nafisahanafi

[nafisahanafi]

i’m not a regular mom, i’m a cool mom!

Or so I hope to be.

It half past one in the morning. I’m writing this whilst lying in bed, my baby girl swaddled and bundled in a knit blanket in between me & my husband. We’ve both just spent the last 2-ish hours trying to coerce this tiny girl to fall asleep, and after 90ml of milk from the bottle plus a total of an hour-ish of direct feeding on both sides, and a lot of rocking/ swaying in my arms... she’s finally decided that she’s ready for bed.

Co-sleeping. *sigh*

Honestly, it’s not something I’d like to do before she turns 6 months old but like most things I thought I wouldn’t do (concerning motherhood and this baby), I guess I’ll have to give it a try to see if it’ll work for me.

Before I gave birth to my little girl, I was adamant that I’d bathe her only 3, 4 times a week, max. I was concerned about stripping her skin off too much moisture, as per a lot of the advice I’ve read on the Internet posted by 21st century moms. But instead, this is what actually happened — my baby’s had a bath every day since the day she was born! She had a bath every morning at the nursery back when we were still in the hospital. Then when we got home, she was bathed every morning by the confinement lady that I hired to tend to me for the first 7 days of motherhood. After that, I would proceed to bathe her myself every afternoon until today. So far, she’s had the usual heat rash that comes and goes, and her scalp did look a little dry two days ago, but I suspect that’s due to the soap we used that day (I rotate between 4 brands of baby soap to see which ones suit her best).

Besides that, I also didn’t want to get more clothes for her but I was bored as hell being under house arrest by the 11th day of my confinement that I went ahead and bought not one but 14 pairs of short-sleeved onesies from Shopee. I got tired of doing laundry every 3 days, plus there was the 12.12 sale anyway so it was super cheap. Same thing with the swaddles too; I told myself 4 was enough but it turns out that I might need a couple more so I bought... err, 4 more.

Same thing happened with keeping her cot “empty”. If you showed me a picture of my girl’s cot today several weeks ago, I’d be so mad and totally go off on a rant about gow irresponsible it is to have soft toys, boxes and whatnot lining the cot. But hi, hello. It’s me. I’m that person now cos yes, my baby’s cot has foldable organisers at one end, and a small gang of animal plushies at the other end. I arrange her diapers and keep her diaper-changing stuffs (nappy cream, ointments, etc) in one of those boxes because as it turns out, it rrrrreally helps to keep everything close by! And the animals? Well... they were gifts from really special people, I didn’t have the heart to keep them somewhere else. Oh, and they make the cot look cosy & nice too!

I’m sure there are a couple more things I said I wouldn’t ever do but have done or am doing with my baby now, but I can’t recall any of them yet right now. Truthfully, I’m not exactly mad that I strayed away from my “principles” because every day I learn a new way to care for this baby. There’s more than one way to do things right, honestly. Some methods might be a little unorthodox or weird, but if it works for you & the baby, and is relatively safe, then hey — just keep doing it! Save yourself the misery of trying to please everyone or keep to someone else’s standard of a “good mom”.

I try to tell myself this every day. Most days I’m alright but some days, not gonna lie, the negativity does get to me... but I’m learning, and I’m sure I become a better mother for my baby every day because every day I try harder than the last. I have faith in myself, because my girl doesn’t deserve a mom that’s a quitter.

[nafisahanafi]

false alarm

Last night, Akmal ended up hauling my butt to the emergency room at 1 in the morning because I was having what I believe were “kinda sharp” contractions every half an hour since 10pm.

I have to be honest, though... I don’t really know what a Braxton-Hicks actually feels like because any time I feel a contraction, I sort of tell myself “mehh, I’ve had cramps worst than this” or just totally not notice the sensation so I have NO IDEA what they should feel like. I read about them a lot but still don't fully understand how I'm supposed to feel when I get them. Sometimes my bump hardens and I feel like my insides are tightening, and I ask myself if this is a BH contraction, because supposedly they’re not supposed to hurt (uncomfortable yes, but not exactly excruciating) and I don't feel any pain per se but... they kind of are... painful? UGH. I DON’T KNOW.

My mother noticed that I have “lightened”, which is basically just a fancy preggo term for my bump looking like it’s hanging a little lower than usual. This should mean that labour is “close” cos now the baby’s in its final position before her descent down the birth canal (or something like that). With only just a couple of weeks left until I reach my due date, it’s about damn time I lighten anyway! I am SO ready to have this baby! But apparently she’s still enjoying her time in utero. Last night, to my disappointment, the midwife told me that I haven't dilated much. Unbelievable! I mean, I went to Midvalley and The Gardens TWICE in a week last week. Walked around the malls from one end to the other. Not to mention all the other times this month I went round my usual haunts; KLCC, Sunway Pyramid and Subang Parade. It’s seriously unbelievable that I haven't even dilated to a full centimetre. Un-believable.

This is probably TMI, but I’ve tried basically evvvvverything Google has suggested to pregnant mums who are desperate to go into labour. Spicy food? Check. Ate a pineapple? Yep. Bounce on a gym ball? Err, I mimicked the motion on the edge of my bed but yeah — did that too! I have done everything except the castor oil thing, cos I tried a Dulcolax instead. But did I get even the slightest hint of a cramp or contraction after any of that? NUH-UH. Nothing. Nadda. Zilch.

So last night, they hooked me up to this machine that monitored the baby’s heartbeat and my contractions, but the midwife decided that my contractions weren’t strong enough to push the baby out. Apparently they were still just BH contractions, but I’ve started to notice them because I'm “close” but not “close enough”, whatever that means.

It was seriously embarrassing when the midwife told me I could go home. Ugh. I could be totally selfish or reckless and just demand to be induced but... I don't know, I still want it to come naturally. Know what I mean?

Yesterday wasn't really a good day, to be honest. I woke up in a foul mood because I had the same disappointing dream for the millionth time; holding Tiny in my arms but nahh it was just my tiny bolster. My breakfast didn't agree with me cos I ended up hurling half of it back out by noon. Also, yesterday was the day the annoying questions finally got to me. You know, the “you’re still pregnant”, “you look like you’re about to burst” and “when are you ever gonna pop that baby out” questions. Some days I can take ‘em, no sweat, but yesterday was not one of those days. So I spent the rest of the day just simmering with anger, pretty much fuming and snappy. I’ll admit, a tiny percentage of my decision to ask Akmal to take me to the ER that night was probably influenced by the crappy day that I had earlier. I felt like maybe if I pushed a baby out last night I could finally shut those people up! But it’s not worth it. Tiny will come out when she’s ready, not when I feel like giving up.

[nafisahanafi]

will i miss being pregnant?

These days, I’m basically just the grumpiest, wobbliest creature you’ll ever have the (dis)pleasure of meeting, who’s always desperately looking for things that’ll occupy her enough so she doesn’t end up Googling ‘how to induce labour naturally’ for the millionth time, every half an hour. This waiting game I’ve been playing with Tiny is ridiculously boring & unnerving! But hey, at least in the meantime it’s encouraging me to get a lot of my things in order. Hooray for productivity, huh?

I found an article about inducing labour on Romper this morning and have already started looking into Jaya Grocer and Tesco’s grocery delivery services so I can order some pineapples — one of the things in that article that supposedly might help get things going — without leaving the comfort of my house. Yes, it has come to that! I am now actively looking for ways to speed things up! I’m not even ashamed to admit it. Y’all should know that I’m not exactly kidding when I look at my tummy and tell the baby in there that “we’re good to go, anytime now”. Seriously.

Okay, okay... Sometimes I do feel a little guilty about being such a sour puss, and whether or not I say it out loud or frown behind closed doors, it does make me feel like I’m somewhat taking this experience for granted. I’m aware that some women try very hard to get pregnant but to no avail. Akmal & I weren’t even really trying but we got lucky the first time, so I’m very very very grateful to be this fortunate. But in my defence, it has NOT always been a wonderful walk in the park. Some days I literally feel like death is upon me, and I mean the true definition of the word “literal”. Sometimes I would be in so much pain that I just pass out! People should know by now that every pregnancy is different, even for the same woman. I probably didn’t have a hard time conceiving Tiny, but I’m definitely having a hard time carrying her especially these past couple of weeks.  So that’s sort of fair, right? *shrugs*

But to address the question... Honestly... If I were to be completely honest, the answer I’m going to go with right now is... No, and that’s a definite no. I will not miss being pregnant.

On the other hand, I’m not going to tell you to rethink your decision to have a baby or that I’m not completely stoked about welcoming my little girl when she arrives! MashaAllah, I haven’t even met her but my heart is already so full of love for her. Besides that, I get to witness God’s miracles firsthand as a pregnant woman; to have Tiny grow inside me, with me, since Day 1, and that, to me, is the most wonderful thing about pregnancies in general.

Although I’m confident that I won’t miss being a basket case with the gait of a penguin, there is one thing that I might... could maybe miss about this pregnancy, which is the fact that I can go for days without doing a single thing on my skincare routine and still have close-to-perfect skin!

Look, I didn’t really believe that “pregnancy glow” is a real thing, cos I used to think that it’s just something people say when they see you sporting an obvious bump. But I think I’ve changed my mind now that I’m pregnant myself! It’s probably a God-given perk or bonus that comes with sacrificing the comfort of your torso for 9 months. I haven’t had skin this clear and hydrated in yeaaaars! I’m talking ‘bout decades, like the last time my skin was like this was before I hit puberty. I can’t even remember when I last used a sheet mask or sleeping mask, but most (if not all) of the fine lines near my eyes & lips are... gone! I also don’t remember the last time I cleansed, toned & moisturised my face before bedtime; not even joking. For the record, I haven’t bought a single skincare item since I got pregnant cos nothing is being used that much anymore!

So I guess it’s not so bad after all? Heh. But as much as I enjoy watching my tummy ripple with Tiny’s kicks & squirms, and my husband giving me foot & back rubs on demand... I really REALLY just want to have this baby soon.

[nafisahanafi]

9 Nov 2018

We celebrated my husband’s birthday on the 9th last week. It was our first time celebrating his birthday together as husband & wife.

I took him to this restaurant he’s been so curious about in Bukit Jelutong called Kay’s Steak & Lobster. Apparently, their specialty is the wagyu tomahawk steak, which costs around RM50 per 100 grams (if I’m remembering it correctly). Honestly, I’m not sure if that’s a good/ reasonable/ whatever price for wagyu meat since I’m not a fan of eating steak, but since it was my husband’s birthday, I was cool with it. He’s been looking at their pictures on Instagram for weeks now, and he loves eating red meat! I’m sure he was excited for our dinner that night.

That’s what a tomahawk steak looks like at Kay’s Steak & Lobster. Got this picture from their website.

But unfortunately, the final piece of the tomahawk cut that they had for the week weighed around 1.5kg, which is enough to feed a family of 5, okay! For the record, the table in front of us were a party of 6 and we noticed that they were sharing a tomahawk steak, which they ended up tapau-ing at the end of the night. See, even for a large group 1kg is huuuuge! So Akmal ended up ordering a regular rib eye steak with au poivre sauce, which was recommended by the waitress, and me, I had the lobster thermidor. Not bad... It was one of the best lobsters I’ve ever had so far! Akmal however didn’t really enjoy the sauce with the steak; it paired better with the mashed potatoes, in his opinion.

The salad that came with both our dishes was alright. Akmal’s a big salad eater so he enjoyed that as well, but I thought that the dressing tasted awfully similar to the roasted sesame sauce by Kewpie, which would be very disappointing if it were true because I’d expect a place like that to have their own house recipe for something as simple as salads. Oh well.

After dinner, we went to Jibril for drinks before heading home and calling it a night. Hey, the halal kind, of course. We’re Muslim! And... I’m... pregnant... Anyway, it was the perfect place for us to continue our date night cos Jibril has got such an unmistakeable 1920s speakeasy vibe, we had just had steak and lobster for dinner, and I was feelin’ a little like Clara Bow with my big lashes & makeup.

Alhamdulillah for another year with my Akmal Safwan!

#Kay's Steak & Lobster #tomahawk steak #malaysia

[nafisahanafi]

Akmal & I went to the selfie museum in KL last Tuesday. I had been cooped up at home for so long, it was finally time to get some cardio and fresh air. It was also the perfect excuse to get dolled up since I expect we’d be taking a lot of pictures that day.

I bought 2 tickets for the 2:30pm slot, each ticket costs RM40 but you can get a 31% discount if you purchase the tickets over the counter using Maybank QR Pay. We ended up reaching Fahrenheit 88 (that’s where the museum is) at 2:40pm, but thankfully they were kind enough to let us join the 3pm slot — time slots aren’t changeable but I guess the girls were in a super good mood that day. Yay!

The Selfie Museum is a guided tour consisting of 9 rooms that you can explore & snap pictures in for 10 minutes each. After that, you’ll be taken to the next room by the staff. Each ticket grants you 5 types of free desserts (one mini cupcake, a marshmallow pop, Baskin Robbins ice-cream, onde-onde in a cone & a Tealive drink), and a complimentary spicy popcorn at the end of the tour, along with a free mini bottle of Lingham’s chilli sauce.

Overall, I think it was okay. The Samsung room was pretty boring, but most of the other rooms were nice to take photos in. The two best rooms, in my opinion, has got to be the ones sponsored by Benefit and Hotlink! The room by Tealive & Llao Llao was alright, but we were a little disappointed that there weren’t free Llao Llao yoghurts, even though it was sponsored by them. Heh heh. Oh well, at least we did get a tiny scoop of ice-cream from the Baskin Robbins room.

#kuala lumpur #fahrenheit 88 #malaysia #selfie museum kl

[nafisahanafi]

packing for the big day

I’m due in a couple of weeks now, but for some reason I just couldn’t get myself to finish packing my hospital bags sooner. Perhaps it’s because I’m usually very tired, or maybe it’s the fact that I’m not the type to pack my clothes in advanced even for holidays... or maybe I’m just subconsciously nervous about the whole thing.

Don’t get me wrong! Of course I’m suuuuper stoked to meet Baby S very soon! But the thought of pushing a tiny human out of my nether regions is a little... scary. So I basically filmed myself packing my hospital bags cos I thought it might be a good way to distract myself from the fear.

","poster":[{"url":"https://66.media.tumblr.com/3c0c4d26c38eca9e332943feecc416d6/tumblr_phvltc4Jdb1wnjune_540.jpg","type":"image/jpeg","width":480,"height":360}],"metadata":{"id":"yhfi412Ym1w"},"attribution":{"type":"app","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhfi412Ym1w","app_name":"youtube","display_text":"nafisah anafi - What's In My Hospital Bag?"}}">

Sorry for the zero introductions, hehe. But I’m not a fan of lengthy videos that beat around the bush before finally addressing the topic.

So the bags are packed and ready to go, I’m just waiting for Tiny to cue her entrance. We’ve even installed the car seat & sun shade last week — fam, we are SO READY right now.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why I didn’t include diapers in the video... well, we’ve got a ton of diaper samples at home so I’ve stashed some of them in the trunk of my car cos seriously you guys, the nursery is running out of space. Just gotta remember to bring some out of the car with us when we get to the hospital. Another thing I didn't include in the video were my husband’s toiletries, cos he can manage that bit himself I reckon. He’ll be bringing his regular toothbrush (I packed the disposable type for myself), contact lens solution and case, undies, et cetera... Stuffs he’ll be using every day until the big day, know what I mean?

I also didn’t include a towel for the baby because I’m thinking of just using the towel I packed inside my toiletry bag for her. Me, I’m just going to use the towel that will be provided by the hospital (complimentary Admission Kit) cos I’m honestly not too picky about towels and I don’t believe in over-packing. Here are a list of things Sunway Medical Centre recommends that you pack in your bags.

I got the idea to pack some of the “unorthodox” things from a lot of the blogs that I was reading before making my own list. Mothercare UK has a video on packing for the big day where the last piece of advice they leave you with is to unpack everything and get your husband/ partner to pack everything back in. That way, they’ll know exactly where everything is when you’re strapped to the bed and they’re the only ones who can reach the bags.

Some of those blogs recommended that I bring an eye mask (in case I have trouble sleeping; doubt it though), bendy straws and a special water bottle (maybe I’ll skip this one too), witch hazel-soaked frozen maternity pads to soothe my lady bits after the big push (issa no as well but maybe I’ll use this tip at home)... but I think I’ve packed quite enough for 3 days. We live quite near to the hospital, so hopefully hubbers won't mind a taking quick drive back home if I'm in serious need of anything else or left something important.

Hopefully Tiny will make her debut into the world very, very soon! These cramps & aches are driving me insaaaaaaaaaane, man!

#hospital bag #motherhood #baby stuffs #newborns #malaysia #what's in my bag #sunway medical centre

[nafisahanafi]

RFID Pilot Project (Part 2)

So far, I don't have a lot of complaints about the RFID sticker.

But there was that one time when I was driving with my mother, heading to KL on the NPE, and I was trying to pass through the RFID lane at the PJS 5 toll plaza and the barrier/ gate thing wouldn't let me pass. In fact, it had actually hit my windscreen of my car! Okay, okay. Maaaaybe it was my fault because I was going at 50kmph... 

Then there was that other time last week when my husband’s car got stuck for a bit at the RFID-only lane at the Bukit Jalil toll plaza. We were going at 50-ish kmph and would've almost hit the barrier if we hadn't made a complete stop. Then the sensor finally detected the RFID sticker and let us through.

Those were the only times we ever got stuck because of the RFID sticker.

#MyRFID #malaysia #touch n go

[nafisahanafi]

Hi!

It’s been 3-ish weeks since I had the RFID sticker installed to my car, so I thought I ought to do a quick update. But first, here’s that “eWallet management” walkthrough slash tutorial video I said I’d do when I first talked about this whole RFID thing.

#MyRFID #malaysia #touch n go

[nafisahanafi]

skincare talk: stretch marks

Alrighty, let’s talk about  s t r e t c h  m a r k s  today, shall we?

If you know me, you’d know that I’m into skincare and reading all about the ingredients I put on my body & face. I had bad acne growing up, and was active in my college marching band so I spent a lot of time getting sunburnt and a lot of effort repairing all that sun damage (to no avail because I had ZERO knowledge of all this stuff back then).

One time, the skin on my face was actually peeling. Yup! That was back when I went to LIBK (that’s Latihan Intensif Bakal Komander for ya, and basically pseudo-military camp for all you non UiTM-ers) for a week and they had us doing all sorts of bullshit activity (seriously, I should have sued the whole damn campus) under the sun; and of course more bullshit activity at night & the middle of the night, but that’s a story for a different day. I had long strips of fried (not even kidding) skin peeling everywhere on my face. Real horror movie, disgusting stuff! But there wasn't much that I could do at that time because after that camp, I knew I was going to have to sit through more camps in the future (because I eventually became a Komander for the UiTM Pahang marching band) so the only time I could actually start repairing my skin was after I was completely done with band practices, competitions, etc — which happened to be in 2016 after my last drum competition.

Ah, but I digress. I’ll talk about my marching band experience some other day.

Back to stretch marks. My point after all that rambling up there is that these days (I think) I’m pretty well read about all this skin stuff so from what I’ve garnered from all my “research” is that stretch marks are pretty much inevitable in a pregnancy and there’s no such thing as an “anti-stretch mark product”. I mean those stuffs that say they can help you avoid getting stretch marks altogether — lies! They lighten over time, that bit is true, but to be pregnant and not have it at all? Unheard of.

Perhaps if more and more women were to proudly say that they aren’t ashamed of their stretch marks, more and more people would realise that it’s not such a bad thing. Hmm.

But if it really bothers you, you can try keeping your skin hydrated so that the marks hopefully won’t be very obvious. Stretch marks, as the name suggests, happens when your skin stretches. This usually happens to people with a rapidly fluctuating weight and, you guessed it, pregnant women! Three guesses why, but I’ll tell you why anyway — our body expands every day as the baby grows! Duhh. Hashtag, logic.

So how do we get rid of them?

Whether you choose to believe it or not, the bottom line is that there has been no medical evidence that any of those ointments, oils, creams in the market can help avoid them entirely. When I discovered my first stretch mark a couple months ago, I too freaked out and turned to all those social media mom-fluencers to see what products they used to make theirs disappear, and after reading more into the products that came highly-recommended by those seemingly perfect high-profile moms, it finally dawned on me... these girls either had an “obligation” to say those things or they have yet to realise that they just spent RM500 on a glorified lotion.

Okay, I know I sound pessimistic about this. So here’s some good news! As with all other scars, if you tend to it as soon as you see it in the early stages, it’s quite possible to stop the scar from forming, or at least, have it form a little slower or less obvious.

Going back to my point on hydrating. This is one thing you can do to delay or reduce the severity of your stretch marks. Logically, your skin is more elastic when it’s hydrated, so after losing all that baby fat postpartum, it becomes easier for the skin to settle back to its condition pre-pregnancy. Imagine putting on a pair of old leggings after getting a bikini bod. Mind you, those leggings were from a time when you were packing an extra couple of pounds (eg. before you lost weight and got that thigh gap you always wanted). Then imagine what those leggings would look like on your now toned legs. Pretty baggy, right? Well that’s what going on when you see those stretch marks — your skin doesn’t fit you the same way anymore!

Occasionally, I massage some virgin coconut oil into my skin from this local brand called Neutrax, to keep my skin moisturised & hydrated. This was something I sarted doing when I was in my 2nd trimester. I got the one with the rosehip oil mix instead (Neutrax has 2 other VCO mix; argan and chamomile) since, according to what I’ve read, rosehip oil is better for lightening dark spots (I assume stretch marks can darken with UV exposure, idk) and dry skin. Argan is supposedly better for hair & nails, and chamomile is best for rashes & burns. Alhamdulillah, so far so good. Don't get me wrong, I did ended up with some stretch marks here and there, mostly at the predictable spots, but my OB did note that compared to her other patients and even herself, mine don't look too bad! So... I guess for me the essential oils worked, huh? *shrugs*

Why Neutrax? Well, the ingredients were easy to understand. I wanted to try Bio-Oil or something from the more fancy brands like Glow, Clarins, Burt’s Bees, etc but I don't like the fact that they’re made of a tonne of ingredients and some of the ingredients are stuffs I try to avoid in my other skincare; especially Bio-Oil since it’s got mineral oil & fragrance.

Personally, these days I don’t mind them. Some days I’m actually proud of them! My pregnancy hasn't been easy but I'm pushing through, and I’d like to think of these lines on the side of my belly, thighs & arms as my glorious battle scars, something that can serve as a reminder to me in the future of me when I was at my strongest & bravest. Pregnant women are tough as hell, don’t you think? NINE months of rapid, uncontrollable growth... putting up with all the pregnancy symptoms, the exhilaration, exhaustion, excruciating pain of childbirth or a caesarean operation! Damn... If you ask me, we’re the real MVPs.

#stretch marks #motherhood #pregnancy #malaysia #felda #neutrax

[nafisahanafi]

My Baby Essentials: Bath & Nappy Time

Welcome to Part 3 of 3 of my “baby essential” list! Tonight, I’m going to write about Tiny’s bath time stuffs, clothes, diapers & everything else in between.

1. IKEA LÄTTSAM baby bath tub

By now, you’ve probably noticed that we bought a LOT of Tiny’s stuffs from Ikea. Honestly, it really isn't about being “brand conscious” or anything... We just thought that it’d be easy to get everything at one place. This is also the reason why we don't mind going to baby expos; most of the things we want to get for her are cheaper there plus it’s convenient (everything in one place). Not gonna lie though, I would love to get the Skip Hop Moby bathtub for her instead, but I just can't bring myself to spend that much on... a... bathtub. Ahem, not that I’d mind if any of you got that for her as a gift, heh heh! Buuuuut, yeah. 

2. IKEA SKÖTSAM diaper change mat

When I was at the end of the 2nd trimester, I got into like this spring cleaning frenzy so I started throwing (recycle, repurpose, donate) a lot of my old junk away. You could say I was slowly decluttering and making room for the new addition to the family, so obviously, an actual changing table is out of the question — who actually needs one anyway?! Honestly. They might be pretty and make a nursery look chic & lovely, yeah but to me that’s just an extra thing to buy & assemble. Plus, that would mean that every time we needed to change her diaper we had to bring her into the nursery. So we decided to get Tiny this mat instead. The end.

3. IKEA TILLGIVEN towel with hood

We got this for her in the colour pictured above and another one in pink. So far she’s only got 2 towels, and I honestly think that ought to be enough if Akmal & I can maintain an efficient laundry routine.

4. Bath thermometer

I bought the green one on Shopee because it was the cheapest thing at the store, and I needed to get something that was at least RM2 in order to qualify for free shipping. Thought it might be useful. 

5. Washcloth & bath sponge

I bought these on Shopee as well, for the same reason I got the frog thermometer. I was reading about bathing newborns and apparently most people in the West only bathe their babies twice a week! Malaysia is really humid though, so I’m sure Tiny will need a bath at least once a day. I don't personally know that many people who actually use soft sponges & washcloths for their babies — maybe it’s an Asian thing — but I bought one of each anyway just for the free shipping. 

6. Cotton swaddles

We bought two bamboo cotton swaddles for Tiny at a baby expo back in March and I gotta say, although they weren't as cheap as the regular muslin swaddles we bought on Shopee, I think I like the bamboo ones a lot more. They are waaaaay, way softer & plush, and wider too! I plan to keep her swaddled every night for bedtime cos I read that babies are less fussy when swaddled, and it helps reduce the likelihood of them dying from SIDS.

7. Baby tummy binders

Tummy binders are probably an “Asian thing” too, or maybe it’s just a Malay thing... Idk. I got several of the ones with strings for Tiny from Holabebe and another brand from this one booth at the recent TCE Baby Expo. When I asked my grandmother if I really needed this stuff, she gave me a definite yes because it supposedly helps protect the baby’s navel area so she won't get an infection or anything. Well, I guess that does make sense but I just think it’s strange why this stuff isn't widely used by people from other parts of the world.

8. Clothes — onesies, sleep suits, snowcaps, socks, mittens & booties

Since we’re trying to not go overboard with baby clothes, we only have a few of each until (we think) Tiny isn't outgrowing everything at a rapid rate. We went to Mothercare one day got some long & short-sleeved onesies in the 0 - 3 months size; they were all 30% off! Then we got 4 more onesies from Cotton On Kids cos I had an RM30 cash discount voucher. Everything is folded neatly into her SAMLA makeshift wardrobe. Maybe when she’s 8 months old or a little bigger we’ll start shopping for more clothes.

9. Wet wipes

I'm not sure if newborns, specifically my Tiny, actually needs wet wipes cos I’ll be home with her most of all the time until after my confinement period ends... so I don't think we will be buying any more wet wipes anytime soon (I wrote a review on the wet wipes that we’ve tried out so far, read all about it here).

10. Soaps & creams

I got a tonne of the sample-sized Drypers head-to-toe wash so we’ll most likely use that for Tiny until we run out of it. We’ve tried both the original and the avocado scented ones on ourselves and I think both smell lovely. Besides that, we’ve also got a bunch of samples from Pureen (in both peach & cherry and blackcurrant & plum). I have a strong feeling that all these samples will last us for months so we’ll only need to start buying soap for Tiny in March next year, no joke! On top of that, I also bought the newborn trial kit from Offspring, which also includes a bottle of baby oil, lotion & nappy balm, so we’re looking forward to trying that out on her too.

11. Diapers

Akmal & I acknowledge that we are serrrriously lucky to have gotten a lot of samples throughout my pregnancy. Alhamdulillah, we received everything from pregnancy-formula milk, baby bottles, breast pads, mosquito patches, soaps (detergent, bath gels, dishwashing liquids, etc) and... diapers! I’ll definitely do a write-up on diapers once I’ve tested them all on Baby S (since hubs & I can't possibly test them on ourselves). Frankly speaking, I'm most excited to try the Huggies Ultra since everyone I asked spoke highly of it.

12. SKIP HOP Greenwich Simply Chic backpack

*swoon* There was no actual need for us to get a diaper bag since we already have two backpacks and a tote from Similac, and another backpack from Anmum, but... This one from Skip Hop just stole my heart when I first saw it. I mean, come on. A bag that matches your stroller? Yes, please! This one is made from vegan leather (that’s just fancy talk for PU leather) and rose gold hardware, which is exactly how I’d describe our Sola² pushchair! We bought it during the online sale at the Skip Hop website, and because they don't ship to Malaysia, I had to get a friend who lives in LA to bring it home for me. So uhm yeah, it’s not actually here with me yet... 

13. APPLECRUMBY & FISH laundry detergent

I initially never even thought of getting a detergent that was specifically marketed for babies. My mother never used one for me and I turned out fine! Haha. 10 years ago, none of these things even existed in the Malaysian market and yet most (if not all) of us turned out alright. But I bought it anyway, just out of curiosity. I did one load of laundry a fortnight ago with this, and although before the wash the mandarin scent was quite strong, after the wash there was no smell at all. Nothing! No mandarin scent, and no other scents as well! Strange... but I’m not mad. Then I did another load with a detergent I received from this Japanese brand called Arau Baby by Saraya, which ended up faintly smelling of lavender & mint. I’m not mad about that as well. The concept of having a detergent just for your baby’s laundry seems cool and all but I’m calling it now, I don't think we’ll be buying these things again in the future, not unless Tiny really needs a special soap for medical or health reasons. *shrugs*

And there you have it! Hopefully many of you found my lists to be helpful or insightful. Perhaps you’ve been thinking of getting some of these things and needed the extra “push”. Since Baby S is my first, we don't really mind splurging a little on her but we’re aware that newborns tend to outgrow a lot of things fast, so we gotta take it easy for the first year. Oh, and some stuffs aren’t worth spending a lot of money on, or buying at all. My mother wanted to get Tiny that oval-shaped Stokke cot but I had to tell her no cos the price is just too ridiculous!

Right now, I can't really say that I swear by any of the things I listed, or am not open to trying other things out because I haven't actually tried any of them on/ with Tiny yet. But once I do, I’ll most likely do an update or a review of some sort — stay tuned for that!

Read the Feeding Time list here, and Furniture & Gear list here.

#baby haul #baby essentials #malaysia #baby stuffs

[nafisahanafi]

Thought I’d show you guys the cot organiser I made for my baby. I got the idea to make one myself when I was out window shopping with my husband and saw that most of the hanging organisers didn’t have a tissue compartment, which is something I’d like mine to have cos I’m always misplacing the tissue box.

I bought all the materials from Spotlight (of course), except for the green polka dotted & orange floral fabric, those are from my mother’s stash of fat quarters. Below is a list of materials & tools I used for this project:

1m of iron-on interfacing

1.5m of patterned fabric (for the main design)

1m of plain fabric (for background)

Large buttons

6″ zipper

Birch braided elastic

The usual stuffs everybody & their mums will use when doing a sewing project; ie. sewing machine, needle, thread, scissors etc

I’m just going to use it to keep all the creams, lotions & ointments in one place and within reach for nappy changes cos I plan to change Tiny’s diapers just next to her cot. We didn’t get one of those diaper changing tables cos we don’t think they’re necessary, but we did get a diaper changing mat, which should make diaper changes on the floor a little bit more comfortable for the baby. We bought one with a soft plastic cover cos I read that diaper-changing is messy business!

The end result is a 46cm x 54cm organiser with button tabs so that I can remove it if I need to clean it or hang it up elsewhere. I included two stretchy slots just above the small pocket; I plan to use those slots to hold her hairbrush, nail clipper etc in place. The small pocket can be used to keep hair ties & hair clips, or other tiny accessories.

#crafts #DIY #projects #sewing #cot organiser #crib organiser

[nafisahanafi]

My Baby Essentials: Furniture & Gear

Picking up where I left off yesterday, tonight’s list will be about the things we got for Tiny’s nursery as well as a couple of other baby gear we thought might come in handy in the future.

1. IKEA SUNDVIK cot + KRUMMELUR mattress

Initially, we wanted to just borrow my aunt’s Ikea DIKTAD cot because she doesn’t have a use for it anymore, and it’s such a beautiful, antique-looking piece of furniture. It can also be converted into a toddler bed too! But alas, we had to ditch that idea cos a few of the important screws were missing so it was pretty wobbly as a cot — but absolutely perfect as a toddler bed. One day whilst at Ikea, I wandered off into the As/Is section and found what would be Tiny’s grey brown SUNDVIK cot just waiting for me to bring it home. It was flawless for an ex-display item. We paid less than half the original price for it; quite a bargain if I may say so myself! Last weekend we bought the KRUMMELUR mattress to go with the cot, and some fitted sheets from Ikea as well. I’m not really keen on overcrowding the cot with stuffs like pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, bumpers, etc... so we didn't get any of those. I've been reading too much a lot about SIDS so the plan is to keep her cot pretty bare until she’s at least 5 months old. We purposely chose the KRUMMELUR over the PELLEPLUTT mattress for this purpose too. SIDS is seriously scary, people!

2. IKEA STRANDMON wing chair

We bought this chair pretty early during my pregnancy cos I needed something to sit on while I was working on my knitting & sewing projects for Baby S. Then we realised that this could work as a breastfeeding chair as well since it’s really comfy, so we rearranged the room to have this placed next to the cot. Oh, in case you’re wondering, yes I'm typing this while sitting on this chair! Most nights I sit here before bed if I had a late dinner/ supper, just to calm my tummy down and wait for the heartburn sensation to subside. We’re very pleased with this purchase, and I’d recommend you get one too if you can't find any reason not to.

3. IKEA SAMLA box with lid + SKUBB 6-piece organiser

Akmal & I are taking it easy with the baby clothes shopping cos we were told that newborns grow out of their clothes rrrreally fast, so instead of getting an actual wardrobe or dresser, we got this SAMLA box that fits perfectly under the cot, and a pack of the SKUBB organisers so I can neatly arrange all her little clothes in the box. I'm sure once we find a need to upgrade the size of her wardrobe, this box can be repurposed elsewhere in the house — you can never have too many boxes amirite!

4. NUNA Leaf swing

The Nuna Leaf was something Akmal was set to get for his kids; this was a decision he made even before I got pregnant. I guess it must be a guy thing then cos apparently the Nuna brand came to be when a Dutch dad couldn't find baby gear in the market that came in a style that spoke to him. We bought ours in the colour ‘Dawn’ at a baby expo so we got it for a good price, and a free Nuna toy bar too!

5. MAMAS AND PAPAS Sola² pushchair & bassinet

Ah, the second travel system we bought. Yep, you read that right! The second thing we bought when we found out I was pregnant was a complete travel system from Evenflo — pushchair, bassinet & car seat. We were... overexcited. Don't get me wrong, the Evenflo Pivot is great! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. But then we saw this beauty from Mamas & Papas... It was love at first sight! I mean, just look at that contrast between the rose gold and the jet black [insert heart eyes emoji here]. Lucky for us, the Pivot was still in its box with all the original packaging, so we managed to sell it off on Mudah for the same amount we paid for. We bought the Sola² from eBay, even before we sold the Pivot (that’s how crazy in love we were) cos it was the last piece anddd it’s IMPOSSIBLE to find this in Malaysia. The brand itself is pretty rare here; the Sola² even more so! We’ve only ever seen the Urbo² & Armadillo around, but never this one. The retail price for this brand in Malaysia is pretty ridiculous so when we saw the ad for the pushchair & bassinet bundle on eBay at just 50% of the total price if this was ever sold here, we immediately clicked proceed to checkout. Nothing else mattered at that point.

6. BRITAX First Class Plus car seat

Akmal & I are biiiiiig on discounts, but only if it’s 30% or more. If it ain’t on sale, we’re not buying it! So this was something we bought from the Happi Kiddo website when they had a sale sometime in May. We were coincidentally looking to buy a car seat anyway, and I read that Britax has one of the best reputations for safety, so it was a go for us. This came with a newborn insert, so I can see us using this from the get go with Tiny. The zebra-patterned fabric feels like soft velvet! I wouldn't mind sitting on this seat myself if it fits me. We decided to get a proper car seat car seat instead of those infant-only carrier types that you can mount on your strollers because it just makes more sense. You can't use the latter for very long unlike an actual car seat, which supposedly can be used until your kid starts going to preschool.

7. SNAPKIS EasiKeep sunshade

This was just something I thought would be pretty good to have for the car. Malaysia’s pretty sunny, and I don't like the thought of having strangers ogle at my baby when I stop at traffic lights. We bought this for cheap at the TCE Baby Expo in September.

8. SNAPKIS Premium USB fan

Same reason with the previous item — it’s a humid country, and Akmal thought this would pair nicely with the stroller. Baby expo. Cheap. Sold.

Hopefully I can get list #3 ready by tomorrow. Watch this space!

#baby haul #baby essentials #malaysia #baby stuffs

[nafisahanafi]

My Baby Essentials: Feeding Time

I was putting together a list of things I wanted to include in a first-time-mum slash newborn-must-haves kind of list, then I noticed that it got pretty long, so I've decided to divide them into smaller categories to make it more... readable. So this is the first in a series of lists! Yay!

Oh mind you, these are things that I personally would consider as “essential” for my baby, so yes! Not everything here is honestly necessary! Just... putting this... out there...

Tonight’s list is about baby bottles & everything else relating to it!

1. COMOTOMO baby bottle

It was love at first sight for me & these babies! The soft silicone material, the super wide teat (that also looks easy to clean & dry), the colour... The 150ml Comotomo bottles were the only ones hubbers & I bought for Tiny, and if we didn't already have soooo many bottles, we wouldn't mind getting a few more of these! We got one in each colour. I just have a good feeling about this bottle. I read that these are one of the best to avoid nipple confusion, so hopefully my Tiny will like these bottles as much as I do (but just not too much, right).

2. PHILIPS AVENT Natural bottle

Ah, my backup bottles. I've heard & read so many positive things about Avent Natural; one of my friends even swear by it. Alhamdulillah, we ended up getting a bunch of these in various sizes & teat flows, as well as the Newborn Starter Set and an extra pack of pacifiers & teats, cos we bought our steriliser and bottle warmer from the same brand. But even if we didn’t get them for free, I'm sure we would've ended up buying one or two just out of curiosity.

3. PHILIPS AVENT Classic bottle

My aunt gave us a couple boxes of her unopened Avent Classic when she found out I was pregnant, so technically these were the first bottles that we owned! But I’m not sure if I’d want to use them though, cos I think I like wide-neck bottles more. However, that’s all up to Tiny so we’re just going to keep them as backup for now. I mean, the backup’s backup. Yeah.

4. MEDELA bottle with Calma teat

The only reason why this is even on this list is cos we got a total of 5 of them when we bought the Medela Swing pump, and I'm probably only going to use them to store my expressed milk. The Calma teat is seriously overpriced, in my opinion. Imagine if Tiny likes this one the most out of the rest — ugh! One teat costs more than an entire Comotomo bottle! Mummy & daddy can't afford this so nuh-uh Tiny, we’re definitely not going to teach you to drink from this.

5. DR BROWN’S Options & Wide-Neck bottle

We got these two for free from the Today’s Baby Expo back in March. Both are 120ml, and like all Dr Brown’s bottles, they each come with a cleaning brush and a vent that helps reduce colic. As sophisticated as they might be, I don't think we’re going to use these though cos that’s just one too many parts to clean, sterilise & dry. Plus, we already have about... 35+ bottles already (no joke) so we’ll most likely list these two on Mudah or Carousell soon. Be on the lookout if you’re interested, heh heh.

6. PHILIPS AVENT Fast Bottle Warmer

Philips is like “Colgate” to me in a sense that when I think of electronics, this brand is what I immediately think of. Almost everything with a plug in the house I grew up in is from Philips; even the lightbulbs too! Many of my close relatives and friends used Philips Avent for their kids, and they only have good things to say about it. So yup, I’m sold. We got this milk bottle warmer for obvious reasons, and also because we could get one more Avent Natural bottle for free with it — score!

7. PHILIPS AVENT 3-in-1 Electric Steam Steriliser

Bet you saw this one coming... Or maybe you didn’t, which means you’re probably on “Team UV Steriliser” then! Or not. Haha. Well, Akmal & I opted for a steam steriliser instead of a UV simply because we don't believe in the hype. To us, a steriliser isn't even really necessary. When you really think about it, it’s more of a convenient luxury. Sure, a UV steriliser sounds amaaaazing cos you can use it for anything and everything, but we’ve been doing fine without it so to borrow a quote from a local actor who had a brief stint in politics by the name of Azwan Ali, “why bother why bother why bother”.

8. BOON Grass countertop drying rack with accessories

Since we bought a steam steriliser, we wanted to get a drying rack of some sort. After some searching, we found this one from Boon that has a cute garden concept. We bought the medium-sized one called Grass along with two the accessories (exactly like ones in the picture); a white Stem (flower) and a white Twig (tree). Not only are they super adorable, they’re really handy as well to dry all the smaller bottle & breast pump parts and bits. I bought them from Happi Kiddo, but I’d suggest you to get yours from Jumping Baby Jacks or somewhere else cheaper. Hey, RM3.70 can make a big difference, okay!

9. IKEA TILLSLUTA dry food box with lid

I got the idea to keep all the unused, sterilised bottles in this airtight box from IKEA from my husband, cos he has one for his camera equipment. Throw in some silica gel packs and voila, you got yourself a cheap dry box! We’re keeping all the baby stuffs in the nursery so I don't have to run down to the kitchen to get Tiny’s stuffs, so this should be great to keep the room neat & organised.

10. APPLECRUMBY & FISH bottle and utensil cleaner

One of my pregnant buddies introduced me to this local brand a couple months ago. I’ve always wanted to try something from the more “premium” or certified-organic range just to see how they’d fare against the more generic, less expensive brands. During the recent 9.9 sale, I ordered this detergent & bottle soap bundle from Applecrumby & Fish (sounds awfully similar to Abercrombie & Fitch, no?) because it was a LOT cheaper than it normally is at full price. Both the detergent & bottle soap have the same smell, but I have yet to try the bottle soap — I tested out the detergent last week when I did one load of Tiny’s laundry, will write about that soon. Besides this, we also have a box of the sample-sized Pureen Liquid Cleanser (for bottles, vegetables & fruits) in original and mint. Looking forward to trying all of these out — will let you know which one I like best, inshaAllah.

So there’s my list of all things related to feeding & nursing little Baby S when she arrives.

We haven't decided if we’re going to use those disposable plastic milk storage bags, but if we had to choose, I think we’ll go with something from Mothercare (cos at least we can get a discount there) or something that doesn’t cost RM1 per bag. Baby stuffs are so pricey; we try our level best to be frugal where & when we can.

Stay tuned for the next list!

#baby haul #baby essentials #malaysia #motherhood #baby stuffs

[nafisahanafi]

Review: Wet Wipes for Babies

For the past 6 weeks, Akmal & I have been testing out these wet wipes on ourselves before we use them on Tiny. Two of the above came highly recommended by our friends, and the other two were samples given to me by my OB.

I think by now I can conclude which of these I like most, and least prefer. So, the best (in my opinion) and the worst baby wipes, are ranked as follows. Oh my god, I feel like I’m writing an essay but whatevs...

1. Pureen Extra Moist Baby Wipes To me, this is the best one for several reasons. It’s free from fragrance, alcohol & parabens. The material is soft, but holds its shape nicely after one use. It doesn’t make my skin feel itchy or irritated. I can’t really comment about how long each packet retains its moisture cos it would be unfair to compare these 4 in that sense since two of them are sample sizes, not travel sizes. I usually do a little “aftertaste test” with all these wet wipes, cos the ones without a soapy aftertaste ought to be better in my opinion to wipe baby’s face with. Right? Right. This one had a little soapy aftertaste so maybe I won't use it to dab around Tiny’s face so much then.

2. Pigeon Baby Wipes Moisturizing Cloths This one is also alcohol-free, but its got mineral oil and perfume on the ingredients list, so you most likely won't agree with me on this one if you’re against using products made with those two. It’s got a nice “baby” smell that isn't overpowering but... it’s there. Similar to the Pureen wipes, this one holds its shape, feels soft on the skin, and doesn’t make my skin feel irritated. I found that this was the only one that didn't have a soapy aftertaste, so I think I wouldn't mind using this for Tiny’s face, fingers, etc.

3. Johnson’s Skincare Baby Wipes I honestly really wanted to like this, but... I can't get over the fact that they are not the easiest to use despite the fact that they smell the best out of the 4. The worst thing about this stuff is that it’s too stretchy so I imagine it wouldn't be the best stuff to clean baby butt cracks with. The packaging says that it’s alcohol-free and I notice that parabens are also absent in the ingredients list, so it’s probably paraben-free as well. It says that it’s “lightly fragranced” but the lovely baby powder smell is quite distinct , and I think that’s the only thing that I liked about it. When I used this on my face, I did feel a little irritation on the upper lip & cheeks area, but it wasn't too bad. My skin does feel a little moisturised after one use, but my husband says that it feels somewhat oily so he hates it — so this is definitely subjective. This too had a soapy aftertaste even though it says that it’s soap-free at the back.

4. Drypers Baby Wipes with Organic Calendula Extract I’m not saying that this one was the worst, but it has the most things I disliked. The packaging says that it’s free from alcohol, parabens, MIT (which I believe is methylisothiazoline, but please correct me if I'm wrong), and phenoxyethanol. Fragrance also seems to be missing from the ingredients list, but I did smell a faint, cheap makeup-ish kind of scent which wasn't very appealing. This one held its shape too but it made my skin feel prickly and irritated, plus it’s got a noticeably soapy aftertaste, so I think I’ll just use this as a surface wipe until we run out of it cos we’ve got like a box full of these sample-sized packs.

I know I should write about where you can get them, how much they cost, yadda yadda but before drafting this out, I forgot to consider setting up a constant variable, like getting them all in the same size and place. *smacks head*

This entry was supposed to be put on hold until after we’ve tested more brands on ourselves, cos there are a few more that I’m interested to try but have yet to go out and get them. Yes, we’re totally not sponsored or anything, so you can trust me to be honest when I say I don't like something. I'm thinking for testing out the more “premium” wipes, like the ones from Snapkis, Offspring, Applecrumby & Fish, K-Mom and Natural Organic next.

PS. I think I’m going to go with that title for now until I can come up with a more catchy way of naming my “reviews”.

#product review #baby wipes #malaysia #pureen #pigeon #johnson's baby #drypers

[nafisahanafi]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiZ3eqenywc)

3rd Trimester Workout

POPSUGAR Fitness has always been my #1 favourite fitness account on YouTube. I found them around the same time I got engaged, so I was working out to their videos (not all the time, but at least once a week) to get into shape for my wedding. That, and a 20-minute jog every other evening.

To be honest, I’ve never really been a workout queen or that into fitness, and have stopped doing even the bare minimum since I found out I was pregnant cos frankly, I feel like my body is already going through so much, I really don't want to exert myself any more (what with the sciatica, migraines, nausea, heartburn and all). But since I’m in the final stretch, I figured a little stretch and some light exercises here & there could be beneficial cos I read that exercising during this stage may improve labour and make the whole birthing experience smoother. Wow!

I just got to know that Anna Renderer, the host of POPSUGAR Fitness, just gave birth to her baby last month! That’s how long I’ve stopped tuning in, huh... So now POPSUGAR has like a bunch of videos for preggo eggos, and this has inspired me to start watching their videos again. Anna’s got a Prenatal Fitness Series too, check it out if you’re interested.

I’m gonna try this for a couple of weeks and see if there’s any positive changes to my body.

#pregnancy workout #maternity #fitness

[nafisahanafi]

Makeup Details

I wanted to do a fresh-faced, I-woke-up-like-this kind of look for this shoot. Prepping the skin so that it looks bare, “like skin” takes a lot of time & patience, and since I’m not a professional or an expert, I only know of one way to prep my face. It’s usually the same steps every time, unless I want more coverage — then I’ll add more concealer or an extra “under layer” of highlighter. Plus, it’s not like I have a lot of makeup anyway, so I’ll be using the same stuff over and over until they finish, or... expire. Heh.

Here’s a list of the products I used (in this particular order) for this shoot. Step 1: Face

Urban Decay Quick Fix spray

Benefit POREfessional primer (T-zone & cheeks only)

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in ‘Biscuit’ (under eye area only)

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in ‘Light’ (tip of the nose & chin only)

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in ‘Vanilla’

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in ‘Translucent’ (to bake)

Step 2: Eyebrows

Rimmel Brow This Way kit in ‘Dark Brown’

Step 3: Cheeks

Kat Von D Shade & Light contour palette (all 3 contour colours mixed together)

NARS Blush in ‘Orgasm’ (on tip of the nose, chin & brow bone as well)

Step 4: Eyes

Tartelette Toasted eyeshadow palette in ‘Latte’ (blended out very lightly all over lids)

Tartelette Toasted eyeshadow palette in ‘Candle’ (inner corners only)

Tartelette Toasted eyeshadow palette in ‘Sunrise’ (on centre of the lids only)

Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip in ‘Cherry Cordial’ (outer V only)

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline eye pencil (applied lightly, as close as possible to top lash line)

Step 5: Lips

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in ‘Ludwig’ (as the base)

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick in ‘Rose Rive Gauche’

Lastly, and this is something I do every time I have foundation on, I spritz some Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray to “lock” everything in place. I used to use the De-Slick setting spray, but I think I like the All Nighter better.

By the way, I use a pink BeautyBlender to blend the concealers & foundation. Do I actually like this stuff? Mmmm. It’s alright. Well it definitely is a lot softer than the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge (been using those since 2015 until earlier this year when I switched to the BeautyBlender just to see how different it’d be), but for the price though, yikes! This’ll probably be the first and the last time I’ll buy this overpriced, pink egg-shaped sponge.

So I’ve done a post on makeup now... I wonder if I should do one on photography and editing next, hmm. 

#malaysia #maternity photography #maternity shoot

[nafisahanafi]

RFID Pilot Project

Hubbers signed us up for the Touch ‘N Go RFID pilot project. He put my name along with a couple more of his work friends’ names down as volunteers, buuuuuut he was the only one that ended up not being called for Phase 2. Imagine that! Ha... tragic.

But hey, that’s alright though! The people behind this project are testing out different places to put the RFID sticker with each batch before the official launch sometime in January or February next year. So this means we’ll (indirectly) get to test out not one but two versions of the sticker, right? That should be great then.

The batch before me had their stickers placed on the front headlights. Mine is on the windscreen. PHEWH, good thing I didn’t get it tinted last month! Cars with tinted windscreens will have to go under the knife; a small bit of your tint sticker will be cut out so that the RFID sticker will be in direct contact with the windscreen!

I was told that it should be activated & ready to go by tonight, so I’ll do an update on managing the Touch ‘N Go eWallet account. Till next time!

Good morning! Here’s a quick update to start the day.

Also, here’s a summary of the answers to the questions many of you have asked me about this stuff:

No, I don't know how much the sticker costs or will cost; we got it for free because we volunteered to be guinea pigs pilot testers

Unfortunately, the registration for volunteers phase is closed because the testing phase is now in session

I'm not too sure when they’ll start selling it because they’re not even done with the testing phase yet — most likely early 2019

Yes, you’ll need to have the Touch ‘N Go app on your mobile to use RFID

Supposedly if you have both the RFID sticker and the SmartTag placed next to each other, the sensor will attempt to detect for the RFID first. Hence, you will only be charged once

No, it is not transferrable — once you tamper with the sticker (try to remove/ replace it) it will be damaged and rendered useless

However, your balance will be safe because no one can access your eWallet unless they have your phone!

If you pass the toll booth with insufficient balance in your eWallet, the system will let you pass through with a negative balance only once (it’s one account per individual, by the way)

If you attempt to pass the booth with a negative/ insufficient balance for the second time, you will get stuck at the booth as per when your SmartTag isn't working

I was told that there are plans to link the eWallet to your bank account, but for now the focus is on perfecting the RFID tech to ensure a smoother driving experience.

Basically, the two of us agreed to do this just for fun. Plus, we drive on tolled highways a lot so we thought it ought to be more convenient to be able to use the turnpike without having to hold our SmartTag device up to the window every time we pass a toll.

I may or may not do a part 2 on this. Stay tuned!

#malaysia #Touch N Go #Smart Tag #MY RFiD #Jom RFID