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

I’m finally comfortable to share the news that I’M PREGNANT- againnnn.. huhu. I’m currently 19 weeks now and about to hit the halfway mark.

I’ve been keeping this news to ourselves for quite some time. Why? Well, to tell you the truth, it came as a surprise and we were not planning for another till Eidrix is at least 3 or 4 years old. The moment I found out, I cried.. not because I was happy, but because I was sad, disappointed, frustrated… I was thinking about what my life would be like with another baby so soon.. the sleepless nights, the hardship of breastfeeding, the lifestyle that I’ll miss out on, the financial aspect.. call me selfish, but that’s exactly what I thought.. and maybe i am selfish. I wasn’t ready.. I felt like I just got some time to breath now that Eidrix is coming to 2 years old.. and now I’m gonna be back into that life… Continue reading

Let’s face it, going on holiday with an almost 2 year old is hard! Besides all the baby stuff that you have to bring on your trip, it’s also the energy, the tantrums and headaches that makes it even harder and at times stressful.

So here’s the thing, my husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary on an island off the coast of Terengganu- Redang to be exact. It was our second time there because we loved it the first time we were there. And of course, since there’s three of us now, it’s only natural to bring our boy along so we can spend time with him as well.

Island holidays in Malaysia is cheap in my opinion. We paid RM479 per adult for a full-board package for 3 days and 2 nights- which means all meals are included, plus 3 snorkeling trips as well. For kids below 4 years of age- it’s absolutely FREE!  Here’s a breakdown of what’s included and what’s excluded:

Package Inclusive Of :-

• 2 ways ferry transfer (Syahbandar jetty – Island – Syahbandar jetty)
• 2 nights accommodation (with air-cond + hot shower + safety box 2B, 2L, 1D, 1BBQD and 2Tea Breaks
• 2 snorkeling trip +  1 Marine Park (Excluded equipment & life jacket) 
• marine park ticket  (charged in bill)

Package Excluded:

Snorkelling equipment fees: (rent in island, rental for whole trip)

Life Jacket – RM15 per person

Normal Mask & snorkel: RM15 per person

Power Mask & snorkel: RM 25 per person

We stayed at the Redang Beach Resort this time, which was much more comfortable, compared to Redang Bay Resort- the hotel we stayed previously. Redang Beach cost RM60 more than Redang Bay per person, but it’s much much more worth it (especially if you have kids) because:

• Rooms are clean and bright
• Toilet is wayyy better!
• Beds are bigger
• The buffet for each meal was delicious and the “canteen” as I call it is much bigger, cleaner and more organised.
• Their swimming pool is much cleaner
• Staff are friendly

Only downfall I would say is the beachfront. The area right in front of the hotel is quite rocky, which makes it quite hard to enter the sea and can be a little dangerous too. So you’ll have to walk a little further to the left or right of the hotel to a safe swim zone- no big deal, but it would have been great if we didn’t have to walk so far all the time. (far for me is probably not the same for you coz i have a back problem..)

So Why Wasn’t It A Good Idea?

Maybe it was the scheduled timing of meals and snorkeling trips. Nap time was being compromised- there was little nap time due to all the activities- so he probably didn’t have enough rest which made him grumpy.

The other thing was that, my boy didn’t really want to eat anything else besides his biscuits. Not sure why, but he usually doesn’t have any problem eating rice, or noodles. But this time- he refused all of it!

To top it all off, he was also afraid of the waves and the sounds it made. He was okay once we’re in the water.. but as we walk towards the sea.. it’s constant horror screams!!

Lessons Learnt

I guess the first lesson i learnt was NOT to go on a scheduled holiday. I should have just gone for something free and easy to fit my boy’s nap and meal times.

Secondly, i shouldn’t have compared or expected it to be the same as when my husband and i went just the two of us. Sure we wanted to go snorkeling and experience all the fun we had the last time, but it’s different now and we shouldn’t have expected things to much.

Thirdly, is to bring some of your kid’s familar things- his favourite toy, stuffed animal, book, anything at all to make the hotel room a bit more homey and familiar.

If you guys have tips or experiences to share with this new mummy, please do share it with me in the comment section below. I also need some advice for our next holiday, so if you have any, i’d be more than happy!