i shall not stop writing.

To some of you who are in my facebook list of friends and saw how attractive the latest collection of exclusive hand-printed batik dresses look on little jj, can now check out the latest designs in my beautiful friend's Little Girls' Closet website, where you can find Beautiful Dresses for Little Girls :)

I think the first time I helped promote her website was way back in October 2009 when she first launched her hand-smocked dress collection. As a close friend, I had the privilege to try those dresses on my little jj and I thought they were not only very pretty but they're also very neatly sewn. Best of all, I especially liked the hand-smocked detail on the dresses that run through the entire bodice, not just a small horizontal stripe like most of the smocking dresses you find everywhere else.

She shared with me on the fact that she received the most orders when I wrote about her site on this blog of mine last year (gosh... I should start charging advertorial/advertisements in here!! hehe...) and I guess it is only fair that I continue to help promote her online shop because I truly believe in her quality dresses for little girls. I think the designs are fabulous, the workmanship is pretty neat and I like that they're all pretty comfy and easy to care for....

Little Girls' Closet's Spring Batik 2010 is even prettier! There are 12 different designs in 5 vibrant colours. Everytime I put any one of them (little jj owns 4 so far) on little jj, people would always ask me where I got them dresses from... so now, look no further - go to Little Girls' Closet and be mesmerised with their latest hand-printed Batik collection.

But but but... if you haven't got your hands on their gorgeous hand-smocked dresses, you will be pleased to note that they are ALL going at 40% discount, to make way for more new collections that are coming soon. With the 40% discount, you will still enjoy free delivery (within Malaysia only) and the dresses will be sent to you in a nicely packed package.

As for me, my hands are feeling really itchy to click on those new Batik tunic tops... they look exquisite!

Do you like what you see?

So yes... I turned 17 last Monday (nyeheh...!) and we had a nice, quiet birthday dinner.

I wasn't expecting anything for this year's birthday since I know that I have exceeded my gifts quota when I saw that piece of jewellery just after picking up another jewellery I commissioned a few months back. And I guess, it is better not to expect anything rather than get disappointed with expectations.

But... knowing the one, he would always love to shower me with gifts, no matter what the occasion might be. And you guys know how we never really surprise each other on our birthdays or anniversaries... it's just that way of life that I've been practising since forever, as I know it is just a waste of time hinting, assuming and expecting miracles to happen when all one can do is to just ask. I believe that this method saves a lot of trouble for both parties and us wifeys can be fair to our husbands by not making them guess since it more often leads to disappointments... that, I've heard and read a lot from many couples.

I guess the one was very happy with that arrangement since the start of our relationship as we'd both always get things we both need and want. This time, however, the challenge was in finding out what else I'd need. Frankly, if you were to ask me, I don't really have anything special that I truly wanted. But... the one's suggestion really got me excited and since we've gone all over to some stores which were out of this particular item, it was an easy decision to get it online as the delivery is pretty efficient.

So... the package arrived yesterday morning and though I was very excited to check it out, I had tonnes of stuff to do on the computer and decided to give the one the honour of installing it for me when he gets home from work :)

This, calls for a review soon....

About a couple of weeks ago, another friend of mine shared with me on her new venture - of her very own online blogshop, which she hoped could bring her to an early retirement and possibly be a WAHM like moi ;D

I believe this is a good development. I mean, when I was doing research on the net, I stumbled across hoards of online blogshops selling women's clothing, branded stuff, bags and even second hand items, or as they now call it - pre-loved items. Most of them don't even have credit card payment facilities yet I could see that the market/demands for their items are constant, even when a customer is required to pay by cash for items with a four-figure price tag. And, these blogs are mostly owned by women - some housewives and some with a day job.

I think it is a good development because I realised that women can be self-sufficient, not having to depend too much on their parents or husbands... and who's to say that your current day job is thoroughly secure. Furthermore, this development gives a clear picture that you can do almost anything, if you put your mind to it.

I'm not saying this because I feel that all women need to have a part-time venture... I am saying this simply because I've heard many women who complained about how much they hated their work and wished that they can quit their day jobs, if only they have something to fall back on while they stay home rather than just wait for their monthly allowances from their husbands. With an online business, one does not need to worry about start-up since there is no need for space rental, parking, etc... just a reliable online connection, quality products, knowledge of industry/market and a mobile phone, you can be on your way to personal 'freedom' ;)

Surely, if given the choice, I would rather not work at all (haha....) but then again, for most of us who are so used to working, just sitting at home not stimulating the brain, just don't seem to fit the picture.

feel free to browse around!

Ok.. it’s been almost a month since my last post as I’ve been very pre-occupied… well, mostly due to the constant Twitter updates that is just as satisfying; a little more due to facebook and their addictive games which I could always participate in between breaks; but more so because of the endless attention required of a growing toddler who has learnt to walk and always able to grab mommy at any time and every time. *phew*

Anyways, I have been very busy with work and I thought it may take me another one week or two before I have the energy to blog again but something just hit me tonight and I have this strong urge to write an entry.

See, there was this discussion on blogging and how some people could still regard blogs as an unimportant marketing tool. Really, at this age and time (and this, I meant the 21st Century – not my ‘age’) I am perplexed at such an opinion. No, it’s not because I am a blogger myself. I am saying this because anyone who’s familiar with the internet and use the internet as a source of info would know and could see how much has changed over the years… how blogs have evolved from what they were before – an avenue to voice out concerns/sharing of information to one of the most effective marketing tools nowadays.

I was even more perplexed that this opinion came from a successful entrepreneur who was taken in by the advise of her friend (also a successful entrepreneur in the same industry) that a blog is not important, and that she should focus more on revenue-generating efforts – an advise given by a person who owns a personal blog with plenty of links to reputable connections in the industry, advertisement spaces and clearly stated contact details for, what else – income generating opportunity! I was about to open my mouth wide but stopped immediately since my advise doesn’t come free that easily and I shall say no more ☺

No longer can one say that blogging is a waste of time or rubbish. Yes, you get some people who writes rubbish but who’s to judge when they have hundreds of ‘followers’ on their blogs. It’s no longer about the content… but more of the following, readership and connections on a personal level. Some say it is no longer fun blog-hopping because one tends to read too many advertorials and entries on online contests but I guess, this sort of marketing and promotions work… or else no advertisers or sponsors would venture into such tactics – it works!

One is no longer subjected to the confinements of one’s home with house chores to be completed. Instead, many housewives have now started to blog to gain additional income (although I am not sure how much one can really earn from sponsored posts/ads like nuffnang, on average). Housewives are also smarter by pursuing their hobbies and selling their products online, through their blogs, that are also filled with links to other bloggers and a huge number of online conversations.

Big corporations in Malaysia have started to open up and welcome bloggers to their events and functions, as they know how powerful it is when certain messages are exchanged in blogs. In this case, bloggers are treated somewhat similar to media practitioners because some people (moi included) do not have that much trust in paid media due to the perception that adspend always (or most of the time) influences the angle of an article unlike independent opinions of bloggers, who at most times provide an objective opinion and approachable at a more personal level through the interactive environment - be it in the comments section or ‘Shout Box’ displayed in their blogs. I, for one, was privileged to be invited by MAS to their Cabin Crew Training for bloggers as they felt that it was important for us bloggers to educate the public of their new motto of Malaysian Hospitality and that cabin crewmembers are not just pretty faces.

Many companies have adopted and accepted the concept of including bloggers into their PR and marketing acitivities. One just cannot discount the importance and strength of published information on a blog, as I learnt back in 2005 just after the Tsunami that badly hit our neighbours and some northern parts of our country. In the news sense, information traveled faster than the main news channels; footages from the catastrophe that were aired on national and international news networks were sourced from blogs; and what I remember most was how a mat saleh baby, whose family had fallen victim to the giant waves in Phuket, was identified by their relatives in Germany (I think!) from photos of him posted in blogs. These, I found out based on my research for an IT article I was required to submit for a client's newsletter. From then on, I discovered the satisfaction of blogging, made many friends through blogging, and of course, met the one from blog-hopping.

Now, almost 5 years later, companies not only welcome bloggers' opinions, many have built special blogs for employees/customers/registered bloggers to post entries/reviews on their blogs. Even politicians have accepted this fact – that opinions posted on blogs can be powerful and how many have tried to create a monitoring system for Malaysian bloggers. Of course, this ain’t easy. Hence, we can now find many blogs of our politicians, all who fell into the saying, "If you can't beat them, join them."… some write their own entries, while some probably use the services of ghost writers.

In the US alone, the acceptance of blogs as a powerful source of info is so overwhelming that even CEOs blog. Sad to say, the only CEO in Malaysia who blogs is none other than Tony Fernandes (I’m not sure… is he a Datuk Seri now?). No wonder he can be such an admired corporate figure… it’s this acceptance and moving along with the times allow him to be the pioneer of many wonderful opportunities…

I, for one, who’s an internet savvy individual – who uses the internet to find information and learns from what she discovers every time, would have to totally say that blogging is an important tool for whatever reasons – be it for marketing purposes or even branding… not necessarily branding/portraying a certain image for your products. Blogging also creates branding for yourself, through the eyes of your readers from what you write. This is because you allow people to get to know you better since what you write is usually seen as a personal opinion; you reach out a massive audience as your blog can be accessed publicly (if you do not choose to make it private) and there are millions out there, at least, who, like me, uses the net as a main source of information. Heck, just one keyword typed in a search engine will display hundreds if not thousands of blog lists that relate to a certain view or reviews that you are searching for. More often than not, those opinions count because those are the information that you obtain FOC.

Heck, I no longer buy beauty magazines as I sometimes find them with too many adverts that do not appeal to me and articles that are downright boring. For now, I am very happy to read two beauty blogs whom I have begun to trust in their suggestions and recommendations, even though I have only been following them for a couple of months. Part of my decision to try out a facial session at Lancome was due to limited information on some beauty brands that I was looking for and the Lancome Beauty Institute in Bangsar Village II was at the top of the list, written by one of them. That was enough to get me curious and how I got totally hooked after the experience under those warm, magical hands of Tiffany ;P

Same goes for you, if you have not been blogging yet. I am not persuading you to… but if you underestimate the power of blogs, get these facts:

- 22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs

- 51% of blog readers shop online

- blog readers average 23 hours online each week

- 89% of companies surveyed say they think blogs will be more important in the next five years (this is an American survey

- there are 500,000 active bloggers in Malaysia, ranking us among the highest in the world after Indonesia and EU (70% of the election results were influenced by information found in blogs)

- more and more bloggers have garnered additional income from blogging

If you are seeking to reach your audience and brand yourself to be more approachable and accessible, this is one great way to do it. But if you can’t see that, then you lose out in the massive opportunity and just be a follower, rather than the force that you want to portray to them. Hence, you lose out to your competitor who actively blogs.

Geesh... now this is definitely a free advise, huh?

Malaysia Central - Blog Directory

For the past 2 weeks, I have been working diligently on a dear friend’s e-commerce blog. As a mummy herself, she was working on something she feels truly passionate about and hoping that she could make it a full-time job – working from home while tending to her daughter who’s growing up lovely.

As I’m really close to her and have so much ideas about her hopes and desires from what she has been sharing with me throughout the years, I also feel very passionate about the project she has set for me to do – where I was to come up with the copy and the entire set-up of the blog, including its layout, look and feel.

So, everyone… the site has been completed (and I had so much fun tweaking and learning up html codes!!) and I would really like to share with you this truly wonderful venture, targeting little girls from age 18 months to 5 years (also targeting discerning mommies who loves dressing up their daughters, definitely!)…

Little Girls’ Closet is a set up which was established simply from love. I am not publicising this for my friend, Ning, because she’s a dear friend, neither am I doing this because I was involved in the initial set up of her blog. I am sharing this here because I fell in love with what she had to offer and the amount of time and passion she put into it, resulting in gorgeous hand-made dresses with intricate details which is beautifully sewn. I was totally in love with them that I got little jj 3 pieces of her hand-smocked dresses during Raya and as expected, so many people asked me where I got them. Not only are they made of comfortable 100% cotton material, the patterns of the material were specially designed by her (so that you cannot find them anywhere else) and the hand-smocking detail starts from the shoulder line that runs through the entire bodice rather than just a vertical pattern on the chest area in many smocking dresses you see in the market. Best of all, little jj was all comfortable in the dresses unlike those many maxis we’ve bought for her since she usually prefer her comfy cotton bodysuits and tights.

But there are more dresses there, even hand-painted batik dresses that can be worn on its own or over a bodysuit and tights.

Do feel free to browse through the entire blog and do make it a point to add yourself as a fan to Little Girls’ Closet facebook page. You can find the facebook icon on the blog itself. Even if you do not have girls of your own, who knows who else could benefit from going into the website just by referring to the link that’s listed on your facebook info where you are fans of…

Thank you for the support and go crazy shopping there ya ☺

Ok... we have just subscribed to the cartoon channels on Astro and both my darlings are actually watching Clifford on Disney right now. Errmmm... by way of 'darlings', I meant the one and my 12-year old who has just finished his UPSR exams yesterday.

Surprisingly, little jj wasn't up this morning like she did for the past 2 days. I accidentally slept while feeding her around 3 am and woke up at 5.15am, almost missing our sahur. Thankfully, sahur was already cooked by midnight last night or else we would probably be eating McDonald's again :)

Hokayy... I've been a little 'slow' in my updates recently as I've been plagued by Farmville addiction on Facebook (hahahh!). I was told before how addictive this game can be and never really bothered to try it out until I saw 3 Farmville gifts from my dear cousin, Fida, who's far away in the UK. Once I started, there was no turning back and I even questioned myself why I didn't start earlier as I have missed out on a lot of rewards and wealth-sharing from friends who've started playing it long time ago hehe... yup, i t - i s - b a d, especially when you're also juggling puasa, a little baby, work and housework ;P

5 days of playing, I am already at Level 16 and managed to pull the one into it as well ;P the worst was us fidgeting after breaking fast in Keramat last Sunday as we didn't get to log in to monitor our crops haha.

Anyways, latest developments.......

| Jada has started to sing along to some of her favourite tunes! Our eyes would open so wide when we hear her attempts as her pronunciation is pretty inaudible although the melody part would sound not too bad :) sorry guys... no videos on this yet since she'd surprise us all when she does this and as soon as we realised what she did, we'd all give her one good stare and she'd stop immediately hehe.

| I just cannot resist Hada the Hippo. Found it on TinyTapir and was hooked when I read that its blanket is 5 feet long (because if little jj doesn't use it, I am exactly 5 feet tall haha...).

Ok... little jj hasn't been showing any tendencies of attachment towards any of her soft toys. She has plenty of soft toys but after she turned 6 or 7 months, she has stopped holding any soft toy for more than 3 minutes. Her favourite was once Tucker, the Lamaze tortoise but I now realised that she loved Tucker only because she was truly enchanted by her own reflection that she saw in the mirror attached to its tummy. And although my first born and I both had an attachment towards any teddies or any plush toys, we do not see any of those signs on little jj. Heck, even that thoughtful gift from one of the one's blog readers in the form of a red teddy bear the size of little jj, she only held it for a good minute before ignoring it since the day she saw it. It is bad that the teddy is kinda invisible (to her) and just lying there in her play pen, unattended.

So, when I saw this pink pet zoobie, I haven't lost all hope on little jj. I do believe she's got it somewhere deep inside (hehe...) or mommy would make it mommy's own pet ;P. I guess, part of me fell in love with Hada because I love all 'gadgety' stuff - it is after all, a 3-in-1. If little jj cannot see it for a soft toy, she would have inherited her parents' trait for loving multi-functional gadgets, won't she??

| My current love for gold jewellery has brought me to custom make the anniversary gift from the one. Yes people, our gifts to each other are hardly surprises (although the surprise would come in the form of emotions that entail any purchases hehe). I think I've mentioned before that I hate mind games and I dislike being disappointed with unreasonable expectations. And the one also agrees to this so that we'd get each other something that we both really want, not based on subtle hints. So, with my obvious new interest in gold, the one gave me a budget for the anniversary gift he owed me and I instantly knew the time has come to replace that charm bracelet I've always loved which was a gift from my granny for my first birthday - it was placed on my foot and later on my hand as I grew bigger. Guess that piece of classic bracelet can now be handed down to little jj.

I had to wait 3 months before getting it done since the budget that the one gave me was insufficient which I had found out when getting a quote from my favourite jeweller. I mean, the budget seemed good enough for me but not necessarily so, for the piece of bracelet that I require especially since price of gold has gone up quite rapidly. See... the bracelet has several elements that are meaningful throughout our 4-year journey together (and more to come!). And when it was insufficient, I had decided to wait awhile so that I am able to top up the amount when I get my next payment for some jobs that were already completed, or even maybe have the chance to top up the amount when I get my next hardship allowance from the one ;)

So yesterday, I beamed with happiness for the next piece of meaningful and lasting composition that will act as a simple collector of future gift ideas as it has 8 more tiny rings and 11 elongated hoops to hang 50 more charms. That's another 50 more years of celebration, don't you think? =D

I have plenty more to write but will end here, for now, with hopes to update more before Raya comes. Hope is good.

P/S: just a sneak preview below - I put on a sample of a hand-smocked dress for a writing job I had just completed for an e-commerce website. The dresses are awesome, I kid you not and my N86 8MP doesn't do justice to the dress (especially since little jj was wearing her bodysuit inside). I shall update you mommies out there once the website is up because your little girl should not miss out on wearing at least one of the dresses :)

mommy, this dress is too dark for my complexion... do you have one in pink?

Ok... I am in my excited mode now... I should already head to bed but do not feel sleepy at all, partly due to coffee but partly also due to this one universal bluetooth keyboard that arrived today.


Frankly, I never thought myself a gadget person. Never. I was just happy with a normal phone and although I got an ibook G4 years ago, I just liked it functions but never used it beyond the usual microsoft office applications and frequent blogging sessions.

Well, that seemed to change after I met the one and him spoiling me with my first cute, white Palm Zire on our first Valentine :) From then on, he kinda unleashed the techie side of me and although I won't be able to compete with his knowledge of technical stuff, there are some techie side of me that even he cannot compete with :)

Throughout the years, I bought many many phones, all due to his 'smart' suggestions. They were partly due to him wanting to try the phones as well but rather have me be the guinea pig... many of the phones he suggested have those imperfections that I couldn't live with. But, the best buy was definitely the E90 that I so loved... it even has a blackberry capability which allowed me to reject the boring blackberry set I got at work as I was able to integrate the blackberry account with my phone account. The best part was being able to view microsoft office and pdf documents when the blackberry set the office gave me then could not even retrieve. But... gone are the corporate heydays for me and the phone was too 'big' for my housewifey image.

From then on, the one got me new phones almost annually so that he could indulge in other techie stuff like the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS, without me trying to stop him hehe... it was like an effective bribery. But, in my defense, I would not have stopped him from buying them as I always believed that once in awhile, a man's gotta indulge in the things he love and reward himself for a hard day's work... of course, within means :)

The phones that I use should always have a cosmetic appeal and feels good to the touch - the key pads must be sleek and the phone should look sexy. But when the baby was born, the one thought I should get a camera phone for those priceless moments with the baby's developments. And since I had used a SonyEricsson and a Motorola briefly before, I was adamant to maintain with Nokia, at all cost. Hence, the N82 was the best choice albeit moi not really liking it for its lack in appearance and feel - it was black, plasticky, its key pads were weird and the body was no where near sexy. Heh. But... I guess, the baby was most important and I happily (and reluctantly) chose the N82 over the E71 or E66 and boy, did it capture all those sweet and important moments of little jj, without fail.

Now that Nokia came up with the N86 with an 8-megapixel camera, the one thought it was time for me to upgrade. Well, I was again reluctant because I was eagerly awaiting that sleek E72, a much sexier upgrade from the E71. Plus, it has a 5-megapixel camera which is about similar to the N82. What I like most about the E series is its business-friendly function. I love the shortcut keys and I love it for the thin alloy-like body. But... somehow or rather, I had a quick switch of mind just before little jj turned 1 as I seriously thought an 8-megapixel camera would produce better images of her. Don't get me wrong... I know a separate digital SLR would definitely be 100% better than a camera phone but I am being practical here... I would like my gadgets to be easily accessible rather than realising I have too many cables and wires, and that I need to plug in so many appliances to charge them. Worst of all, I hate having so many things to carry and as much as an SLR would have me looking oh so chic, practicality is always a priority.

So, there. It came to me all of a sudden and the one was more than pleased when I told him I might actually consider the N86 - only if it comes in white. Hehe. What do you know... the shop that we usually go to actually had the last set and it was in white... as if the phone was really made for me, huh?

Finally, I thought I had everything I need with the phone looking sleek, sexy and as white as my Mac... and, it also meets the one's requirements, for him to feel that it was all worth the spending on his other half ;).

Anyway, to backtrack a little... once my ibook G4 displayed a faulty screen a few months back, I started to browse for a new computer. And since an iMac was parked on my desk for an editing job I was doing, I instantly felt I needed a desktop, not a laptop. Furthermore, I was only working from home and do not need to lug a laptop around. So, after much deliberation, the one suggested that a Mac Mini was a perfect choice for me since the 19" LG flatscreen that I won in a lucky draw 2 years ago was still intact in its box and collecting dust... and the fact that a Mac Mini is energy-saving, I guess I got so much value from the purchase even after upgrading its RAM and all.

However, the recent power failures at the condo kinda left me frustrated and I needed something on the go... I know I really do not need a laptop because all I need is a function to type documents and I do not want something so heavy especially when I also have a baby to carry with me when I seek refuge at my parents' house during the power trips. Thus, I suggested getting a Nokia-compatible bluetooth keyboard. Although the one didn't think I would really need it, he seemed to have changed his mind immediately when the keyboard we ordered on ebay, arrived today.


So, yes, I am excited... and I can foresee myself blogging away, anytime, even when I am at my parents' place, while the baby sleeps :)

Hehe... quite a lengthy history to justify why I need a bluetooth keyboard for my Nokia, eh?

I think, I've found a new favourite online baby-shopping website. Just a few minutes ago :)

Well, I'm planning to join my brother and my parents for a short trip this coming school holidays. The thing is, the date of the trip coincides with a major conference that the one will be involved in. So, seeing that I'd be travelling alone with the baby and would prefer not to assume that my brother and my parents will help out since they'd be busy with shopping, I decided to google away for a nice diaper bag on-the-go after browsing thru those normal sites I'd always go to (ie. myBBstore and theBabyLoft). Our current diaper bag may not be that comfy for me to lug around if I need to move away from the shopping group to feed the baby on my own and therefore, I'd need to have the diaper bag with me at all times.

Thank you to google, I came across this site, LittleWhiz.com and am totally impressed with the products on sale. They have so much more range of products than my usual hunting site and the prices are pretty competitive too... in fact, I was gawking at the price of the Bumbo seat that is waaay cheaper than what I got from myBBstore and probably a little bit lesser than what BabyLoft had offered a few months back. And, they have this baby cot that I've been eyeing which is offered at a really attractive price as compared to the one which was on sale at Atria's Planete Enfants last weekend.

What truly intrigued me is the fact that they also carry brand names that you might not be able to find in other online stores or even most shopping outlets as they may not be that popular (maybe!). Best example - where else can you find the Hoppop diaper bag that can be converted into a child seat?? - a clever solution for those travelling to places that may not be baby-friendly yet mommy is a stickler for discipline ;P

I think LittleWhiz is pretty new in the market because I have never come across it before. Although the site lacks an interesting layout, the products that they carry and the way the products are described works well for me!


Now... I am highly eager to get my hands on one of their diaper backpacks... and am spoilt for choice. Oh man...

Update:
Looks like I am back to shopping in myBBstore because I find the delivery duration of 3-7 days by LittleWhiz a total turn-off... hehe... I had actually already confirmed the order until I read the delivery time. Lucky thing I opted to pay thru online banking instead of credit card. I mean, why would you want to wait that long when you know you can obtain the goods the next day. Furthermore, the diaper backpack that I wanted displayed the same price and a lesser delivery cost. Speedy, more efficient service beats everything else. Well... unless there is any good reason for me to shop at Little Whiz, I guess I'll stick to what I am familiar with, for now.

Hehe... so much for that excitement ;P

Apart from doing freelance work while sitting cozily at home, I have also been 'active' in (oopsss!) online shopping :D

Gawd... the things you can get online is amazing! I've bought so many stuff - from safety accessories, ie. drawer lock (child-proof), to medicine droplet, from waterproof layer as the baby's bedding cover (very comfy material) to rearview mirror for the car for us to be able to see the baby at her carseat... but, the most stuff I've bought online must have been the numerous orders I made for nursing bras. Omygawd... not only do they have good bargains for nursing bras, they also come in very comfy material and do their bit just as well as those expensive ones you get from Triumph or Emma Jane. The one has bought the very comfy theraline maternity V-pillow from one of the websites (you can never find a cheaper and better quality V-pillow out there in any other mommy-baby outlets) which I still find very useful til now and I also got the baby carrier for babywearing from the same website.

I think the websites are so useful and genuine in that I am assured fast delivery, quality products at a very affordable price (depending on what you order and their ongoing promotions on selected items). One website even carries branded baby/maternity goods that you wonder why you should go thru the crowded shopping malls when you can get similar items at a discount and delivered right on your doorstep.

For mommies who are in their confinement and want (or need) to go shopping badly, do feel free to browse the following websites (they also operate from an outlet that you can go visit as well):

1. mybbstore - this is my favourite website as although I only bought a pair of baby swaddle from them, I find the site useful for my reference so that I know what kind of stuff I can find in the market and their price range. They also have many discounted items once in awhile that you really can find good bargains for branded stuff like The First Years, Graco, Avent, Fisher Price, Medela, Lamaze, etc. In fact, when no where else carries the Avent ISIS-Duo, a dual breast-pump which was fairly new at that time, this website allows you to order the item from them as they were the sole-distributor for it. I thought it was very good of them as they were up-to-date with the items in the market that we, well-informed mommies would look for. And, since I was going to Singapore for a working trip then, I basically knew how much it would cost here and thus, could make a better decision on my purchase.

2. thebabyloft - I think I've bought so much from them. Unlike mybbstore that focuses on baby stuff, this site actually put more emphasis on the mommy although they still carry stuff for babies as well. What I like about them is their customer service as they update you on your orders and your orders can come as soon as the next day (provided that payment is cleared)! Since the one and I have used their service twice, the third time I made an order with them through payment via interbank GIRO, they didn't bother to wait until the e-transfer is cleared and I received the goods almost immediately. I appreciate their trust in me. Their delivery service is also commendable as they do not charge you extra for orders of more than RM200 and their delivery boy will make sure to give you a call first to ensure you're at home before they deliver the goods to you.

For cash payments, they'll award you points for you to redeem in your next spree (hehe...). And, since one item was not available in my previous order and I've paid for it, they credited the amount for my next order, which they adjusted the payment so efficiently in that next order. No hassle.

3. fabulousmom - This one I only discovered some time last week when a friend (thanks, Emly!) forwarded me an email on their sale at a venue somewhere. Since it was gonna be a hassle for me to go out to check out the sale, I decided to browse their site and was truly impressed by their range of nursing attires. The stuff was also on sale online and I got such a great bargain from them. Best of all, they carry their brand, 'fabulous mom' nursing bras which I've also gotten from thebabyloft, a range that's so comfortable and so affordable. And, they carry such a huge range as compared to the other website. I like their nursing bras as they are priced as low as RM29 to just RM49 for those simple plain bras, very comfortable as opposed to those cheap nursing bras you get in the market (say, Jusco's brand or SKIVA). They've even got sleeping bras! I also got their nursing tops which are just wonderful... I don't believe I've seen any nursing tops in the market.

What I especially like about fabulousmom is their value-added service - since one product was out by the time they wanted to deliver them to me, they've replaced the order with a much expensive item. I dunno if this is a one-off case but I surely appreciate their gesture. Rather than giving me credit like what babyloft did, they saved me the hassle with a much genuine gesture by replacing the item with one that suits me just as well. Oh, they also have the point accumulation system if you pay cash, which can translate to an amount in Ringgit that you can redeem against your next order.  I think this system is genuine as well compared to those shopping stores where the accumulation of points can only be redeemed after at least 6 months.

All the above websites are based in Malaysia and offer secure online payments via credit card, in case you are concerned about its online information security.

I think I'm spent. On online shopping, I mean. I think. Hehe...

I dunno about other online sites on baby/nursing stuff but I believe I've done enough damage in the past 6 weeks of my confinement :D and, I believe, I've gotten almost everything I need.

And no, this post is not a sponsored post.