjewellery.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/breastmilkjewellery/

11. Breast milk Jewelry

Photo credit to Breast Milk Jewelry

- Location: United States
- Accepts orders from US
- Website: No website
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Breast-Milk-Jewelry-452540268263365/

12. Lait de la Vie 

Photo credit to Lait de la Vie

- Location: United States
- Accepts international order
- Website: http://www.laitdelavie.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/breastmilkcollection/

13. Milky Way Jewelry

Photo credit to Milky Way Jewelry

- Location: Netherlands
- Accepts international orders
- Website: No website
- Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/Milky-Way-Jewelry-Keepsake-With-Love-870178536365323/

14. Cherish me mama

Photo credit to Cherish me mama

- Location: United Kingdom

- Accepts international orders

- Website: http://cherishmemama.uk/

- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cherishmemama/

15. North Faun

Photo credit to North Faun

- Location: Canada

- Accepts international orders

- Website: https://northfaun.ca/

- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/northfaun/

16. Rejewelled 

Photo credit to Rejewelled

- Location: United Kingdom

- Accepts international orders

- Website: To be launched
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rejewelleduk/

17. baby's breath birth

Photo credit to baby's breath birth

- Location: United States

- Accepts international orders

- Website: http://www.babysbreathbirth.com/
- Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/babysbreathbirthnyc/

18. Mammary Glam

Photo credit to Mammary Glam

- Location: United States

- Accepts orders from US

- Website: No website
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MammaryGlam/

19. A Mother's Dream, LLC

Photo credit to A Mother's Dream, LLC

- Location: United States

- Accepts international orders

- Website: http://amothersdream.bigcartel.com/
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/A-Mothers-Dream-LLC-437483706383648/

I am writing this post hoping to benefit my readers who will like to do their own comparison of various breastmilk keepsakes' makers. There is no sponsorship for this post.

Do let me know if I miss out any! :)

You can either Facebook message me or comment below if you know of any breastmilk keepsakes' makers that I have missed out. 

Those who chose not to be mentioned in this list will not appear anywhere in this list nor in the comment as they don't deserve to. 

Thank you!

Happy shopping!
Twentysixoctober

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Read other posts for mommies at #mommydiary

Food review: Valentine's High tea at Sheraton Towers

This is a long forgotten & overdue post which was saved and kept as draft since Valentine's.

A review of my Valentine's high tea at Sheraton Towers.

It was literally a very very sweet Valentine because my hubby and I had a sugar overdozed Afternoon Tea.

It costs $68++ per person for their Valentine's afternoon tea (with mini buffet and free flow of moscato wine). 

I thought of leaving when I saw the menu but my hubby insisted we stayed. Since it was Valentine's Day, we should just enjoy the day and don't think too much about the cost.

It's very true that we should pamper ourselves once in a while especially for Mommy who has devoted most time in caring the baby.

So we ordered 2 different sets - the Japanese Afternoon Tea and the English Afternoon Tea - to share and so that we could try both!

I had also requested to change the free flow of Moscato to apple juice as I prefer not to drink alcohol since I'm breastfeeding. Initially, the waitress mentioned that we were not allowed to change our drink. Luckily, their Manager over heard that I'm a breastfeeding mom and made an exception to let me change my free flow moscato to any of the juices.

After we ordered our drinks, we started with the mini buffet.

There were 6 different types of sweet desserts.

Soon, our drinks were served.

Cheers to Valentine's Day! 

The Japanese Afternoon Tea set

The English Afternoon Tea set. 

We felt that we were paying for their ambience and service more than the food. 

The food were "so so", not very fantastic. We can definitely find something similar or tastes even better for a lower price.

The environment was their highlight. Their couches were placed far apart from each other so we got to enjoy our "personal space". We had ample room for us to move around with my baby. I could also nurse my baby in a nursing cover comfortably at the couch.

During our visit, it happened that they had invited a lion dance troupe “舞龙舞狮” so it was really noisy. The experience would have been much better without the disturbance from the troupe.

I will recommend this place to parents with kids. If you feel rich or will like to pamper your family for a special occasion, high tea at a hotel is something you can consider. However, don't expect to have a very satisfying meal but more to enjoy the ambience.

xoxo,
Twentysixoctober

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10 things you cannot miss when you are with your baby in the air

For those who follow our blog will have read that Aedan has successfully taken his first flight experience which is an adventurous 17hrs flight from Singapore -> Zurich -> Israel!

I'm going to share the list of items which we had brought on board and hope that this information will be useful to parents who plan to travel with your babies.

My checklist:

1. Diaper changing mat 

This is necessary as the changing table in the airplane is hard & cold which is not comfortable for baby to laid on. It will be better if you bring along a cushioned changing mat to put on top. 

2. Nursing cover

It is useful to nurse your baby during take-off and landing to reduce the pressure in baby's ears.

3. Baby carrier/sling 

There will be times when you need to carry your baby and walk around the airplane when your baby refuses to sleep or sit on your lap. It will be easier to put him/her in a carrier/sling. 

4. Carrier sling bag

If you are bringing your carrier along, it is good to bring a carrier sling bag to keep your carrier when you are not using it. 

5. Favourite toys + teethers 

This is important. There will be times when your baby fusses and his/her favourite toys can help to distract and calm him/her down.

6. Diapers + Wet wipes + Diaper cream + Ruyi oil 

Bring more diapers (at least 8-10). It is better to prepare more than having not enough. It is also to be prepared for unforeseen delay in flight. 

7. Blanket + Sweater + Socks 

It is cold when we are in the air so prepare blanket, sweater and socks for your baby. 

8. Extra warm clothes 

Needless to explain, extra clothes for changing. 

9. Baby lotion + Baby lip balm 

The air in the plane is dry so it is good to prepare baby moisturiser & lip balm for your baby.

10. Zip-loc bags/ plastic bags

This is used to keep your baby's soiled clothing. 

Aedan is fully on breastmilk so I did not bring any milk bottles, warm water and milk powder.

#mommydiary


Have fun flying!
Twentysixoctober

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Review: Keepsake by Ryo

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my little Aedan for 5 months and still counting. I'm hoping to breastfeed him till at least one year old.

Breastfeeding is indeed a memorable journey with so much pain and joy happening in tandem. You can read my journey here.
My breastfeeding experience

Like many mommies, I was looking for something to symbolise my breastfeeding journey; something that I can keep forever.

I chanced upon Keepsake by Ryo (previously known as Ryo's Breastmilk Jewellery) and had much joy browsing through their Facebook page and website. I never knew that breastmilk can be made into so many beautiful things!


From "can't find anything", I became spoiled with too many choices!

The keepsakes are all beautifully crafted and each of them looks intricate & pure.

How to order? 

Visit their website at:

Click "SHOP BY STYLE" & you will find a whole list of accessory types.

1. Charms

You can choose to include either breastmilk, baby's hair or cord in the charms.

2. Necklaces

3. Bracelets 

4. Earrings 

The earrings are made of 14K gold plated hardware which is suitable for sensitive skin.

5. Rings

6. Anklets

7. Keychains

8. Cufflinks

They even have cufflinks for daddy!
This can be a good Valentine's Day gift for daddies.


After choosing your choice of keepsakes,

you can confirm your order which will bring you to payment and delivery details.


Then follow the order procedures.

                

Update: Ryo has changed the mailing address to 

My mail box 884038, 

Singapore 919191

I used Zyllem (previously known as Rocket Uncle) to deliver my breastmilk to Ryo.
#Note that delivery of breastmilk to Ryo has to be self arranged.

How much is the keepsake? 

Price: their keepsakes range from $48 - to higher than $297 inclusive of postage of the keepsake.

Most of their keepsakes are priced between $109 - $129.

Estimated time of arrival (ETA): After delivering my breastmilk, I received my beautiful keepsake within a week!

Unwrapping time!

My earrings and breastmilk locket are individually wrapped in a box tied with green ribbons.

I was excited to unbox my keepsakes.

Each keepsake comes with a jeweller's cloth, silica gel and care instruction.

What do I like about Keepsake by Ryo?

1. All precious keepsakes come with 6-months warranty covering any discoloration of breastmilk components.

2. They have a wide selection of designs for keepsake. If you do not like their existing designs, you can even request to customize your own design!

3. It's easy to navigate their website from selection to payment to delivery.

4. The owner, Ryo, is very friendly. Buyer can always PM her on Facebook if they encounter technical difficulties or will like to discuss their keepsake's design.

5. Thoughtful Ryo has placed a bag of silica gel in every keepsake box to absorb excess moisture. She encourages her customers to store our keepsake jewellery in its original packaging when not in use to maintain its shine and prevent tarnishing.

6. Thoughtful Ryo provides storage for excess breastmilk which will be carefully labelled and stored in the freezer for 6 months, just in case mommies like to have something else made.

7. Ryo values quality casts over fast delivery. According to Ryo, the casting process is an art form and while most of the time the casting process goes smoothly, there may still be instances that result in visible and obvious defects. For my case, the locket was defective which resulted in a "leakage" of breastmilk during the casting process. In this case Ryo will recast the item before sending it out. This may extend the waiting time.  

Should you still find your final piece unsatisfactory, you may appeal to her for a 1-to-1 replacement and she will recast your item if she assesses that the claim is valid. 

This is the defective piece as you can see there are milk stain from the leakage. (The only time that I'm happy to have defects ^^) 

I really like my breastmilk earrings as it's minimalist looking and allow me to wear on all occasions.

I am fond of the breastmilk locket too as it contains 2 precious things inside: Aedan's name and my breastmilk.
I'll show this to Aedan next time when he grows up.


If you like to purchase one to symbolise your breastfeeding journey or to make everlasting ur baby's cord/hair/teeth, you can do it now!

Quote EVELYN10OFF to get a 10% discount off your purchase valid till end of Feb 2016!

To find out more about the owner, 

you may read The Story of Keepsake by Ryo  

xoxo,
Twentysixoctober

Disclosure: Complimentary breastmilk earrings & lockets are received for review purpose. There is no monetary compensation and all opinions are my own.

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