Our nursing covers are restocked!

We have finally restocked and added more yummy designs to our range of nursing covers! (above from left) Seapray, Fresh Poppies, Morning Glory, Martini Earth

All our nursing covers are made from 100% cotton designer's fabric handpicked and imported from the USA especially for mommies who love to feed in style. These covers also double up as a light blanket and pram cover on days out. A must-have for every nursing mom!

Click here to get one today!

Happy Birthday Vera and Nadya!

We celebrated Vera's 3rd birthday and Nadya's 1st Birthday at Go Go Bambini's over the weekend. We are grateful to Go Go Bambini for handling all the party details so that we could concentrate on having fun. The girls enjoyed themselves so much at the party house we were worried they would suffer from nightmares during the night with all the running and excitment they had. Thankfully not!

(above) Vera: umm......I could have Fairy bread all day...

Happy Birthday Vera and Nadya!

May you both grow up loving each other and the little blessings each day brings.

xoxo

Mommy and Daddy

Happy Customers are our best form of advertisement!

A lovely customer (Chee Chin) recently purchased a set of bedding fron our store in a lovely Breeze design. As mentioned in an earlier post, I simply love sets! So I was naturally very happy to put this order together. (pic above happily taken before order was sent. Looks a little washed out cos I took the pic in the wee hours of the morning).

Chin had heard about our store from her friend who shared about discovering about how we integrated 2 of her favourite childhood objects: Beansprout pillow "aka chow chow" + Taggies ribbons.

But nothing beats hearing back again from Chin after she received her orders to let me know how pleased she was with her purchase. She even took so many beautiful crisp pictures of the products she got from us (above). The bedding look larger than life compared to the adorable little one in the pic below, doesn't it? Thanks for the lovely testimony and for allowing us to share these lovely pictures you took, Chin! Thanks to Claudia the Panda for sharing about us too! xoxo

Food Face

How fun is this? Perfect idea to make that kiddo eat his greens while exercising his creativity at the same time! This will be perfect for kid's parties or restaurants with a children's theme.

Kangaroo giving birth

Do you know how kangaroos got their name? A myth goes that when European explorers first saw these strange hopping animals they asked a native aborigine what they were called. He replied "kangaroo" meaning "I don't understand" your question. The explorers thought this was the animal's name. And that's how the kangaroo got its name.

The young are born the size of a lima bean after a gestation of 31–36 days (this is equivalent to a human embryo at seven weeks old). Immediately after it is born, a joey finds its way to its mother's pouch to continue its second stage of development there. He will usually stay in the pouch for about nine months before starting to leave the pouch for small periods of time. It is usually fed by its mother until reaching 18 months. You have to show your kids this incredible video of a kangaroo giving birth and continuing its development inside his mother's pouch.


After watching this video, I almost wished humans gave birth the same painless way as kangaroos. And in case you think that only kangaroo babies live in their mother's pouches during infancy, you may be surprised to know that kangaroos are just one of a species of mammals called "marsupials" that carry their young in pouches through early infancy. Koalas, oppossums and the tasmanian devils are all examples of marsupial mammals that carry their young in distinctive pouches.

Like a newborn kangaroo that instinctively finds its way to mommy's pouch to continue its development right after birth, studies have shown that human babies can also benefit in their development from being carried in a pouch from birth.

Many parents can testify that babies who are carried in a soft pouch carrier close to their bodies cry less, are more calm and content. They also seem to sleep more peacefully, nurse better, gain weight better and develop better. More about the benefits of a pouch which is often considered parenting's best kept secret can be found here!

I guess we can now also add human beings as a evolved class of marsupial mammals?

If I had my child to raise again

If I had my child to raise over again I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger paint more and point fingers less. I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging. I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.

Diane Looman "Full esteem ahead" (via Little Red Bus)

Baby in a Pot

Now this is a fresh idea for those of us tired of "babies in a flower pot" type of photography.

Sale and our new Gift Vouchers!

It has been a busy week for us at Pupsik Studio, managing the mega sale we are having on the gorgeous discontinued pettiskirts by Princess Ratbag among many other wonderful things we have lined up in the coming months!

It has been some adrenaline-pumping sale and I have to thank you lovely customers out there for contributing to all the excitement! I have to admit that I had a hard time parting with many of the skirts knowing that they are discontinued and I will not be able to get hold of some of the unique designs easily again. If you haven't checked in on the sale, do so now as many of the skirts are last pieces of that design and size that you can select from the drop down menu! This is a great time to get hold of a quality brand pettiskirt at a fraction of the usual price and save it for a special upcoming occasion!

As a little distraction for myself this week, I got down to doing some gift vouchers for the store. This is specially made for customers who would like to get a gift for a friend/ child but have absolutely no clue what the person needs. Each gift voucher is individually hand-made and binded together in a folded envelope which is sealed with a ribbon sticker. Cute and lovely as can be for a friend who has just popped to spurge in our store.

Vouchers available here!

Summerfruits Bedding Set

I simply love sets! Just finished wrapping up a mini "Summerfruit Bedding Set" consisting of Baby pillow, blanket, bolster and beansprout pillow ordered by a customer today!

Mommies-in-Business Series - Little Gems Inc

One of the best things about working from home for me is definitely the opportunity to spend more time at home with the kids while pursuing my own interests. However, ask any honest mom running a business from home and they can tell you that it is certainly no bed of roses , especially if you are managing both the business, kids and various household responsibilities with very little help. In many ways, my days are much more hectic than before but in many ways, more fulfilling and interesting.

Before I started Pupsik Studio, I had very little idea where it would lead to. I still do not know and this is what excites me each day. This business has brought along many surprises and new experiences. One thing I never quite expected to be blessed is so many new friends who share similar interests, tastes and passion in bringing up their babies. While many of our loyal customers turn into friends whose support I deeply appreciate, I have also gotten to know other like-minded moms in business who are running it with the same deep passion and belief they have for their kids.

I have been wanting to share more about such fellow Mommy-in-Business here on Pupsik Studio for the longest time to introduce you to many lovely home businesses run by mommies out there. Hopefully, you will be able to find something you like from these home businesses and extend your support to these mommies too!

The first Mommy-in-Business Mommy I would like to share here is Gloria. Gloria runs Little Gems Inc, an online boutique that carries many brandnames like Carters, Gap, Old Navy and Oshkosh B'Gosh all priced at less than SGD$30! How is this possible, you may ask? Well, most of the authentic stuff that the ever resourceful Gloria gets hold of are actually factory overruns, cancelled orders, shelf pull outs or delayed shipments. Yes, the kind of stuff that you would actually travel all the way to factory outlets in the US to get your hands on before but no longer have to do so because of Gloria! I got this lovely Laura Ashley Summer Dress from Gloria recently and absolutely adore the print and price tag!

I posed Gloria a few questions about her business some time back and she was really lovely to agree to share more about her life and business through this blog.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a work at home mum. Mum to Nicole who is turning 8 this year. I have a webstore called Little Gems Inc. I am your typical ordinary mommy next door, except that I am also living with cancer. I was diagnosed at a pretty young age of 30, when Nicole was barely 2. It was a pretty trying and humbling episode in my life, dealing with the diagnosis and treatments that follow. But it did help put my life and priorities in perspective. I had a relapse in 2007, but with God's grace, i am still trugging along

2. How did you start with Little Gems Inc?

Little Gems Inc came about sometime in 2004. It was borne out of my passion for shopping, and dressing nicole up. However, at the back of my mind, the practical side of me kept reminding myself that kids do grow out of the clothes quite quickly. I started sourcing around, and realised that there are many like-minded mums like myself, always out to look for a bargain. Little Gems Inc. made its first couple of sales on Ebay and Yahoo.sg. I decided to create a webstore in order to have a web presence, and since then, there is no turning back.

3. What were you doing before you started this home business?

I spent a good part of my career in the cruise industry, followed by some years handling events and medical courses in a public hospital. The hours were long and demanding, and weekends were often spent away from the family.

4. What is a typical day like for you?

The day usually starts early at 5.30 am, getting Nicole ready for school. Afterwhich, its some housework and paperwork. Work "officially" starts at 9 am, and I will be answering emails, and packing orders. I am usually off to the post office by 1200. Afterwhich, I wll do a little grocery shopping, and make my way home by 2.00 pm to wait for the school bus to drop Nicole off from school. While she takes her afternoon nap after lunch, i will prepare dinner. Once thats done, its back to the desk again. Evenings are quiet time we spent together watching TV, and catching up on Nicole's schoolwork. Depending on my stamina and whats on TV, I will be back at my desk after 10pm when Nicole goes to bed. It does get a little more hectic when new inventory arrives, and the day gets busier uploading pics and product info onto the webstore.

5. Do you face any challenges running this business from home?

Time managment. Wish I have more than 24 hours in a day

Here is a picture of Gloria and her lovely daughter Nicole. Gloria also has a lovely blog (Little Gems Unravelled) which she uses to share more intimate details about her life, including living with Stage 4 cancer and taking the time to smell the roses. Knowing that there are many young moms reading this blog, Gloria was concerned enough to ask me to help stress the importance of doing regular breast checks for lumps as she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer at a very young age of 30.

"If you have a lump, get it checked. Never let the docs tell you that you are too young to get breast cancer. Having said that, not all breast lumps are cancerous. Its better to err on the side of caution, than to live with the regret of not catching it early."

Thank you Gloria for this insightful sneak peek into your busy life and for the concerned reminder to all young women to do regular breast examinations.

In the coming weeks, I hope to interview another mommy-in-business on the subject of Home Schooling! This busy mama not only takes care of her kids full time (no domestic helper, mind you!), she also runs her own business from home and home schools her own boys! Curious how and why she does this? Well I am so stay tuned!

Bloombaby Cot

I love how this cot collapses for easy storage.

Wrapagaza!

It has been a fun and busy day wrapping loads of stuff ordered as gifts for a special baby shower. Thankfully, my little "helper" was kind enough to doze off on her high seat while watching me tagging and packing dozens of beansprout pillows and covers. And off it goes in the mail....! I can't wait till the babies grow up so they can really help me with this.

In case you don't know, we offer gift wrap and free shipping for all orders above $120 so do visit our store if you are mulling over what to get for that pregnant friend of yours! For orders less than $120, you get to have your item beautifully wrapped for just $5 here!

All my favourite things from Pupsik (from Lily Low)

A very sweet customer of Pupsik Studio did a beautiful collage of the things she bought from our store that she loves and posted on our facebook group. I am so touched by this and feel so blessed that the items that we have specially handpicked for our tiny webstore is sharing in the beautiful journey of mother and babyhood! Thank you for putting this together and making my day, Lily! xooxoxo!

From top left and clockwise
1. Beansprout Pillow (Top Left)
2. Teething Bling (Top Right)
3. Dimpled Pillow (Bottom Right)
4. Ahgoo Baby Plush Pad (Bottom Left)
5. Baby Pouch Carrier (Center)

The Shower Hug Sale in honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month

Breast feeding may make happy, healthy babies, but sometimes it can leave mom feeling drained---and more than a little sore. Breast tenderness can take away from enjoying one of the few peaceful moments moms have to themselves everyday: the shower.

That's why the founding Moms of Belmama & Cherub created The Shower Hug after experiencing first hand the breast tenderness and discomfort associated with pregnancy, early stage breastfeeding, bouts of mastitis, clogged milk ducts and other various ailments that inevitably come up as you nurse your newborns through infancy into toddler hood.

The Shower Hug is made of the softest, most luxurious stretch knit terry velour to provide expectant and new moms with gentle bust line support and soothe sensitive nipples as it shields the breasts from harsh shower sprays. Moms simply wrap the Shower Hug snugly around their chest and secure with the Velcro® closure. And this is not just great for the shower! As a nursing mom, I simply love wrapping a soft showerhug around myself in a warm bath and put on some music and aromatherapy to relax after a very busy day. The Shower Hug simply soaks up the warm water in the bath and acts as the best compress you can ever imagine. It is also a great alternative to a traditional nursing bra and can provide overnight comfort. Say goodbye to milk leaks on your PJs!

In honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, we are offering a 30% discount on our luxurious shower hugs. Usual S$54.90, now $38!! Click here to experience the comforts of The Shower Hug for yourself today!

Princess Ratbag Pettitops

Sarah and Kaif's 2 little princesses wearing matching Princess Ratbag Pettitops from our store. Thanks for sharing the lovely pics, Sarah! x

Classic Sesame Street film - Old paper, new paper

Can Recycling (made for Sesame Street)

I use to love watching these.

Why should the kids have all the fun?

I love the caption on this gorgeous skirt from who else but the ever classy Princess Ratbag, Australia! These adult worthy glamorous skirts are guaranteed to rock any party. Now available at Pupsik Studio here for $79.90 (usual $89.90). Limited time only!

Share your parenting journey with us on facebook and stand the chance to win a goody bag

Happy customers always make my day and I am really grateful whenever moms out that take the time to send me a picture of their little one in a pouch or post about their babywearing experience on their own blog.

We would like to invite more moms to share your parenting journey with us by uploading a picture of your baby in our brand spanking new Facebook page here! You could load any picture of your baby using anything you have purchased from our store, be it a pouch, beanspout pillow, changing pad, pettiskirt.....ANYTHING! Anyone who loads a pic on our page stands the chance to win a baby hamper full of goodies from our store!!

Thank you moms below who have kindly allowed me to share your pics and blog links on Pupsik Studio.

x

Su Ling
(above) My Little Rei

(above) The Hendons
(above)Weedeebabeepowder
(above) Secret Love Affair

(Above) Serene's princess wearing a Princess Ratbag Pettiskirt

Unconventional Beauty Tips - Got to try it!

Really enjoyed this episode of the ellen degenerous show where Kym Douglas shares her unconventional beauty tips that is geared towards pregnant woman (but really can be used by any women). Ellen is seen wearing The Belly Bandit in this show.

Dabib is now available on Pupsik Studio!

Dabib is now available on Pupsik Studio here!

Read out review below:

I was recently asked to review a new bib on the market called Dabib. A winner of an iParenting Media Award, this stylish baby bib is made from a super absorbent yet unbelievably soft and luxurious mico-fiber terry cloth. The bib also has a reversible waterproof backing that prevents food from soaking through.

Vera usually hates putting on bibs but she actually didn't object to putting on Dabib and letting it stay on while we fed her. She does look happy wearing Dabib, don't you think?

What I most love about this bib is its innovative "patent-pending" scrunch collar that is adjustable to minimise spills and dribbles that often goes under the bib onto her clothing. There is even a pocket to catch food that is rejected. Neat!

That's it! No more uncomfortable plastic and rubber bibs for Vera! This stylish, comfortable and practical bib is definitely here to stay. A big thank you to the entrepreneural mom who invented this excellent product!

Fund Raising for SNGS new school building

Hi everyone,

At long last, we finally found the fabric for the now extinct pre-primary school uniform after months of hunting down literally every fabric shop on the planet! Thank you all for your patience!

I am starting a new fund raising initiative for the school rebuilding. We will be making the exact same design as the original. Bloomers, criss crossed top panel and pockets, blue trimmings and skirt. Before we start, we are currently seeking permission from the school to make these uniforms for children age 1-6yrs old. The pre-primary uniform will be priced at $50. All proceeds for this effort will go to the school rebuilding effort. If you are interested to purchase and support the school fundraising, please leave a comment and email contact on this post and I will keep you updated.

The exact details where to purchase and when this item will be available etc will be confirmed once we have a good gauge on the number of people interested in supporting this effort. The actual number of pre-primary uniforms we can offer for this effort may also be limited depending on the final availability of the criss-crossed fabric.

Please help spread the word to make this a success!

x

Su Ling

The pic above was taken back in 1982, outside the classrooms in Chijmes (near where Esmirada is now). I am seated second from the left in the front row, the one that is most coloured on. I still remember the names of the chinese teacher with the long hair--->Huang Lao Shi. At that age, it didn't matter how female adults looked to me. If they had long hair, they were pretty. The other one I forgot cos she didn't have long hair. Too bad...

================

Earlier post below dated 3 July 2008

I was caught up with a feeling of nolstaga when I visited my old school, St Nicholas Girls, a few months ago. The school building will be undergoing a major renovation and it is likely that most of the familiar places in the school will be torn down. St Nicholas used to have a pre-primary session for girls age 6 to attend before Primary 1. I spent my pre-primary school days in the building more commonly known as Chijmes today. Though it was such a long time ago, the memories of the old Chijmes buildings still remains in my head. I remember the oh-so-tempting fields which we were forbidden to trod on due to the dying grass... I remember dashing for fried chicken wings during recess, being taught the chinese school song in Chui Lao Shi's class and the spiral staircases leading up to the haunted classrooms where flying nuns sat on the ceiling fans....

Anyway, for some reason, I had a very strong compulsion to relive the memories of my pre-primary school days. I had forgotten how the uniform looked like. I vaguely remember the criss-crossed fabric and those huge bloomers...but couldn't quite remember the details. I started asking around the school to find out where I could locate the old school uniform maker.

Finally, after various phone calls, I managed to locate the old school uniform maker. To my pleasant surprise, she still kept the original fabric for the pre-primary school uniform. I jumped in joy when she agreed to make me a uniform sized for a 1 year old. I could have kissed her with excitement there and then!

So here it is, my unsuspecting (again) daughter wearing the uniform I wore when I was 6. With the bloomers, school crest, pockets and all! Guess I was just too impatient to wait till she really goes to school. The uniform is great and a wonderful design for play. I am so tempted to make more as her play clothes with this same dress pattern out of different fabrics!

Afternote: An old schoolmate alerted me that the pre-pri school uniform doesn't look like what it used to look so I did a check with my old school albums. Dug out my old primary school class photos which I "accidentally" drew with my crayons years ago....and gasps gasps!!!!! The bottom part of the skirt was blue! Just like what I first suspected!! The poor old tailor must have forgotton....Anyway, what she sewed for Vera was just as cute.

Nadya, Me and our Nursing Pillow

Here is a recent pic of Nadya and I taken on our own range of nursing pillows which we have discontinued production.

We have had lots of enquiries on why we are no longer carrying this product on Pupsik Studio. As much as we would love to, we are unable to do so at this point in time due to the bulkiness of storing and shipping this product by post. We are currently looking at the potential of supplying these much coverted pillows to brick and motor stores if there is sufficient interest for us to push this item back into production again.

Will keep everyone updated! x

Little Milestones

Record precious memories of your child with Little Milestones!

Designed and produced by Pupsik Studio in limited quantities of 200, this handy little stationary kit comes with 40 notecards in an attractive wooden box. Use to record the dates and details of memorable events of your newborn or toddler such as the date of his first word, the first step, the first funny thing your child said that made you laugh. Each box comes with enough room to store other precious memories such as that first lock of hair, first passport photo or that first tooth. A unique alternative to a diary or book and makes a perfect gift.

It's never too late to start. A wonderful keepsake to give to your child when he/she grows up.

Available at the special introductory price of $12.90 (usual $14.90) on Pupsik Studio.

We are giving away 10 extra cards to the first 10 customers to purchase here. That is 50 cards in total to record your precious memories!

Princess Ratbag Pettitops - Restocked!

We have just restocked Princess Ratbag's gorgeous beyond gorgeous pettitops in our online store. Co-ordinate your pettiskirt with this matching petti tops or match these perfectly with a casual bottom such as Oobi's veronica bloomer or ruffle baby bloomer. The options are endless! These pettitops are made from the softest nylon chiffon that makes it comfortable to wear. Sizes available for babies and toddlers/teenagers.