Having a Baby? What to buy and not to buy…

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Wait what? A baby? Who’s having a baby?

That would be me!!! I gave birth to a handsome little boy named Mirza in late January of this year. He loves to smile and gnawing on his chubby hands. He adores his big sister very much, who loves the attention she’s getting from her baby brother 🙂

Many have asked about my experience being a mom of two kids. A roller coaster of emotions is the short yet complex answer I usually give people :p But one thing I have noticed is that I’m trying to keep things as simple as possible – starting with the things we have for the baby. So I thought I’d share a list of things we use for the baby…

 

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Baby on the go: infant car seat (we use Alia’s car seat since it hasn’t expired), Snap n Go stroller, car seat cover from Milk Snob that can also be used as a nursing cover, diaper backpack that contains these items: 3-4 diapers, baby wipes, tissue, portable changing pad, hand sanitizer, 2 sets of clothes, a swaddle, a pouch full of ointment and medicine for mom and the baby like diaper rash cream and vaseline, and a water bottle. I also have a few baby carriers for when we don’t use the stroller – Boba 4G carrier and a ring sling. 

feeding

Feeding time: I nurse Mirza exclusively but I also pump a few times a week so my husband could take part in the feeding session (and I could sneak in some me time :p). So in addition to mama’s breast milk, we have Spectra and Medela breast pumps (if you live in the U.S., ask your insurance what it covers because you should be eligible for a free set upon delivery), breast milk storage bags, baby bottles, bottle sanitizing bags, bottle brush, bottle drying rack.

Play time: one of the Montessori principles that we follow is to give a child freedom of movement. By giving this space, a baby can confidently explore his/her environment and develop independence. We place Mirza’s movement area in the play area, an area that gets used the most and can be seen from the kitchen and the living room. His movement area consists of a mat, a mirror, and mobiles (I’m a huge fan of Montessori mobiles! I’ve shared ours on my IG account. After this, I’ll write a separate post on our DIY mobiles.) We also have a Baby Bjorn bouncer from a friend, and Mirza usually uses that when we’re having meals. 


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Board Games, for Your 3 Year Old (and You)

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Growing up, my favorite pastime with my family was playing board games. I remember my mom coming home from yard sales with boxes of board games like Chutes and Ladders, Mastermind, and Guess Who. I happened to marry a man who also loves playing board game (in fact, I met him for the first time during a game of Settlers of Catan heheheh…), and that’s why we have a tall bookshelf full of board games. 🙂 

Once I became a mom, one of the first things I look for when going to consignment sales are board games. We started playing board games with Alia when she was around 2.5 years old. The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game was her first board game. It’s a game with simple rules and involves color matching. Now that Alia is 3 years old, we have played several games that we have come to love. I thought I’d share some of them with you here: 

Board games for preschoolers

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The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum – Oh THE Place Your Kids Want To Go!

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In case you haven’t heard, about a month ago, the Springfield Museums in Massachusetts (about 2 hours west of Boston) added a new museum, The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss, the first and only museum dedicated to Dr. Seuss. Alia and I had a blast there, and we’re here to share the highlights of our visit.

Oh a quick FYI, I haven’t read many Dr. Seuss books to Alia so she has very little clue of the characters or the stories. After yesterday’s visit, she only remembers the Cat in the Hat :p. But that didn’t not stop her from having SO MUCH FUN! 

The museum is part of the Springfield Museums, so the admission fee of $25 for adults and $13 for kids age 3-17 will allow you access to all of their 5 museums (George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Science Museum, Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, and the Dr. Seuss Museum and Sculpture Garden). What an awesome deal?! They give you a bracelet after you purchase the admission tickets and you are free to roam around to all museums as your please. The museum parking is free, and on street parking is fairly easy to find. 

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I’d recommend this museum to families with kids age 2-6 based on the kinds of activities that they have. There were a good number of teenage children too. I think because the museum is very colorful and filled with memorable quotes from Dr. Seuss books, there’s much to do and most importantly it makes everyone happy, no matter the age.  

It is recommended that you purchase the admission tickets in advance (with no additional fee) as the Dr. Seuss Museum gets crowded. You’re expected to enter the museum at the stated time, and you can stay for as long as you like. Our tickets were for 2 P.M. so we visited the science museum and the sculpture garden first.

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30 Days of Good Deeds Ramadan Calendar for young Muslims

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Muslims everywhere are counting down the days to the first day of Ramadan which this year falls on May 27. Unlike healthy adults, Alia and other young children are not expected to fast during Ramadan yet. But they certainly can still get into the spirit of the holy month. So besides having children’s books about Ramadan and Islam in our home library (see a list of our favorite books here), I decided to begin a Ramadan tradition: 30 Days of Good Deeds Ramadan Calendar. This was inspired by a IG post by @imanblog – thank you!

Our DIY Ramadan Calendar 

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The Ramadan Calendar consists of 30 envelopes filled with a good deed card in each one. We plan on taking a card each day after breakfast and do the activity during the day. Continue reading →

10 Favorite Children’s Books about Ramadan

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This year Ramadan month begins on the evening of May 26. Ramadan is the holiest month of the year where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset (no food, no liquid during the day). Fasting is done to build self control and to remember God and His blessings. During Ramadan, it is highly encourage to give back and perform many good deeds. 

Ramadan is a very special month for me. This is my 13th year celebrating Ramadan away from my family who lives in Indonesia. During this month, I miss home more than usual as I am reminded how lovely and blissful it is to fast with many people that you love. This year I am starting a new tradition with my little family to fill our home with the joy of Ramadan. The first one is to add books about Ramadan and Islam into our home library. My daughter is almost 3 and she loves books. Even though she is not obligated to fast yet (like many children), I would like her to be a part of this special month. By the way, the second is a “30 Days of Good Deeds” Ramadan Calendar. And the third one has to do with delicious food! 🙂 (Posts on these will be up asap)

I’m sharing 10 favorite books on Ramadan and Islam. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do and learn more about Ramadan and the religion of Islam. 

Ramadan books blog cover

Books that explains Ramadan: Night of the Moon (realistic fiction) and Celebrate Ramadan and Eid al Fitr (non fiction)

Books suitable for preschool age children: Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors, My First Ramadan, Amal’s Ramadan, and Amal’s Eid. 

Books about children fasting in a non-predominantly Muslim country: A Party in Ramadan and Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story (these books help illustrate the feelings and experiences that a child may go through when fasting at school and having to explain to those who are unfamiliar with Ramadan). 

Folktales and poems: Nabeel’s New Pants: An Eid Tale and Muslim Child.

If you have other books that you and your family love, please let me know! 

 

Surviving snow days with a toddler

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Thursday, February 9, 2017 – Snowmageddon in the New England area! 

Update: Things got in the way (namely my toddler and a terrible cold) so it’s now Sunday, February 12. Believe me or not, it’s still snowing outside and more to come tomorrow! Welcome to New England! 

Living in the New England area means having an unpredictable winter season. It’s only the beginning of February and we have had 8 snow days with today bringing the heaviest snow so far. Before having kids, snow days means a day of sleeping in and Netflix marathon. But since we are a minimum-screen-time family, I have to be extra creative to get through a (super windy and cold) snow day. Below are some of our favorite activities on a snowy day: 

Painting the snow: 

 

The set up is super easy: grab a bin, covered it with some snow, prepare a few cups of water + food coloring (or liquid watercolor for a more vibrant result) and brushes, and let your child make her/his design on the snow. I started doing this when Alia was 18 months old and it never gets old. 

Sensory bin: 

 

I wish I had taken more pictures of our snow sensory bins. But I basically fill up a bin with snow, add animal figurines that live in a cold environment and blocks for her to play with (left picture). You could also simple add some tools such as a spoon, measuring cups, molding tools for your child to create things using snow. 

Make a snowman inside:

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Kid-friendly destinations in Indonesia

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Happy 2017, everyone! One of my goals for this year is to be a more active blogger. I have a long list of things that I want to write, but I just can’t seem to sit down and start writing. This is why I’m  not a journalist :p Anyway, this is my first post this year, about kid-friendly places in Indonesia. Writing this post makes me want to go back to Indonesia! #missinghome. So here it is… 

Jakarta

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah – TMII: it’s basically a giant recreational area with many indoor and outdoor attractions. Out of 60 something venues, we only went to Taman Burung (Bird Park), Museum Air Tawar (Freshwater Aquarium), Museum Serangga (Insects Museum), and rode the cable car. While many attractions are free, you’re required to pay admission fee here and there, so the cost will add up fairly quickly especially. The places that we visited are stroller friendly and parking is available at all venues. 

Ragunan, the zoo in Jakarta:  this zoo is humongous! It’s very green, plenty of tall trees, and at times it felt like walking in the jungle. Now with that said, be prepared to be walking A LOT! Most paths are stroller friendly; although to see some animals, I had to carry the stroller or leave it because ramps aren’t available. We saw many animals – orangutans, elephants, apes, lions, and more. Most of the animals were up and about while we’re there so it was a fun experience for Alia. The admission is very cheap (Rp 4000/adult and Rp 3000/child – $1 = Rp 13400 per January 2017), and if you want to ride the train or take pictures taken by professional photographers, then you pay more inside the zoo. 

Indoor play areas – Kidzoona and Playtime:

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Gifts for your toddler 18 mo and 2.5 year old

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Thanksgiving Day is next week and this means Black Friday ads are out! Many of you have probably started making a list of “what should we get for the kids?” so I thought I’d share a list of things that may be good for your toddler, who is becoming more adventurous, independent, talkative, and imaginative – it’s fun to watch their world expand ðŸ˜€

If you’re looking for gifts for children age 12-18 months old, click here

Art supplies: 

There are so many independent activities and guided projects that you can with your toddler. Stock up on art supplies. Crayola often has some great deals on Zulily and Amazon (up to 60% off). Michaels has buy one get one off sales or use their store coupons to score some great art supplies. Here are what get used the most in our house:

  • washable kids paint, washable markers (pip squeaks markers from Crayola are small enough for toddlers to open and close the lids by themselves), colored pencils, crayons (the triangular crayons are good for toddlers to practice pencil grip), water color paint
  • smock
  • no-spill cups and brushes  as seen on the pics above (they contain the mess when you do painting)
  • construction papers
  • glue (we mainly use Elmer’s glue)
  • art easel and the rolled paper (preferably an easel that is height adjustable and foldable).

Fine motor skills, sensorial work, language development:

Many of the toys used to enhance her fine motor skills, senses, and language skills were bought when she turned 1 (see this post for more details). As she gets older, we have elaborated on how we use the materials. We began focusing on names and attributes of colors, shapes, sizes, emotions, animals and their features, etc. For instance, now when Alia plays with this peg board from Haba, she makes patterns or we take turns calling out on different colored pegs to put on the board. She now uses a pair of tongs to sort the pretend fruits (sorting material from Learning Resources). And we have used stickers in a more deliberate way like matching numbers.

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Learn through Play with Alia 12-18 months old

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As of last week, Alia is 26 months. So clearly this post is hhmmmm… a year late :p #sorry But here we go, a recap of what we did a year ago. 

As a start, I thought I’d share some pictures from her first birthday. My parents came to visit for 2 weeks to join the celebration. We then traveled to Illinois to visit my mom’s host family, and Alia had another birthday celebration there #luckygirl. 

Many things happened after she turned 1. She took her first steps at 13.5 months old, began self-feeding and drinking from a regular adult cup (instead of dumping the entire content on her head :p), learned names of animals and their sounds, and asked us to sing the same song (5 Little Ducks in repeat till bedtime – I’ve avoided that song ever since :p) and read the same three books despite having a million children’s books at home. 

So in between nap time and meals, the following things happened (the age refers to when Alia started doing the activities; yours may be different #followthechild): 

Practical life skills (starting at 12 months old) 

When I was done with grad school and teaching, I had more time to read up on parenting methods. That’s when I discovered Montessori and decided to incorporate the philosophy and method in our household. One of the elements in the Montessori curriculum is practical life (more of it, click here and here) such as setting the table for meals, pouring own’s drink, and putting on your own clothes. All is done to instill independence in a child.

Click on the images to see the details: Image 1: getting her own outfit (I added a curtain rod to an old bookcase to make her dresser), 2: washing hands and brushing her teeth using a stool, 3: transferring items using a spoon, 4: wiping any spills, 5: another transfer activity using water beads on a lightbox, 6-7: putting on a jacket using the famous flip coat method.

Arts and Crafts (starting at 10 months old)  Continue reading →

Traveling halfway around the world with a toddler

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It’s been a week since we landed in the States, and I can say that we’ve recovered from jet lag. No more mommy daycare at 3 am and no more serving meals at 5 am. :p In late June, my family went back to Indonesia. Many people asked how our flight was considering that it was Alia’s first long-haul flight – we’re talking about a 20-something hour flight! So I thought that I’d share some tips on how to survive (and enjoy) a plane ride with a toddler. img-20160912-wa0000

<– Alia and I before we left Jakarta 😀

The three of us flew together to Jakarta, but it was a mother-daughter trip back to the States because Alia’s dad came back early. Being the only adult taking care of a young child is very different than having a partner to help you. But whether you fly with your entire family or just with your baby/toddler, packing lightly and efficiently is key! Okay, I know… Most of us feel that we need to bring the entire house with us heheheh, but I learned that to survive a long-haul flight and all the walking at the airport, you have to pack efficiently. 

What to pack when you travel with a toddler? 

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