Category Archives: baby stuff

STROLLER STROLLER ON THE ROAD WHO SHALL I CHOOSE NOW.

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I have been using my Bugaboo Cameleon since my first kid and I love it. But recently I have been hoping and wanting to switch to a new stroller. It seems crazee to switch now since this is our last baby but with 3 children, life is a bit different with the Bugaboo Cameleon. I am always on the go with the baby from dropping/picking up the kids at school to after school activities and then running errands in between. Milo gets playdate and sometimes we give his friends ride and with the Bugaboo Cameleon, we cannot very easily use our third row in our car. In all my years of using the Bugaboo Cameleon, I always detach the basket and the stroller seat when putting it away because I do not like the wheels touching the fabric of the basket and the stroller. It was never a space problem with just 2 kids but now with 3, it actually gets kind of annoying and more work since I have to arrange my stroller, groceries and all different theme bags (diaper bags, change of clothing for different activities). This becomes more of a problem when we go on road trip between all our luggage and the stroller.

The wheelboard was nice and helpful but one thing that I never got used to was the position since I am always awkwardly pushing it while one kid is on it. Now with 3, it makes it harder to navigate so we don’t really use it. I keep the kids close to me when I am pushing the stroller and Milo is starting to use his cane so I try to get him closer but enough so his cane is not constantly hitting the stroller. With Matilda, I try to get her to hold my hand or hold onto the stroller because she has a harder time to hear me when we are out.

Bugaboo has been great to our family and we especially love our smooth and easy it is to navigate, I can seriously push it with couple fingers if I have to. But with my life right now, I would love to explore another option and try to let go of my beloved Bugaboo Cameleon.

 

What I am looking for right now in a stroller:

  • easy to drive
  • space saving in my trunk
  • no need to fill air in the tires
  • option to have the child face me or out

So far, I found a few I would love to try out.

1) Orbit. There are a few things that I am drawn to about the Orbit. I like how small it folds into when you put it away and how the stroller seat would not touch the wheels. The location of the wheelboard seems to be much better. There are more storage space than the Bugaboo. I do love the fact that you can rotate the seat all around. I never have used it so I am not sure if what it says on site is what I am thinking.

2) Bugaboo Bee. I have seen the Bee around a lot in my community and I would love to try it since the size seems to be just right but I do not know how compact it folds when I have to put it away. 

 

3) UPPAbaby Cruz stroller. I do not know anything about UPPAbaby but I have seen so many of the Vista around and when I was saw that they have a compact version I got curious. It seems to fold into a pretty nice compact size and the storage is plenty for the size. I am also liking the variety of colors you can choose from. 

 

4) Nuna Mixx. I absolutely know nothing about Nuna but it seems super simple to fold/unfold and compact. Nothing fancy and functional and kind of cute. I would love to try them out and see what this brand is about to get the words on the street.

 

Please feel free to share! I am always on the lookout for new products for families of 3 and also for families of special needs children. Thank you and I wish I can try them all out and then tell you which one is the best for me.

 

 

WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD (MUST) GET WHEN YOU HAVE A BABY.

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When I was pregnant with my first, I went overboard and got so (too) much stuff and way in advance too. We got this one book (I can’t remember what it was for the life of me, its probably something like The best of… or The most essential items that you will ever need… but I do remember that book being THE book/guide that everyone had) and had reviews and ratings on all essentials. I regret buying some big items in advance since some did not suited me (like the Baby Bjorn) and some did not fit in the lifestyle of our family. We were also the first among our friends to have kids so we did not get much tips.

With Matilda, we were somewhat pro and plus there were so many more recommendations and new items on the market and out on blogs that I read about in which I did not with Milo. Now, with Owen I have to say I got this whole baby essential thing down pretty good and I want to share it with you since I rely so much on tips from other moms/families and I want to do the same for others.

One thing I have learned having 3 kids in 7 years is that there are constantly so much cool gadgets coming out and to be honest, I constantly want to try them all.

Let’s start with strollers:

bugaboo_paul_frank500

1. We have the Bugaboo Cameleon since Milo and is still going strong. We purchased the kickboard (now they have it with a little seat)when we had Matilda. If I have to do it again and knowing I will have 3 kids, I will still get the Bugaboo but of course I would go with the newest Bugaboo donkey series. I really was tempted to switch it up when it came out, but I could not rationalize spending the money when I already have one.

2. We got a Maclaren XT Techno stroller when Milo was 4.5 months while we were traveling in Asia and it works great except that we rarely used it since we always chose the Bugaboo over the Maclaren due to the kickboard feature so that Milo can ride on it. But if the Bugaboo is too big and bulky, I would recommend the Maclaren for sure.

3. We got a BOB double stroller after Matilda and it works great for both kids (even now) when we go for an outing to the zoo, parks and camp grounds. For the size of it, it’s pretty easy to fold up.

In the past few years, there have been an increase amount of new brand and models coming out for strollers and it makes it even harder to decide what is best for your family. I would invest in a good one especially if you plan to have more than one child. Then, think about the size of your stroller and if your car or whatever means of transportation you have can accommodate that. When we were traveling in Asia, the Maclaren was convenient but at times it was a pain because there were stairs everywhere and we have to take Milo out and fold up the darn thing all the time. If I have a do over starting with Milo, I would just get the Bugaboo and then invest in baby carrier.

 

Baby carriers:

 

1. Ergo. That is all. It is the best thing. I love it. We had a baby bjorn and that thing hurt my back so much (I have a back problem) that I could not use it for more than 20minutes. I discovered Ergo and my first thought was, why did you not come into my life sooner. I used it with both Milo and Matilda until they were 2.5 years old. It is perfect for traveling. Some people prefer carrier where the baby faces forward  but I prefer the face to face with my baby because I like to communicate with them (and it’s not like they can’t see what I see). With Milo it was great because of his visual impairment, I can talk with him and tell him everything I see. With Matilda’s hearing impairment, I can sign and she can read my lips if needed and I could talk into her good ear. You can throw the Ergo in the wash and it maintains its shape. I got the infant insert, the teething pads, the winter weather cover, and recently we got the rain cover (for our recent Disneyland trip and it kept Owen completely dried).

2. Solly wrap. I discovered this with Owen and so wish I had it with the other two. I have seen bunch of wraps since Milo days but was never really a believer or gave it much thought. But Solly wrap attracted me and so I got it and I love it. It took me some time to get the hang of it and I have used it more than the Ergo since it’s super easy to stuff it in my bag and it’s nice and soft against my clothes so I don’t have to worry about rubbing against my clothes and causing pilling action (Ergo does that, depending what kind of clothing I am wearing). When traveling or shopping, I use the Ergo since it has pockets and I can stuff my wallet in the pockets. The only thing that gets me about the Solly wrap is that it’s super long and when I am putting it on (outside my home) I have to make sure I am in a somewhat clean place since it touches the ground when I am wrapping, but still, I love it. And the owner, Elle is pretty awsum.

Bath time:

Primo EuroBath. We got this for all three kids and we love it. The only down side is that it’s pretty large but if you have the room (we put it in our shower), it is worth it. We use it from when they are 1 month until they are 3 years old. It’s great.

High chair:

With Milo and Matilda we did the Fisher Price rainforest high chair. It worked and the kids sat in it but I was never too fond of the bulkiness and the size. With Owen we got the Stokke Tripp Trapp in green and we have liked it so far. It took a little time to put it together but we like the size of the chair and it fits around our dining table well. And this is a great chair to invest in since it grows with the kid.

Other supplies:

1. You should invest in a nice bath towel since you will be bathing your child daily (I hope). We were gifted a DwellStudio hooded bath towel when Milo was born and we are still loving it and using it. The size is prefect and it washes very well in the washing machine.

2. Good size swaddling blankets. We use nothing but aden+anais (I think everyone is) for bibs, burp cloths, and blankets.

 

 

 

3. Boppy. I love it. I want one in every room and I highly suggest taking it with you when traveling especially for the plane ride. It can save your back and your baby can sleep on it on the plane.

4. Diaper bags. We had Skip Hop diaper bag for the first two and we mostly used it to hang off the stroller but with my third, my husband got me PacaPod (I got the Hastings-driftwood backpack) and I LOVE it!!! It’s amazing and that little thing can hold a lot of stuff and it’s super light. I would switch up my bags sometimes and for the exact same amount of items, my other bags would be super heavy but for the PacaPod, its so light. It can be easily attach to any stroller. It’s definitely worth the investment. Go get one.

I think this is a good start. I can write more later about clothing for both babies and nursing moms or any other good finds. Please feel to comment and tell me what is or was your favorite/must have items.

 

OH! THE PLACES WE WILL GO.

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milo’s summer session at ECE ended last week SO HELLO SUMMER FUN TIME! we use summertime as an excuse to do more fun time with our little ones. well, it was actually last year we started this so called tradition since milo was old enough to go on adventures. so with the summer almost coming to an end, as i am constantly being reminded by the consuming world with back to school sale and pre fall season sale, i am going to share with you some fun places around us in the san francisco bay area. if you have any other places, please DO share and if you would like to meet up and join us, let me know too.

SAN FRANCISCO ZOO.

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. – we took milo last year and i think he was a bit too young but i think he is ready for it again.

HAPPY HOLLOW.

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM. this place kicks my bum bum i tell you. i love going there. i would love to spend a night in a nearby town someday soon with my kids and make it a quick getaway that is not so far from home.

BAY AREA DISCOVERY MUSEUM.

FAIRYLAND.

PIXIELAND AMUSEMENT PARK.

STOW LAKE AT GOLDEN GATE PARK.

PARKSIDE AQUATIC PARK | SAN MATEO.

GILROY GARDENS.

LEMOS FARM.

HIDDEN VILLA.

PHIPPS FARM. well known around the bay for self-picking produce farm.

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM. free admission. and you can always stop by your local fire station for a visit, they are usually pretty nice about you walking in.

CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY MUSEUM | SAN JOSE.

ROARING CAMP RAILROADS. – we took milo there for the first time last year for a special Day Out with Thomas and it was fun if your kids love train as much as mine. *and please try to bring your own food because the food is not good. i know when you go to zoos, amusement parks & kids places, the food is not only overpriced but its not so good. but seriously, when we went last year we thought the food was pretty nasty. they are doing another Day Out with Thomas end of July and August, so, get your tickets if you want to go.

TILDEN PARK STEAM TRAIN.

BILLY JONES WILDCAT RAILROAD.

NILES CANYON RAILWAY.

BARON PARK GARDEN RAILWAY.

PALO ALTO JUNIOR MUSEUM & ZOO.

i dont think we will hit all these places but this is the list we will be starting from. we will at least try to visit one of these places each week, and if its not too far, we could even hit two of these places a week. but then again, we will be using this list all year round.

and oh yes, for those of you who would like to take your little ones to a movie theatre, theres a family friendly screening of Winnie the Pooh this saturday (july 23rd) at Redwood City’s AMC at 10:30am. its a good chance to take your little ones since they leave all the lights on and turn down the volume and you dont have to worry about your child crying or talking since its all about that. the Metreon use to have Reel Mom but they canceled that program a little bit ago. i have been trying hard to find more family screening/mom screening around the bay area but its hard. all i can do is to call each theater and unfortunately with the summer season and all summer part time job, most of the people that answer the phone has no idea what you are talking about. so, if you do want to inquire, ask for the manager and you can ask him/her if they are interested in hosting such events. good luck and please tell me if you know more places.

HAPPY SUMMER FUN FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY.
(and if you dont have little ones yet, some of these places are good places to take your date.)

MY LITTLE DUDE + MY LITTLE LADY.

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ONE & TWO. matilda sitting inside a step chair. my mom’s arm is holding her up. i recently purchased this H&M hat and i love it on her so much that i bought another one for her growing head. THREE & FOUR. matilda started teething when she was 4 1/2 months old and they started showing couple weeks ago and its been so hard to get it on film. but here they are!

matilda has been doing great. i have been taking her to her weekly baby class and milo tags along as well. i cant believe she will be 6 months this sunday. i wish i can keep her at this age for another year because she is so cuddly and giggly! they do grow up so fast. seeing matilda makes me wish that i can turn milo back to around her age. BUT with her 6 months coming up, it means she will be starting on those blend cereal. i would have started her earlier because she did showed interest in food but since milo has a high peanut allergy, her pediatrician recommends to wait till she is 6 months old. AND i decided to get a BÉABA to make life easier.

ONE + TWO + THREE. matilda loves to watch milo and i’ve been encouraging more brother sister time. i am asking milo to include matilda into his activities and asking him to talk with her and to show her his toys. we are teaching milo to make sure to make eye contacts with matilda when speaking with her, and to make sure that she can see his mouth when he is speaking to her. milo hasn’t quiet done that yet but at least we are starting to get milo into the habit. milo loves superheroes and matilda’s hearing impaired teacher came up with sign language for all his superheroes. as you can see in the pictures, matilda is highly attracted to the snack (PRETZ) that milo is eating. and milo is highly engaged in the iPad (the iPad has been a lifesaver ever since milo had his prosthesis. it is the one thing we still can use to get him to calm down and to open his eyes.)

THE MANY FACES OF MY LITTLE SUPERHERO.

milo is still dealing with his prosthesis. he pretty much has a bad day* once a week and he still complains about his eye or eyes everyday. he is still light sensitive and his vision teacher gave him a pair of fitover** sunglasses to put over his glasses (we called them his superhero sunglasses) and he would wear those and a hat when we go outside but a lot of times he would still keep his eyes closed until indoor. his prosthesis is still bothering him and its been a month since he had that put in. we talked with his occularist several times but unfortunately he doesn’t have any immediate solutions for milo and he said that it is unusual that its taking so long for him to adjust to it. we just have to wait it out and milo just need to be super brave.

due to recent bad eyes drama, i called his glaucoma doctor to schedule an EUA***soon rather than in september. i hope by then he is able to tell us whats up and maybe even get a good look at his prosthesis since the occultist wont be able to make it.

my husband and i are sometimes at lost as to who we should go to for these questions since milo has three main specialist. if only they can all check on him while he is put under at his routine EUA, it would be so much easier. or better yet, if i could just have a little dinner party once a month for them so we can talk and discuss and not have to worry about them having to rush out to see another patient or teach a class. i guess thats what you get when they are such great doctors. i should start some kind of dinner-party-with-your-kids-doctor-thing. every parent deserves to learn as much as they can about their kids and their conditions. i think i am on to something with this dinner party idea. if any doctors are out there, what do you think?

as i am writing this blog, milo is having a bad eye day. we were on our way to the SF Zoo to meet Captain America and five minutes into the car ride, milo started feeling horrible. we made it to the zoo at 9am and with loads of tears, he kept saying he wants to go see Captain America. after a hand shake and a picture, he broke down and just want to go home and go to sleep. he has been in bed all day and no meals. he tried a bunch of times to open his eyes but ended with screams because of the pain of his prosthesis. he is a super brave little boy. i just hope tomorrow morning will be better.

wish me luck.

FOOTNOTES
*bad day means that theres some sort of breakdown where he would shut down and wants to go to sleep and not open his eyes.
**milo’s vision teacher said that NOIR carries great sunglasses for vision impaired kids.
***Exam under Anesthesia

ME+MY PERFECT PAIR:The untold brief history of me, my children and what my blog shall be.

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hi. lets get right into it.
my name is queenie. i am an illustrator, a designer, a wife and a mother of two. i love to create. i love to draw. i love fashion. i love patterns. i love all things cute. i love stuff. i love kids (especially my kids no doubt). AND i love to consume. oh! i almost forgot that i love bread and tart. basically i am human. i started this blog because i want to share with people my illustrations/characters and all the goodies i find from fashion to design to food to travel and pretty much anything that makes my eyes drool. the blog is my bff where i could just go and share all my findings and i could comment about it without having to stop and wait for feedbacks. i was able to let it all out (and my mansomedude a.k.a my husband did not have to hear all about it)without comments. he didn’t really want to be my human blog.

just recently i decided that i wanted to find a better theme to my blog even though if you look at my past postings you get a pretty good idea of what its all about. i guess i should really say that i want to add something else to my blog and to do so i need to give you a little intro/update. i want to talk about raising special needs children and mainly from my own experiences.

i have two kids. milo is my three year old (just turned three last week) and matilda is my almost 5 month old. milo was born with a rare congenital eye defect where he has no vision on his left eye and very limited vision on his right eye due to glaucoma and FEVR. he has had many surgeries since he was 10 days old until now due to his conditions. he has these super cute blue glasses that he has been wearing since he was three months old (he is super near sighted). under the state of California milo is considered to be legally blind. matilda was born this januray and she has microtia in her left ear and conductive hearing loss as well. both of them are more powerful on their right side than their left side. i always say to milo: its okay if you cant see it, just listen. now i will have to say this to matilda: its okay if you can hear it, just look.

with milo’s vision impairment since day one (on top of being a first time mom), i learned A LOT about the whole process from the State to different programs available and of course, dealing with your health insurance to just taking care of your special needs child. its definitely a lot of information to take in when you have a baby and especially when its your first one. i was very overwhelmed when we had to go through all that as milo is our first baby and with the very unexpected findings of his vision. with matilda, my husband noticed her deformation left ear as soon as she came out. i only noticed it when my husband said something to the doctor since i didn’t see her left side when she was handed to me. we both acknowledged her left ear nonchalantly and was just thrilled that she arrived. milo had us trained too well with his conditions.

milo has been enrolled in Early Start Education with our county since he was 7 weeks old and he will be graduating from them after this summer because he turned three years old. then he can transferred into the district (which is a whole other system with meetings you have to go through). matilda got accepted into the same program due to her hearing loss. i got one kid in the vision class and the other in hearing class. we are the first family that the school has seen with 2 kids with a completely nonrelated conditions. in a way, i am happy to know that matilda will get to experience the same school that milo was in because the teachers are wonderful and its such a safe and friendly environment. and i get to see the teachers for another three years.

i told my husband that we should play the lottery because the chances of having both a vision and hearing impaired kids are very very rare especially since both side of the families have no history. maybe when i do go and get a lottery ticket and win you will see me on the news with those giant fake checks (wait, do they do that or am i thinking about the publishing clearing house commercial?).

i’ve been through it and still am and i want to share it with you and i think i am a pretty good advocate for families with special needs kids especially with hearing and vision impaired. we had no support when we first went through it (we had families to support but to be honest, its very different since its a whole new topic) and i want to be here for those families going through it.

i am not only going to talk about my kids on this blog, i will continue to do what i am doing but i want my blog readers to know that i am here if you have any questions. and i know this is the longest post ever but really theres no short brief way to introduce. (i am fancy like that.)

xoxox
me

TIME SUCKER:IVE BEEN GONE BUT I PLAN TO COME BACK SOON. (a.k.a – I SHALL USE THE WORD TIME MANY TIMES IN THIS POSTING.)

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Dear Me Blog:

i know ive been missing for some time but i have the best reason of all time. i gave birth to a new fresh human earlier this month. enough said. but i have been thinking of you, blog. and i DO want to come back and filled your space with pages of goodies but please give me some time. time is super hard to find these days with my new human and my little dude. i just want to tell you so you know i have not forgotten about you. thank you for your time.

xoxo
me

*OH.HAPPY NEW YEAR BY THE WAY. AND IT AINT TOO LATE FOR ME TO SAY SINCE CHINESE NEW YEAR IS COMING NEXT WEEK. ITS ALL LEGIT IN MY BOOK.*

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dear lovely blog readers of mine:

i just want you to know that i will be missing for a little bit since i am going to go off tomorrow and do some amazing stuff – like having a little baby. i will be back once i get myself back in the game with handling a new baby and taking care of my toddler and finding some shut eye time. *eek* i am SO excited (minus all the anxiousness of pain and hoping the baby will be healthy and all that scary stuff that you think about).

xoxo
me with a giant baby in my tummie.

p.s.- have some carrot while i am away and while you are reading other lovely blogs.

LUST LIST THREE: POSSIBLY THE LAST ONE THAT I WILL PUBLISH BEFORE THE DAY OF JESUS.

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ONE: Maison Desalle’s Paris Loves You chair

TWO: DwellStudio NEW DOTTED TRELLIS CHARCOAL PILLOW

THREE: Anthropologie DIY ( i will most likely do this since i would like to have more of these big chunky neck warmer.)

FOUR: how cute are these Collegien Slipper Socks. i want one for the whole family.

FIVE: Jack Spade Dipped Industrial Canvas. if my dude have one i can take it and use it too. a great gift for me and him. but you are only buying one. how great is that.

SIX: I love my Miffy. and i want to go here and take my little and big dude with me. so 3 tickets to the store please. PLEASE. I WANT.

SEVEN: Heal’s Orla Kiely. anything from here will make me happy. anything.

EIGHT: Rebecca Coagan Scharlatt’s morse coated necklace. this is super sweet and i love how small it looks on your neck. very cute.

NINE: sheriff PJ’s for my little dude.

TEN: Tivoli Audio Model One AM/FM Radio.

ELEVEN: i spotted this skull necklace by made in the display window of Jigsaw several times and i really dig it since i keep thinking about it. i SO want it around my neck. OH. I WANT IT.

TWELVE: Zara dresses. i love me some zara shopping whenever i am overseas. and look at all these dresses. they are the perfect length and i want them in both black and red especially the tuplip dress. so perfect. so good. want want please.

THIRTEEN: Super Star earrings. not sure if my ears would be allergic to this but i like it. little tatoos on my ear lopes.

FOURTEEN: Fox. very cute. i just want him to sit on my shelf or i could share him with my little dude.

FIFTEEN: CC SKYE Lightning Bolt Necklace

SIXTEEN: Eggshell Zigzag Romper

EIGHTEEN: Brevity Horseshoe necklace.

NINETEEN: Johnny Cupcake + Hello Kitty. even though they were completely sold out pretty much right after it was on sale, i still want it.

LET THE WISHES COME ON FORWARD.

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its been awhile since i did any posting about my recent new desires. i constantly see a bunch of new wants and below are some that i actually like/want that its worth for me to share with you. and besides, its almost that time of year where my most favorite holiday is coming up and i know ive been pretty good this year that mr santa claus would want to see some kind of wish list from me (of course this is just the beginning):

1. GLORY CHEN – these shoes!! i want them in my closet for sure. i want it in all the colors. it has the most perfect round toe ever. its my most ideal roundness in a shoe and i MUST have them. i will get them. but which color should i start with. what do you think, feet?



2. DYSON – no need to say more. if youve been following this blog, you know i love vacuums and i am not afraid to share it and shout it. if i could i would have a vacuum in every room and they would have to be a different kind since they would serve different purposes, just like each room serve a different purpose. i DO like the dyson so much. i dont have one yet but maybe i will get one for christmas? how about this little one? it can sit in a dark corner and you would never know about it. OH. I WANT IT SO MUCH.

3. this bag. i always like to have a nice simple black bag around. so whenever i see one thats worthy i would like to have it sitting in my closet for those days that i feel like using a black bag. its a very comforting feeling to know that you have it when you need it since they are pretty hard to find. kind of like a good pair of jeans or a nice basic tee or jacket or sweater or etc. you get the point.

4. i really dig this set up for my little dude’s room. i would want it for myself if it comes in an adult king size. what i really love is the sheets combo. it makes me think of eating strawberries and having strawberry shortcake doll as a decor. i think my little dude would really like it. maybe someone can just make one for us? please? its not for me? its for a super cute little dude? anyone? make it for us? elves?

5. this bed would be pretty cool if the case of the latter wish does not get fulfilled.