We all love having that cool, energizing and natural coconut water straight from the fruit itself to beat the heat on a hot and sunny day. But a lot of us Asian mums believe that coconut water might be too “cooling” and only drink it during the last trimester.

During the last trimester, a lot of Asian mums also believe that consuming a lot of coconut water will help “clean” your baby, so that the amount of vernix caseosa (the waxy or cheese-like white substance found coating the skin of newborn babies) is reduced when the baby is born.

Benefits of Consuming Coconut Water During Pregnancy

According to Dr. Hon Sook Kit, Gynaecologist, Gleneagles Medini Hospital, coconut water is rich in electrolytes such as potassium, and magnesium. These electrolytes help to relieve heart burn, constipation, and more importantly, they are necessary for healthy muscle and nerve activities during labour.

Coconut water also fights against dehydration, and replenishes lost fluids as 95% of its content is water. Good hydration helps to maintain good blood flow to the uterus and, indirectly, to the baby.

Studies have also shown that good hydration can result in good liquor volume, which is an important part of the baby’s wellbeing. And when baby is strong and healthy, he or she will be able to withstand the stress of labour much better.

Precautions to take when consuming coconut water

Coconuts are best consumed immediately after they are cut as they are ripe with nutrients then. Do also keep in mind that a ripe coconut can be harmful as it leads to constipation and can also increase a person’s body fat.

It is best to restrict the intake of coconut water to one glass a day in order to prevent an overdose of sodium or potassium. Some doctors may recommend that you stop drinking coconut water two weeks before surgery.

Side-Effects of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy

Generally, coconut water is safe to be consumed during pregnancy by most women. However, just like any other food or beverage, moderation is key as coconut water also contains sodium, which should be avoided if a pregnant woman is suffering from high blood pressure and is on medication for it. Always discuss with your doctor before consuming coconut water if you have blood pressure issues.

Desaru – a coastal town in Johor has been on my “To Visit” list for a while now. It is known for its pristine beach and is easily accessible especially if you stay in Peninsular Malaysia. So while doing some research for our family vacay, I came across Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, which recently opened its doors to the public in December 2019.

I’m familiar with the Anantara brand having visited their hotel in Seminyak and Ubud, Bali. From their great hospitality to amazing rooms and amenities, I knew I just had to make a visit to the brand’s first luxury hotel in Malaysia to see if they are child-friendly as well.

Anantara’s hospitality was immediately prominent the moment we arrived at the resort. We were greeted with sounds from the kompang accompanied by their staff singing the Rasa Sayang song (a beautiful Malaysian welcome, in my opinion!).

We were then led to a beautiful check-in lounge that overlooked their pool and the ocean – a truly breath-taking view that left us at awe. We were offered their signature welcome drink and a strawberry smoothie, which my boy enjoyed, and it was straight to our room for some much need rest.

Stunning Sea Views & Child-Friendly Amenities

It’s good to note that all of the rooms in Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas’ main blocks are facing the sea. We stayed in the Deluxe Sea View Corner Room which has some extra balcony space – perfect for my boys to run around.

The rooms in Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas are also child-friendly. We were very happy when we saw that they had a cot set up in the room and also had a baby bathtub prepared in the bathroom together with toiletries for the kids. Definitely a plus point in my books! Besides that, they also provided a kite and some batu seremban – another very Malaysian element – for some good ol’ family fun.

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Whenever I hear Shangri- La I’d think about luxury, men and women in business attire, romantic couples and travellers- not so much a child-friendly hotel. So when I saw some stories of Patricia K’s recent staycation in Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, I was amazed at how child-friendly the hotel actually is and decided to check it out myself.

It’s true what people say, once you have kids, your priorities change and decisions such as where to eat, where to stay or where to go on holiday are made with your child in mind first. You’ll be asking yourself questions like, is it child-friendly? Is it baby-friendly? Will the kids have activities to do there? Where are the kids going to sleep?

My husband and I are island lovers. We used to go snorkelling 3 times a year, but when my two boys came along, everything changed! Holidays are now closer to home and they must be child-friendly.

In short, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur changed my perception towards it entirely. From the kid’s buffet spread in Horizon Club, to the daily activities to keep the little ones busy, right down to the little details they’ve prepared inside our room, Shangri- La is indeed a child-friendly hotel, one that we will surely go back to.

So let me break it down for you as to why I would say so.

Child-Friendly Rooms and Amenities

We were booked in the Premier Selection Suite that comes with a kid’s tent (limited numbers available) that I’m sure all kids would love- my son included. There’s something about tents and kids that gets them excited- probably gives them the feeling of having their own little nook.

In our Premier Selection Suite they also have little touches for the little ones such as kids’ toiletries and stool, which I think are thoughtful touches that made our stay all the more better. You can also request for a baby cot if you need one.

Horizon Club Lounge

Depending on the type of room you’re staying in, guests at Shangri-La will also have access to the Horizon Club. This privilege begins with a personalized check-in at the Horizon Club Lounge, with the option of late check-out until 4pm, which means more quality time to be spent with the family!

During the weekends, Shangri-La has a special family area in the Horizon Club Lounge for a more inclusive family bonding time. It includes a mini playroom and a child-friendly mini buffet spread during breakfast, afternoon tea & cocktail hours catering for children under the age of 12. After our activities, (which I’ll talk about next) we always found ourselves going back to the Horizon Club Lounge as we find it to be a comfy place to hang out and have refreshments, which are available throughout the day. Plus, the staffs there are really friendly and accommodating too!

Kids Activities at Shangri-La

Once you’ve done your booking, you’ll receive an email from Shangri-La closer to the date of your stay that will tell you about the exciting activities that they have lined up throughout the weekend. Activities include- fish feeding, movie nights, family yoga or Zumba and even a kitchen tour. All you have to do is key-in your details in the form they provided in their email and book a spot for the activities that you’re interested in.

Once you have checked in, your child will receive an Activities Passport that can be used to collect stamps from the activities that you’ve registered them in. You’ll also be able to redeem a gift at the end of your stay!

Our favourite activity during our stay has to be Movie Night, where we could cuddle up as a family and watch a movie while eating warm popcorn and marshmallows! If you have a toddler or a pre-schooler like myself, you’ll probably be worried about making noise and getting them to sit still, but you really don’t have to worry as the room is pretty laid-back and filled with some books and toys to keep them entertained as well.

For older kids (4-12 year olds), I would say that the Kitchen Tour is a great activity! Not only do the kids get a tour from the chefs in Shangri-La’s Lemon Garden Restaurant, they also have the chance to create a dish of their own- and this time it was sushi. My boy is 3-years-old, so he wasn’t in the mood to join in, but there were other younger kids joining in as well. As long as an adult is there to accompany, they do accept kids below the age of 4 as well.

Free Shuttle Service

If you hate driving around KL City Centre, you’ll be glad to know that Shangri-La also provides free shuttle service to a number of places of interest around Kuala Lumpur. It saves you the hassle of driving and looking for parking, plus the kids love bus rides anyway – it’s adventurous!

Overall

Overall, we loved our short staycation at Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur. Besides the child-friendly amenities and activities, we also enjoyed the delicious food from Lemon Garden, Zipangu and Shang Palace. Lemon Garden is one of my favourite places to have a buffet and I absolutely recommend it!

Would I go back to Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur? Absolutely! I think the perks and complimentary service at the Horizon Club makes it worthwhile. So if you’d like to know more about what Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur has to offer, head on to http://www.shangri-la.com/

Here’s a little review on Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash from a mummy with a boy who has sensitive skin.

Looking for the right baby wash can be a little overwhelming especially when you’re a new parent. With all the dos and don’ts and what’s good and what’s not, I can imagine what you’re going through- in fact, I know exactly how you feel because I too went through it all.

By now you probably already know that babies and toddlers have much more sensitive skin compared to an adult’s, and that is why picking the right baby bath and wash is so important. I used to think that any bath or shampoo that are ‘made for babies ‘ is good enough- that’s until I found out that my firstborn Eidrix had eczema (yup, had– he eventually grew out of it, alhamdullilah).

Ever since then, I was a bit pickier and cautious when it came to choosing the right baby bath or shampoos. Some of the things that I look out for are:
• Is it paraben-free? –More info on why we should be cautious with paraben here.
• Is it soap-free? – Soap can be drying for the skin
• Is it hypoallergenic?- which means it is unlikely to cause an allergic reaction
• Is the fragrance overpowering?

So recently I came across Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash, which fits the bill for what I’m looking for. As a working mama I need a baby wash that is fuss-free, which means that it has to clean well yet gentle on the skin.

There are a few reasons why I really like the Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash, so let me expand on them below.

1. Besides being paraben- free, soap-free and hypoallergenic, the Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash also is 1/3 lotion with aloe vera and almond oil, which are 2 ingredients that are beneficial to keep the skin moisturized, soft and smooth.
2. It is also a product that is recommended by paediatricians – According to Cetaphil’s Website, a total of 200 dermatologist and paediatricians in Germany surveyed online in 2015 for this. That’s a relief!
3. It lathers up just nicely- I personally do not like the ones that don’t lather up. But I also do not like ones that lather up too much, so this one is just nice- We can still have that bubble bath effect if we want to.
4. I love the smell!– The best part is the scent sticks on even after bath, which kinda makes me want to hug and kiss my kids all the time… haha! But most importantly, it’s not overpowering!

DID YOU KNOW?
10/10 mums agree that Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash gently cleanses and moisturises baby’s delicate skin*.

I also like the packaging because it’s easy to grip and easy to bring along on our travels too. Imagine if it’s a pump-out type… susah right? There’s a risk of it leaking if you don’t pack it in properly.

In terms of the amount of liquid used for one bath, I just use a coin size amount every time and it does the job!

Besides that, the formulation is made tear-free, which means it won’t sting if it accidentally gets into your baby’s eyes.

Overall, the Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash is so far the best body bath and wash for us because it meets all the requirements that a working mummy like me need, plus it’s gentle on my boy’s skin and moisturizing too!

Ohh ya, I forgot to mention that I found that I don’t even need to put on any oil or lotion after his bath anymore!- save me time and money! hehehe

If you’re interested to know about the Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash, you can get more info via their links below:

Website: https://www.cetaphil.com.my/products/baby

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cetaphilmalaysia/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cetaphilmy/

You can also purchase the Cetaphil Baby Moisturizing Bath & Wash via Shopee or Lazada

*Survey conducted by Home Tester Club between 6/7/17 and 8/9/17. 431 members have received and home tested Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash

When I first knew about The Butterfly Project – a community for beauty and lifestyle bloggers, I thought it was a great initiative by founder Tammy Lim and I knew I wanted to be a part of this community. I’ve been following them for a while now and whenever they had a community gathering, I almost always didn’t have the chance to join them- until NOW, and boy was it one hell of a party!

The Coachella Unity Celebration was a community gathering where members could get to know each other and mingle with other bloggers alike. There were fantastic booths from sponsors, live entertainment, great food and drinks and even a painting party! When I heard it was going to be a Coachella themed party, I was so excited because that meant that I had the chance to dress up and have a little fun! (This mama needs her “me time” too okay :P)

Let me break down what went down during the celebration because each and everyone who was involved is worth mentioning!

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Thank you @hellotammylim for organising a #Coachella themed event. Finally got the chance to feeling2 dress up according to their theme- boho rockstar chic. Hope i pulled it off alright? 😝 It was an awesome event.. more info will be on the blog soon! . . #ButterflyMsia #ButterflyCoachella #HeartyPartyMalaysia @butterflyproject.my #bohorock #bohostyle #plussizefashion #plussizefashionmalaysia #plussizeblogger #plussizebloggermalaysia #plussizemalaysia

A post shared by Lily Shah (@lilyeshah) on Sep 29, 2019 at 7:12am PDT

Related Post: Boho Rock Chic- Coachella Inspired Outfit for Plus Size Women

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I’m one of those people where I hate crowded places and I hate queuing for long periods of time, especially when you’re hungry and just need to fill up your tummy! So recently, I came across an app that could do the queuing for me! It’s called QueQ, and is a Thai- based community mobile app that helps us to eliminate the hassle of queuing up at my favourite dining outlets.

As you guys might know already, K FRY is one of those restaurants that can get really ridiculously long queues, which is why I haven’t tried it till the day I found out about QueQ. Anyway, the process was pretty easy: Continue reading

So I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM), which occurs in about 7% of pregnant women. It’s pretty common, but can be worrying too if not taken care off.

The reason for this entry is basically because I’m hopeless at going to my appointments, and as I’m writing this, I’m missing my 3pm appointment with a dietician in Putrajaya Hospital (don’t be like me guysss), so I decided to do my own research. I mean how hard is it to look up the proper diet for women with GDM right?

So here’s what I found.

It’s all about keeping your blood sugar level in the ‘normal’ range.

So far, it looks like my readings are mostly in the prediabetic stage (with minor diet control). I still had my Teh O Ice Limau, still had my rice, but I tried cutting down on my ice creams, cakes and chocolates.

My Blood Sugar Levels:

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If you live in the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur, you’d understand how precious time with our loved ones can be. Minus the time you’re at work, the hours you’re stuck in the traffic jam, and then prepping for dinner; what are you left with? An hour of quality time with your babies before you say goodnight to them? Not a lot of time when we’re constantly working five days a week and sometimes even on the weekends.

Alila’s Sky Lobby

This is why I find going on a little getaway every once in a while such a necessity. It doesn’t necessarily need to be out of town, in fact you’ll find a number of places that are perfect for a staycation right here in the city. Staycations are a great way to take you out of your routine and give you quality bonding time with your little family(especially if you’re living with your in-laws or extended family).

My boys and I recently stayed at the newly opened Alila Bangsar. Located right in the heart of Bangsar, the hotel occupies the topmost floors of a mixed-used development known as The Establishment. We were greeted at the hotel’s sky-level lobby on the 41^st floor and was instantly amazed by the beautiful view from its wide and fully glassed windows. Filled with natural light and fresh greenery, I could tell that the hotel was an environmentally conscious one- and I was right. Continue reading