8 of 12 months of 2017

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. Again, I got down to this right when it is the last leg of August.

The birthdays of 2 countries falls in this month. Singapore's 52nd and Malaysia's 60th. I am not so patriotic but Singapore is always home for me. Speaking of which the song "Home" always always makes me tear. It is the only patriotic song that touches my heart, hitting all the right chords. Then the usual patriotic songs like "Stand Up for Singapore" and all the good ol' songs that truly speaks Singapore. Am really old skool like that, I am not is big favour of all the new ones, it just didnt speak to me.

So ya.. I started my August with an appointment with the Gynae for my bad cramps and all. She suspects Endometriosis first after a series of interview questions, did my PAP smear (again) and a few other tests including HPV. I was then scheduled for an ultrasound scan on 29th August, and a full review on 11th September.

My eldest came over with her kids again the first weekend of August, and Marryssa had a good time bullying my niece.. She made her sit, cook at her kitchen station and just that. My niece even got a long lecture when she stood up to talk to me.. Pfft.. Baby M, Baby M, my niece came before you,  you know. she too deserve my time, you know!

A virtual abuse on my niece. Haha.. Poor Kakya, had to wash off some food by Baby M! :p

 On the 9th August, we met up with my friend, his wife and son for a good slow hike at Chestnut, Bt Timah. Let the pictures speak for a bit.

The kids getting tired and seeking refuge with Daddies to carry them. Heh!

Enjoying the greeneries and nature hand in hand.

My friend brought along StingRay Sambal from the BBQ he had the night before. Yummy, I tell ya!

Afterwhich we head for breakfast, home for a good nap and met again to watch some fireworks.

We went for some water fun first. 

And then we changed to someone a little more patriotic clad in red to watch some fireworks.

No pictures of fireworks, because I was too busy watching the crowd and keeping an eye on baby M. :p

11th August is Baby M's sports day which i promptly attended and participated. I tore my jeans from a small fall during the game. LOL! Competitive parents we have! Hahaha. Watching the kids made my day. They all look so cute and lovable! Enjoy as the pictures speaks. :)

I ordered Takoyaki from a neighbour. It is so yummy!! And opted to self collect on a Sunday.
A dedicated review and details of this to follow later on!

After I collected these yummies my sister called to say my mom's knee pain is getting intense and need us to be there to get her to go to the hospital, and if she agree have my husband to help push her on the wheelchair. So to the A&E we went.
High uric acid and low potassium, yup. Gout, again! With her low potassium, potassium drip was required and she struggled with pain.

With that, it ends our 2nd week of August.

I took Monday off to sort my mom out at the hospital. Tuesday came and she is ready to be discharged with a back to back schedule to get her on her feet again. Some medicine she has been taking seem to have caused her potassium to deplete faster than it can be absorbed, so that needs to be looked at.

Soon after, life gets back into routine. I had my mom over to my place and cooked and have some family time. I had quite a lot of Teachers' Day orders streaming in and whilst my mom is around, I took time to complete my eldest niece's order for her mini bolster cover and baby weight pillow for a friend.

3rd week of August, and I wish it can go past fast to meet Saturday for MND's family day at USS. Life is getting really routined, with Baby M scheduled to be with me from Thurs after school right thru Tuesday morning, it will be a little hectic, but I guess it will all be worth it. I hope she enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed her company. Her presence makes our house messy and noisy, but that is exactly what made our house a home filled with memories and laughter. I love you Baby M, so so much!

And so the day came and went! We booked Amara Sanctuary Resort, Sentosa, the only downside to this otherwise wonderful place is the time they took to let us get into our rooms. We reached ard 1pm, I paid and asked for early check-in. Although there were no promised made, I would expect to at least get checked in at 3pm on the dot, but we didnt.. They made us wait and made me approach almost all the front desk staffs for our rooms eveyr 15minutes or so. We only got our rooms at 3.30pm! I find it ridiculous considering it is one of the top notch hotels. I dont know why it took forever to get our rooms ready... Perhaps a later check-out person, but all three rooms? I should have asked for a complimentary late check out or free breakfast, man!

Anyways, I got an offer for you use via this link . Simply make your booking thru that and you will get 10% refund after you check out. Extra cash for shopping after checking out of your stay, why the hell not, right?

And so, we all checked in sans my husband as he was working..

We are at Level 4, so we were greeted by the Skypool before heading in to our rooms.

I had wanted to dip in the pool at night post USS, but as always... pools always don't happen for me.

As I had to rush around, Baby M get some bathtub time with my niece and sister... And she gave me these pictures, pre-USS...

Someone enjoying youtube fun there...

And with Uncle Daddy...

When I got back there with my husband....The Q was crazy!! Glad Baby M got in way ahead of us with my sister, so it is just me and husband enduring this twirling queue which lasted for about an hour (if not more!).

It twirls and twirls, I tell ya! Crazy much!


I met my sister and the rest at the Transformer ride. Obviously, Baby M didnt take that ride.

Oh Baby M is wearing a top that I just tested for Sew Like My Mom (A special dedicated post will be up soon!)

 She asked my niece to take her picture while I was away (I think I went to the ladies, or something)

She is getting excited for the Madagascar ride. "I so excited, but I scared", she said. 

Post-USS

Yep, she knocked out as soon as we left... Poor baby!

And she slept through all night!

She was all ready and happy for another round of bathtub time the moment she woke up!

We then got ready to get our brunch.

And before we knew it, it was already time to check out.

My baby was well asleep even before we stepped out of Sentosa. I guess she was exhausted.

I made this tissue case cum pouch the other day to bring and test this out. It was just as I had envisioned it to be. Convenient and helpful!

I got back to work on these and deliver it the next day.

So yes, we took order for these for Teachers' Day, and Alhamdulillah, we received positive sales. So glad everyone benefit from the orders!

And I also had fun working on this give away that I conducted few weeks ago! Finally got round doing this. I shall do a separate post about the software I used to create this.

Beautifully stitched!

I am proud, and it looks so nice!

I also went for my gynae scan, all came back normal, Alhamdulillah!

I received her portfolio. So proud of her achievements!

On 30th, Baby M did a Tawaf Stimulation and it is just oh so cute to watch her and her friends do it with the ihram and telekungs.. May we all be granted the opportunity to do our Hajj together, Baby M! 

31st, Baby M has no school. So she will be in my trusted niece and nephew's care. Hopefully she will be kind to them before I come back to be with her! 

And with that, we came to the end of August. Fast eh... September will another month filled with my hospital appointments. Hopefully it will all be good with no concern to worry about.

I will be working on three post which I promise above. Hope out soon!

Until then,
Jun

Wassalam

Switching from Disposable to ClothPad

Assalammu'alaikum family, friends, readers and followers of this blog. I know I haven't reviewed anything in awhile now. Well.. maybe today.. Maybe..

Well, this is a topic not many are keen with, as a writer of experience or as a reader reading the experience. I am putting this discomfort to the fact that it is not always comfortable talking about blood - much so from a woman, and also as a woman to even consider removing that convenience of disposable and having to wash a soaked clothpad. Yup. I know..

BUT, as much as it may sound disgusting, it is not THAT bad, you know. Ask me. I started introducing myself to Clothpad sometime around last year, or a little way back. I started with cloth pantyliner. I wasn't sure of myself at that time. I just made a few for myself tracing existing disposable on paper, and tracing the outlines on fabric, cut and sew. It wasn't that hard to make, and it takes very little amount of fabric, making cost pretty low. I'm happy with it. Washing it was not difficult either. Afterall, it is just a pantyliner - I can even just toss it in the washer along with my other clothes.

I think did one for the actual thing but wore it on light days only since I didn't have much absorbent fabric or waterproof fabric to play with. And I only wear them when I am home all day because I wasn't sure how to handle it when I am out and about.

I bought one for a good cause the month after, leading me to own 3 clothpads to go on rotation on weekends when I was home back then.

I still go on disposables when I am out and when I go to work. The one cycle I had which I started with clothpads the first 3 days (since it was a weekend), my cramps was not as bad as when I am on disposable. I knew then clothpad is the way to go for me.

My cramps are usually very horrible, I could hardly step out of the house on the 1st day. On that cycle, I had clothpad on the first two days was okay, it was still painful, but it is somewhat bearable enough for me to get up and do things for a bit.

Through the one year, I was still contemplating of the full switch, I keep giving excuses like how my office toilet has no sink so I cant wash it off, i dont have a wet bag to dunk it in, I don't know if I will leak, what if i leak, how many should I bring, what will it be like, etc etc etc.

Somewhere in March or April, a good friend said she wanted to make clothpads but wasnt sure what how and all that, so I hook her up to the people i know, and gave her my windpro and zorb remnants for her to try an ordered 6 clothpads for myself, making me her tester after her own good self. It was an interesting process. I even asked if she could make me one wet bag so I can wear them out, which she gladly did. I customized mine to have longer wings, so I can fold them in and snap them shut after use to bring home and wash if I am out and need to change. The best thing I could ask for.

It was June when I received my orders and a couple extras (as the first batch she did for me, didnt have their wings long enough for me), but my cycle was over, so I got another 3 weeks to prep myself for whole switch to happen. Nervous, of course. The collection she did for me was very pretty though, so it make me look forward to my cycle to try them. I had them washed and dried, to encourage the absorbency.

The minky topper she used was so soft and almost very cuddly. I love to touch them (when they are clean - of course!)

So July came and my cycle got through. I documented the number of hours I wore them, the flow I had, and if there are any seepage or leakage and reported to her. It was amazing that I lasted 4 hrs before I spot a seepage on my first clothpad made by her. It was only seepage though, so no red flags. We got down to it with probably the way it was stitched. 4hrs before a change on heavy days is good stuff, to me. I was in the office, so I rolled them soiled one close and snap it shut, and put it in the wet bag for me to bring home to wash. It was okay really, no smell, no leakage, no accidents. I got home with 2 soiled pads got home, and rinse, and wash them all clean, no permanent stains, it almost very easily came all off after a few wash and squeezes. On heavy days it takes about 5-6 squeezes before a real clean water squeeze out of them indicating it is clean. I threw them in the washed for a final rinse and spin so it will dry a little faster for rotation.

I must say it is good. that 10 pads lasted my whole cycle in July. This will be my second full switch. The cramps was and is significantly much lesser than before. I could go to work, stand walk and do what I do normally with bearable pain and discomfort. I wont say it is all gone, because discomfort during menses is inevitable. I mean who would be comfortable with something between their leg gushing out blood. Pfft. Get real!

These pads I got is from IdaMan, I am not sure if she had them posted on her social medias, but you can drop her a pm or dm and ask her if she takes in orders. I love love love these clothpads. Since the one I did lasted over a year, I will probably only need to order again in a few years. Now, calculate... how much money you would save.. The amount of disposables vs the same ol' 10 clothpads over a year (maybe two, maybe three). And the amount of years you saved the Earth from trying to bio-degrade those disposable..

So ya, here's part of my collection:

I usually roll and snap them shut like these. Aren't they so colourful, lively and pretty to wear?

This is the mini wet bag when shut closed

It fits two comfortably. Just nice!

And here's how you can get in touch with IdaMan:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Idamann16/?fref=ts
IG: https://www.instagram.com/ida_man16/