Mummynista!

Are you relocating to Jakarta? So you are looking for a place to stay in Jakarta? And perhaps feeling really perplexed on which area would be the best for you. Don't worry, you are not alone. When we were moving to Jakarta, one of the biggest decisions G and I got to make - was to mutually agree on which area to stay. The popular places where expats live in Jakarta are CBD/Sudirman area, Menteng, Kuningan, Senayan and South Jakarta- Kemang/Cilandak/Pondok Indah area. G has always love to live next to work(right in the city) so that he could just walk to work and not be affected by traffic or transportation issues; while I hate living next to the offices/bustling areas and prefer a quiet laid-back area. We are polar opposites when it comes to this so it is always a battle when we choose a place together. So I thought I'd try to list down some pros and cons which may help you to better weigh your choices :) PROS AND CONS OF EACH AREA South Jakarta- Kemang Area/Cila...

For those who know me, I am a very lazy beauty; I love taking shortcuts for my beauty routines. For those who are similar, I am going to share how you could do a quick beauty fix/fast facial in the comforts of your own home. This suits most skin types as it is basically cleansing and hydrating. Just FYI, I have dry-sensitive skin. Unless you have very bad acne skin, you may want to consult your skin therapist before trying this at home. You will need (the least): 1. Facial scrub/exfoliator 2. Mud/clay mask 3. Hydrating mask Additional (Good to have): 1. Oxygen mask 2. A blackhead remover tool/ cream 3. Nice soothing background music ;) This is what I use at the moment(from left to right): 1.Facial scrub by Soap&Glory 2.Mud mask by Formula 10.0.6 3.Blackhead Melting Gel by Laneige 4. Bubble mask 5. Rose Mask by Fresh Step 1: Exfoliate your face with the facial scrub you have Step 2: After rinse off, use the blackhead remover tool to remove your blackheads if yo...

Thinking of making your own unique cushion covers? Or perhaps to get rid of some leftover fabrics? Trying to spruce up your place without breaking the bank? Maybe you can try this. I decided to make my own cushion covers when I realised how expensive the home decor shops are selling them for. Like 30-50USD for a simple deisgn? If I were still in Singapore, I might pay this kind of price but being in Jakarta- where labour is cheaper? No way... I had some leftover denim fabrics but I didn't want a full denim cushion, so I went to buy some softer cotton that will match my denim. So here's how you can do your own cushion covers like I did mine. Things You Will Need: a) Fabric Scissors/Rotary Cutter b) Old Fabrics/ Some cotton c) An Invisible Zipper d) Sewing Machine e) Serger (Optional) f) Measuring tapes/rulers/chalks 1. Find a combination of fabrics you want to play with or just to stick to one fabric is fine as well. Take down the measurement of your cushion...

The last that I checked, I am not a hermit, at least I don't look like one so...I kept myself surprisingly busy by trying to find myself some new friends in this new city. I think meeting like-minded people is one of the most important thing for someone new in town especially if you are a stay-home-mom or temporarily not working. As much as I love Alex, it is a one way conversation; at least at this point of time. And talking too much to Alex's nanny or the apartment's concierge is also not the best thing either. I realised I needed friends (of the same frequency)..if you know what I mean..so that I can sustain my sanity in this lovely yet crazy place. And I also know that I don't possess some super magnetic powers that I could just sit at home and people will come knocking on my front door, "Hi C, I am your new friend." So I decided to take a proactive approach to this and here's couple of channels that I've used or reached out to: 1. Fri...

Sadly, most of us don't wake up looking or even..feeling like this. A more realistic one is like this. Credits:  http://www.seattlewolf.com/Hate-Waking-Up- It's one of THOSE days when you just feel like wearing your PJs all day; or perhaps feel like a bloated hippopotamus because of too much sodium the day before. A girl, however, needs to stay pretty so this is the perfect outfit for you when you are feeling anything shitty... like me right now. *humming Bruno Mars' Lazy song* Batwing sleeves ensure no one sees your flabby arms, shorts to create illusion of a silhouette and of course one will always need a centre piece, which will be your latest designer bag or a new favourite necklace. Helmut Lang petite top lagarconne.com Forever New scalloped lace shorts $65 - forevernew.com.au Tory burch flat toryburch.com River Island brown bracelet $40 - riverisland.com MAC Cosmetics lip gloss macys.com

I was going through all my posts and realised that there isn't a single one on fashion. It's a little cliche since the blog is named Mummynista... Hence I decided that I should probably start blogging a little more on fashion and beauty and not just food. Otherwise, I might just need to change the blog name to Fatmamanista. *cackles* If you've read ' About Me ' or knew me personally back then, you would probably know how much I used to dress up. Everyday WAS  'I need to be fabulous' day. However since pregnancy and giving birth, my fashion laziness just escalated. Nevertheless, I need to reinforce the emphasis of still looking good. Even as wives, we still need to stay competitive...if you get what I mean. I go by these subconscious rules nowadays: 1. Buy clothes that does not require ironing. Have at least one body flattering jeans. 2. Scarfs are my best friends on lazy days. 3. To look like I've put in some effort dressing up- wear sandals i...

My baby tiger Alexander is currently 4.5 months old and on partial breastfeeding supplemented by formula and solids. Yes Alex started on solids at 4 months old as his pediatrician gave a go ahead. I have also returned back to work for a month and returned to my pre-pregnancy figure(almost). I thought it would help some moms by posting various tips that I picked up the last few months: How to increase breastmilk 1. Use a double pump (would recommend Medela's double pump) When I first gave birth, I was using Medela's swing, a single pump. It was a good pump but it was not fast enough and also tiring for me. I got the double pump and seriously it reduces my stress of producing enough milk. Firstly I got almost twice the amount of milk by using the double pump (increased from 200ml to 400ml in total) each pump. I pump 4 times throughout the whole day- 9am, 2pm,6pm,10pm and slept through the night. Not a problem at all. However you got to keep your pumping routine reg...

Need domestic help? Where do we begin? Yeah I finally put an end to my procrastination and completed the e-learning course on Foreign Domestic Worker Employer's Orientation Program.  (you may apply and take the course here, will cost you about $30:  http://www.sp.edu.sg ) In case you are wondering what that is, it is a compulsory course/certification that first time employers in Singapore have to go through before being allowed to hire a foreign domestic helper. You would need to do this before you can even apply a work permit for your helper. After much consideration and debate, my husband and I decided to engage a helper to look after the baby when I return to work from my maternity leave. I will list the pros and cons of different childcare options in another post. Anyway below is my version of   " Engaging Helpers for Dummies in Singapore " : 1. Look for a reliable maid agency. (drop me a note if you want to know mine.) Once you decided to engage a...