It’s 2019 and all of a sudden so many of my ex-classmates are having babies! In fact, we even have a mummy WhatsApp group to share our questions and stories. And because I’m the most senior one there- the only one to have 2 kids at the moment- all my first-time-mummy friends are asking ME for a list of items to buy for their baby and advice on what’s not necessary.

So, instead of having to type out and re-think every single time someone asks me this question, I thought why not come up with this baby shopping list- so I can share with them what i think is necessary and what’s not.

So here’s a baby shopping list which I personally think are necessities, and which I think are not necessary when you are shopping for your first baby.

The Big Bulky Items

Necessary:

• Crib or co-sleeper
• Crib mattress
• Car seat (For extra savings, pick one that fits newborn till at least 18 kg)
• Stroller (Pick one that is newborn friendly and can use till at least 3 years old)
• High chair / Booster seat (not an issue till 4- 6 months onwards)
• Cupboard / Dresser  – For baby’s clothes
• Changing table – Because changing on bed/ floor hurts my back

Not Necessary:

• Bassinet (You’ll only use it till 3 months, so don’t waste your money!)
• Rocking chair (Although nice to have especially when you’re nursing baby)

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Few days ago, i posted a historical moment on my Instagram. For the first time in my life, i actually wore YELLOW! And it wasn’t just a top that you could pair with some denim jeans.. nope.. i went all out with a bright yellow dress! Why is it such a big deal? Well, it’s kind of a step forward for me because i hardly wear bright colours at all due to some of the reasons that i’m about to list down. I’m usually a confident person with my personal style and choices, but this time was different.. i was actually nervous stepping out of the house… i kept asking my husband if the colour is alright… while walking towards my car i felt like everyone was starring at all my fats and rolls with disgust… which was weird because i’ve never felt so insecure…

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For the first time in my life i'm wearing all yellow! I won't lie, i was very self conscious today and i felt like everyone was staring.. but i like the style of the dress too much and it's suitable for tonights dinner.. so.. here i am.. trying to be all confident…

A post shared by Lily Shah (@lilyeshah) on Jun 14, 2017 at 4:08am PDT

As i drove my car to work, it was already too late to change.. So instead, i decided to change my attitude and just fake my confidence for the day. At work, comments came pouring in.. “wow! So bright!”, “Oh my goodness so bright! Chinese say you can scare the ghost away with that!” ERRKKK! Well that didn’t boost my confidence at all! HAHA! But a friend of mine ensured that it was”OK LAH!” Wasn’t as bad as i made it seem, she said. Well anyway, that particular day inspired me to write this post. These are the reasons that i realised along the way on why most of us (plus size) women (or maybe just me) dislike wearing bright colours. Continue reading

Most women will tell you that they love going to the spa to get pampered and just relax without having to care about anything in the world (at least for those few minutesla). So when i was invited to experience CHILL by Swasana Spa located in Impiana KLCC Hotel, i was ready to escape from work for a relaxing experience…. or so i thought.

As i was taken through the experience i realized a few things which inspired me to write this post. Imagine all the things that the spa therapist have to endure when they perform our therapy- like washing your feet and massaging your head. This was not the first time that i’ve gone for a spa treatment, but it was the first time for when i’m not actually on holiday; so i may not have been as ready as i thought i was. So i learnt a few lessons in order to avoid future embarrassment and came up with a few questions that i think you should ask yourself before going for a spa session.

Am i wearing the right type of clothes?

When i got the invite, they mentioned to dress ‘comfortable’. So i wore a simple casual black dress- you know, something that you can easily put on and take off.. I assumed that i would need to dress down and change into their robe or something. But once i arrived, i was glad to know that i didn’t have to strip naked, because the treatment that they’re treating me focuses on the legs, arms, back, shoulders and head. The treatment focuses more on reflexology and acupressure.. Not sure if it was the Chill Out treatment or Chill Classic. Anyway, it was something that i desperately needed in order to release all the stress especially on my shoulders.. Plus it saves me all the hassle the change and bathe after.. Continue reading

Ramadan is here! Which means Raya is just a month away! As we take this time to reflect on ourselves and do righteous deeds, it’s also a great time to lose some weight. Take it as killing two birds with one stone! I’ve known some people who tend to put on weight during Ramadhan instead, but god willing if done the right way, losing weight is definitely an option to be grabbed!

So if you’re looking to fully utilise this holy month, then check out these awesome tips that will almost definitely guarantee that you’ll lose weight.

Do not skip suhoor

Suhoor is your pre-dawn breakfast, so skipping it is just like skipping your breakfast, which means that it’ll just leave you even more hungrier when you break fast! Which means….. that you’re most likely to eat more and stuff your face with whatever you can much on!

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