December 2007 Market Day

It was the last Sunday of the month again and this time, it's for December 2007. This is the second time we set up stall at the Little Penang Street Market.

As the first time, we have to arrive and set up stall before the visitors start coming in. We arrived at 9.30 am and this time round, Peek-a-Wipes Cases are added to the list.

In addition, as opposed to home-printed business cards, these arrived just the day before (just in time)...

The guys I hired to develop Peekaroobaby.com might have failed to deliver a satisfactory shopping cart system but these business cards are sure very impressive and to me, 'out of the box'. You cannot see it from the pictures but the top is nicely laminated in a way that the stars and rainbow have special effects to them. ;) Very satisfied with these, indeed. The flyers looks great on the PC, too but waiting for budget to actually print them out.

Again, December 2007's market was a family event. The management makes it a point to have activities for children on the day... once again, Arthur enjoyed himself very much.

As I was busy setting up stall...

Judging from the picture, can you guess what happened??

Not really? Take a look at the next pic...

Yes... My Little Arthur 'stole' the doll sling on display again...

Of many performances and songs and dances... the one that caught Arthur's attention most....

Chinese, or rather, Hokkien glove puppet performance... impressive. It was performed by a Living Penang Heritage recipient. Let's just say that it's not easy to get a chance at this...

Then, of course... nap time...

Ok, this next one made my day!

This customer was carrying her DD in a Baby Bjorn when she stopped by my stall. My initial thought was that she won't be getting the sling from me. Probably the taggies...
You guessed it right! I was soooo soooo happy that after my demonstration, she decided to try it on. God knows my feeling when she voiced out her preference of a Peekaroobaby pouch to a Baby Bjorn! Indescribable feeling!

And, oh... keepsakes from the day...

Probably in line with the Clog Painting activity that was going on, there were these mini clogs (as big as my index finger) for keepsake... The thingy next to it is a puzzle piece where one is suppose to seperate the string from the green wrought steel... (no, you don't need tools... just a little intelligence.. which, I still lack hahah...)

There was also a mini windmill (not sure if this is the right term but it's the thing with a flower that moves like a windmill...) made from wrought steel but Arthur just couldn't keep poking at the flower. In the end, it's wrecked.

Market go-ers, see you in 2008!

Babywearers, come join in the fun! Who knows? Market day could one day be our get-together day of the month ;)

Happy New Year!!

Wow! Can you believe the year is really coming to an end??

This particular year that I am talking about saw a lot of changes in me... in my surroundings.

For one, I am now a WAHM. **woohoo..** I started the year off as a trainer for an insurance company. Sadly (cos I had to leave it), it was my best jobs ever (in Malaysia) since I returned from Sydney. Was really very heavy hearted to leave... especially with those colleagues of mine planning a surprise farewell party (I was indeed surprised!!) It was like family and I sure would love to stay on longer. A boss that values my work... friendly and willing to help inter department colleagues... don't know what else I could ask for.

Still, from a FTWM, I chose to quit (due to many reasons) and become a SAHM. I have always wanted to be a SAHM (even before I got married!) if we could afford it as I believe the moments spent with your children as you watch them grow up is simply priceless. How true.. I am still enjoying it..

If you asked me then... even if you ask me now... it has never occured to me that I will be in business someday. Even now, 'business' is not so much a business to me as all I ever wanted to do is to spread the joy of babywearing... breastfeeding... cloth diapering... Even now that I have started selling the slings, I would still say that I much prefer blogging about it and sewing them to actually selling them. Then again, of course, when I bumped into someone using my sling... WOW! Just can't find a proper word to describe that feeling！

Perhaps it is from my degree in Business and having a businessman father and a businessman father in law.. people around me has always suggested that I go into this business or that.. but, no... let's just say that I am the kind of person who'd just prefer to get a fixed salary.

So, really, it never occurred to me that someday, I would be selling stuff (made by myself, too!) and I would be setting up stalls in a market!

A toast to the changes and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. May all the good things start happening your way come 2008!

Most Common Mistake **Updated**

Out of the many slings that I have sold, I noticed that the most common mistake encountered is that users tend to bunch up the fabric, putting strain on their neck... Like so...

As much as I'd like to share more photos os such mistake with you, not many are willing to have their photos being used for this purpose... So, a really big THANK YOU for this good friend of mine who is wiling to share :)

Really, shall I say, 9 out of 10 of my customers end up doing this. That is why I try my best to make it a point to either meet up with my customers again or contact them via email from time to time to ensure they are getting the most out of the sling and ENJOYING babywearing.

To me, the most important here is not the sales but that they actually uses it. Imagine... you were walking along the street when you turn a corner and bumped into someone carrying a baby with a sling you'd sewn... instant gratitude! After all, that is why and how Peekaroobaby is conceived... out of love of babywearing. ;) ;)

To ensure that the baby's weight is EVENLY distributed, the fabric has to be opened up and shall lay flat across the back.. otherwise, one might get a backache after minutes of wearing a baby.

Instead of bunching up the fabric... ensure that it is laid flat and spread out wide...

Cartoon Character Test

Got tagged by Brenda. Very interesting tag indeed.

Everyone has a personality of a cartoon character. Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character do you most resemble? A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Here's the tag:
Answer all the questions (only 10) with what describes you best, add up all your Points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results. Do not cheat by looking at the end before you are done. Then ask your Friends to answer it. (Make sure to Highlight your answers)
1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts.)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)
2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts.)
e) Pop (3 pts.)
3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)
4.Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt)
5. What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)
6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
d) Dark Blue (2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)
7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts.)
8. What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween (1 pt.)
b) Christmas (3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day (4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving (5 pts.)
9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3pts.)
10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)
Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!Put your character in the subject line and forward to your friends and back to the person that sent this to you. Very interesting to see 'who' your friends are!
* (10-16 points) You are Garfield :You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how tohave fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know whatyou are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others maynot see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others.
* (17-23 points) You are Snoopy:You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's i nand you are never are out of style You are good at knowing how tosatisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few daysmore than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned Being married and having children are important to you, butonly after you have had your share of fun times
* (24-28 points) You are Elmo:You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing togive advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic andyou always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not tobe too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts inyour life.
* (29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants: You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jealous people, and you will be stress free.
* (36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown: You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a fewBirthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.
* (44-50 points) You are Dexter:You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad situation when it comes.
* Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity. Now don't spoil it! Have some Fun!!

Results: I scored 40.. I am Charlie Brown! Sounds true... sounds not... you have to know me to know if it's true ;)

Wanna pass it on to Denna, Soo Ming

Ready, Set, Go!

Ok... Now that I am done building up a stash for Arthur, it's about time I try cloth for myself. I have indeed tried it before but for only a day or two towards the end of the cycle or before the cycle starts... as a precaution. That was with the pad I'd sewn...

These are made from 100% cotton flannel fabric and I'd sewn some for a friend of mine to test them out before my menses resumed (delayed due to breastfeeding).

I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they felt compared to disposables. No scratch... no odour... no pulling out the hair *ouch**.. yes, you know what I mean... sorry, guys, this is not for you (but you can read up for your other half ;). My hubby would ;))

The pads I'd sewn myself are stuffable and their absorbency are adjustable. I thought that would be THE system for me until my friend informed me that some would prefer AIO... This friend of mine also introduced me to another system.. the Sckoon system...

Just like my DS's CDs, I'd decided to try them out...

With a few purchases here and there, I now have the following to try out during my next menses. Will update you with a review once I have actually used them and am satisfied (or not... though I'm sure anything would be better than disposables) with them.

Sckoon GIZA pads.. interesting system where you can actually just change the liners, provided that the covers are not soiled. The organic Egyptian cotton is just soooo soft you'd want to hold it next to your face! Got this from ebay.com though I later found out from Sharine's blog that you can actually get them in Malaysia from FemChoices. Upon checking, I'd found that FemChoices actually sells cloth pads at a competitive price, too. Thanks, Sharine, for putting up the link.

Homemade Mama pads... AIO... from http://www.miabambina.com/. Believe it or not, I have been eyeing these pads for quite some time before I know that Miabambina is offering them. Stumbled upon them while doing my research on cloth pads. The materials are so soft. I was a bit reluctant to try out AIOs as I was afraid they will take ages to dry... well, will let you know about that...

Ok. This Moon Sister pad is from Justlife organic shop. I have seen them on sale more than a year ago but just didn't give it much thought then. Then, Arthur was not on CDs. Then, I had the same idea as most that the idea seems gross... Now, all's in my mind is what could be worst than a landfill of disposables?? So, the last time I returned to KL, I headed to a Justlife shop and got one... was wanting to get more than one as it was only RM22 each for a double inner pad but thought I'd just buy one and open it to check it out first... unlike my other purchases, I was disappointed as the inner pads simply turned out to be...

... a double layer of hanky? Yes, those hankies that sells for less than RM1. Not even sure if they are 100% cotton, too. The snaps are just simply metal snaps that's usually require hand sewing (I know I missed a photo! I'll make it up in my review). The cover seems a bit coarse to my liking.
Then again, who knows... it might work well.

Something interesting that I'd found from the packaging from the Moon Sister pad, though is that the water used to soak the pads are good for your plants. Sounds logical, doesn't it? Not many have highlighted that, though.

So, yes, I am all set and ready to go full on cloth for my next menses.