Wall Decorations for the Nursery

Umbra Mariposa - Set of 9
USD $10

Finally caved and bought these Umbra Mariposa Wall Decorations from Amazon! Been searching for these for the longest time and being an online shopping junkie, I finally found a good deal that I must share!

If you haven't heard of these before, their most common design is the Wallflower (see pic below), which is a set of gorgeous 3D flowers you can attach to your walls to decorate however you like.  These do come in some other colours too (I've seen Hot Pink, Lime Green and Glossy Black) so it's great for adding a pop of colour to plain white walls.

However, I have decided to go with a slight butterfly theme for the nursery and so have swayed more towards the Mariposa design. Aren't they just gorgeous!  I'm going to put them above the crib along with some other wall decorations I have in mind (shall be revealed in due course) - loving the 3D effect!

Umbra Wallflower - Set of 25 (USD $19.99 from Amazon)

Anyway, back to the great deal that I found - you can get these on Amazon for only USD $10! Shipping to Singapore was pricier than the item itself (USD $14.54), but overall (total works out to be about SGD $30) it still beats most of the prices I've seen around (ebay sells them for about USD $23 onwards and that's before shipping costs).  I've seen these around Robinsons as well, but I'm pretty sure they cost more than what I've paid too!

Of course the only drawback to buying them online is that I will now have to wait patiently for them to arrive in the mail... But if you're an online shopping junkie like me, you'll know how exciting it is when your packages arrive in the mail. It's pretty much like Christmas and I love it :) It's only about 15 weeks or so till bub arrives so it's about time to start doing up the nursery... can't wait for these to arrive!

Here are some ideas on how you can use these to decorate the nursery, bedroom and pretty much just any empty wall space in your home that needs that extra oomph!

Pssst: If you're looking for a Singapore-based wall decal company to customise some text decals to go along with your newfound 3D wall decorations like above, look for Decorette Wall Decals - they will be able to customise your favourite phrases for you!

Update: They have arrived!!! I absolutely love them! Received them via post from Amazon in only 3 days! Amazing service!

My Big Flopsy

My hubby got me a Big Flopsy for my birthday! Before you start imagining things, the Big Flopsy is a huge pregnancy pillow filled with comfy beans that provides total support and comfort while you sleep, plus will come in handy when it comes time to nurse baby.

Leachco Back 'N Belly Contoured Body Pillow
USD $59.99

It comes in a U-Shape so you can use it to lie on your back (providing great back and arm support when reading or using the iPad in bed), or sleep in the recommended side position - on your left of course - by hugging one end between your legs and wrapping the rest of it around your back for back support (I love this position!).  Later on, as belly gets bigger, this will be useful for providing belly support too - will let you know how that goes!

The best part is, when baby comes along, you can use this as a nursing pillow by wrapping it around the front of your belly so you can rest your arms and baby while nursing.  The pictures even show how you can use this so baby can be propped up in a sitting position, or lie in it like a pillow form bassinet. LOVE IT!

I couldn't find the Big Flopsy I have selling online, but these alternatives (better known as maternity pillows) ship for only USD $18.98 from Amazon. Pretty good deals considering mine was from Isetan and cost almost 180 bucks (oh the pain of spending all that money before baby arrives).

I would encourage you to splurge on these so you can enjoy your sleep before baby arrives and at the very least, comfortably! I know I can't do without mine every night now... :)

Boppy Prenatal Total Body Pillow
USD $49

Wishlist: Timi & Leslie Diaper Bags

Adding this to my wishlist! I think I'm falling in love with these Timi & Leslie Diaper Bags, especially the Dawn range! They look so chic and functional at the same time, exactly what I have been looking for. Most of the other diaper bags I've seen around are flowery and a bit too feminine for me (or the hubby for that matter) - not that the hubby would be likely to lug this bag around either, but hey at least it's not as girly. 

It's been hard to find an online store in US that would ship at a reasonable price so I am pleasantly surprised to see that Amazon will ship this to me in Singapore at only US$18.98! Oh... the temptation....

The only thing holding me back are some negative reviews that the quality of the hooks are not that great and break easily.  Not a good thing if the bag will be stuffed full of bub's things (i.e. HEAVY to the max).  Will be keeping this on my wishlist nevertheless!

Kegel Excercises

Ok, so I'm learning that doing Kegels is pretty important for an expecting mum (especially if you wish to have more "control" - if you know what I mean!).  Sounds slightly gross but by strengthening the pelvic muscles, us preggy mums have more chance of preventing (or at least controlling) urinary incontinence (tmi?).  

I found this "How-To" guide online at Mayoclinic.com so hopefully this also helps all you mummys-to-be out there like I hope it's going to help me! :)

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How to do Kegel exercises

It takes diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them. Here are some pointers:

• Find the right muscles. Insert a finger inside your vagina and try to squeeze the surrounding muscles. You should feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor move upward. Then relax your muscles and feel your pelvic floor return to the starting position. You can also try to stop the flow of urine when you urinate. If you succeed, you've got the basic move. Don't make a habit of starting and stopping your urine stream, though. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder or while emptying your bladder can actually weaken the muscles, as well as lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder — which increases the risk of a urinary tract infection.
• Perfect your technique. Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, empty your bladder and sit or lie down. Contract your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for five seconds, then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
• Maintain your focus. For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
• Repeat three times a day. Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions a day. You might make a practice of fitting in a set every time you do a routine task, such as checking email, commuting to work, preparing meals or watching TV.

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*Note: The above information is taken from the mayoclinic website, visit this link for more information on Kegel excercises.