Handmade #3

Two thursdays ago, I looked for soft shoes SooAe could use for crawling.  I stumbled upon a blog showing her handmade shoes and an attached PDF file of the pattern.  I zoomed in and out to get the correct pattern/size for SooAe and here's what I created 3 hours later.. LOL!   I think it's not bad for a first try... 

(Alex joked I could sell it for 1,000w)

I stitched stickers on their sides so I'd know which one is for the left and the right foot.  I got confused also at first with my lack of skill... phew!

She loved it.. 

They don't disturb her, unlike her socks that she'd always try to remove moments just after I've put them on.  I used to let her wear socks because she got wounds on her feet from too much crawling.  The friction of her skin with the floor is too much...

The best part is that they can go with anything..

(In this photo, the boy, Johan, was trying to "hurt" SooAe...

The previous day, SooAe screamed at him for maybe not rolling over like she did

and the boy got scared and cried... LOL!)

I regret not trying this before.  I could have done a lot of simple yet great stuffs for SooAe.  Tutorials are all over the internet, along with their patterns..  Now, where's that sewing machine you promised me, Lakay?

His Ramyeon Casserole Pan...

"Jehan, nobody in the PH uses a casserole pan like this anymore... It's not the 2nd world war anymore.  Can't you buy more decent pots?"  my mom jokingly told me the first time she saw Alex' ramyeon casserole pan (what should I call it anyway?).

I told her that the two Koreas are still practically at war and for the Koreans, their ramyeon will taste best when cooked in this pan...

Specifically, on medium-high fire...   He likes it when I add garlic and shredded cabbage or bean sprouts but I was just too sleepy and lazy when I cooked this one for him.. Haha!  He was irritated that I still got photos for blogging...

And the best part is eating the noodles from the cover... with Kimchi and Spicy Shredded Cabbage on the Side (so easy to make)...

And Mama was convinced when she saw this BOF episode on a cable channel, doing reruns of popular Korean dramas.  It was already late and we were waiting for Alex to come home.  Mama would endlessly browse through channels to find something interesting to watch when she's tired of the English news channels..

Jun Pyo eating ramyeon like what "poor" people do...LOL!

He wanted to cook ramyeon but he just didn't know how..

I plucked photos 4 and 5 from HERE...

Anyway, last Thursday night,  I cooked "Dalk Tteokguk" (I used chicken broth for this while Koreans just use anchovies, oysters or beef broth) and brought it to Ate Jen's house for our dinner.  While preparing the table, our talk went from Korean side dishes to pots and to our "post partum figure."  She said that we have to start trimming down because she heard the "joke" about "fat" or "big" Koreans against "slim" or "fit" Koreans---that poor people are fat because they only eat ramyeon (referred to high calorie foods) while rich people are fit because they only eat salad (referred to low calorie or well-balanced diet)..

"Ate, which is better, you look poor but you actually have money or you look rich when in fact you're not?"  I asked her and she laughingly answered, "Ah, we just exercise and play badminton when it's not rainy anymore so people won't think I only eat ramyeon while my daughters eat salad..." haha...  Her two beautiful daughters, both midschoolers, are so tall and slim.  But joke or not, I really don't care.  For one, I couldn't even remember if when's the last time I ate ramyeon and when I do, I just taste or eat a few from Alex' cup or cooked ramyeon..

Sunblock for Her...

My husband is excited about this year's summer trip but I'm not.  He really wants us to go camping and although I "will" find it difficult especially for SooAe, I had to give in. 

We spent the whole sunday afternoon at our favorite Lotte Mart branch looking and buying for more camping items.  And since we will be out and under the sun a lot, I took some time to check sun block lotion for babies. 

I've always wanted to get Aveeno baby's sunblock lotion but I don't know why I didn't remember about it while we were at the store.  When SooAe developed dry patches, I really did my best to stick to Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer, no more Korean products, and just her Aveeno baby moisturizing cream when her skin goes really dry.

I only checked two Korean products and I settled for "Green Finger's" MILD everyday lotion with an SPF20 PA+.   The product SA was kind enough to correct me because I originally picked the box with SPF 32 (or 30) and she said that's actually for older babies.  She asked for SooAe's age and she said SPF 15-20 is enough but as much as possible, we shouldn't be exposing her to too much sunlight.  I thanked her for that and I hoped that the hint of citrus in the scent would help keep the bugs away.  (I learned that in the US, Skin So Soft lotion by Avon is good at keeping bugs away and the company produced SSS sunblock lotion that also keeps bugs away but I just don't have a way of getting myself a bottle or two of that lotion here...)

This everyday sunlotion has a skin foresting complex which is GFs trademark so I really couldn't talk much about it, kkk.  But it's good to know it's non-chemical.

Gotta love that 80mL tube design.

The SA gave me another 25mL tube of the sunblock for free.

I also received a small pack of wet wipes and a baby massage and yoga CD, free.

Wallet damage?  Only 8,400won

and I was surprised when she said that they were actually on sale.LOL!

SooAe's first wet wipes were from Green Finger too.  I bought the wipes that were in a refillable plastic "tub" which I really like.  I didn't see any from Huggies then or that other premium Korean product so I settled for Green Finger and I also liked their wipes.  They are soft and embossed, nicely scented but a little expensive so I tried something else after using the first 7 packs I bought. 

Like the Aveeno products we bought last time from Homeplus, I got a little irritated a while ago when I saw the lotion's box all taped like this...

The security strip is inside...

I wonder if it's both for anti-theft and to protect the boxes from too nosy mommies trying to check everything about a product they'll buy for their baby.. kkk... I, too, wanted to check the product inside but the SA told me to just settle for the testers generously displayed...

I hope this one will work well for SooAe.  I'll do my best to protect her from the sun and bugs.  And for the other mommies here in Korea, should you know of a great sunblock for babies, please let me know.. Thank you...

Also for the other moms out there who might want to have a copy of the CD, why not check Green Finger products from the stores near you...  For the curious, the CD contains the following:

1. leg and foot massage

2. arm and hand massage

3. face massage

4. stomach/abdomen massage

5. chest massage

6. back massage

7. baby yoga..

I do massage SooAe but I didn't know I could do much more for her.  Ah, I'm looking forward to a more enjoyable massage time with her.  Also, her pediatrician suggested "baby yoga" last time.  I kept on researching about it and got a few good search results.. It was a joy watching the CD but hubby was too lazy to translate, as always... kkk  

Nursing Strike

There's nothing more heartbreaking than to hear your baby wail or moan yet she turns away from almost every comfort you know you can give.  SooAe has been on nursing strike for the past couple of weeks and just last friday, as she tugged and kept biting on my pinkie, I felt the sharp edge of a tiny tooth coming out from her lower gum.  As I tried to open her mouth to look at it, she would pucker her lips and say "aammm"  "aammm"...  Oh, so cute.. but how agonizing it could be..  Thinking she'd start teething earlier than usual, I got her an "icy bite" teethifier by Nuby when she was 4 and a half months old.  She likes it very much... 

a tooth erupting...

sorry, it's the clearest one i got this dinnertime...

Although miserable, she still crawled excitedly to her bath tub.  She likes splashing in the water.  Alex and I don't mind cleaning after as long as she enjoys and forgets about her painful teething..  

This bath tub came with an infant rest or guard (? i really don't know how it's called

but it's where we used to make SooAe lie down/sit while bathing her) but when she started

rolling over it on her 3rd month, I stopped using it anymore and just hold her

while she splashes in the water.

Her warm bath and the massage I give her after soothes her too.   Before, she would immediately fall asleep right after bathing but lately, she still wants to bite unto her pacifier's body (not the pacifier's nip itself) or her infant toothbrush, nurse and cuddle...  She smiles at me a lot when I rub my pinkie on her swollen gum.. 

She couldn't sleep a while ago.  She kept on moaning and I thought of turning on the camera.

She instantly smiles when she hears the lense' sound... kkk...

We still have a long way to go and I hope she won't feel as miserable when her other teeth start erupting too...  Though painful at times when she really bites on my nips to maybe soothe her gums, I really don't mind as long as she'd regain her usual appetite.. 



Holika Holika at Bupyeong Underground Shopping Center

I first thought that Holika Holika was from Japan but after reading a few blogs about it way back when I started seeing reviews from "Lotus Palace," I came to know that it's actually a sister brand of Enprani.  I think I was able to try some skin care samples from Enprani and didn't really like them.  However, since the Lotus Palace blog owner makes a lot of posts about her Holika Holika hauls, I've always wanted to try their products.  After their opening in Myeongdong last year, I never got the chance to visit any of their stores because we were busy looking into houses and then packing for the transfer here in Gimpo on our day offs.

Just last week, on our way out from the Bupyeong Underground shopping center, after meeting up with my cousin in law and a couple of online sellers, I saw the Holika Holika shop just opening across the less famous brand "Baviphat."  Judging by the number of teens and ajummas worming their way in and out of the small store and with their hauls, Holika Holika is indeed now popular among Koreans.  They also had an opening discount so the shop was more inviting.  With SooAe in her carrier and 2 big bags in tow, I wasn't able to look around much.  The shop was really small and I was scared of accidentally touching, pushing or dropping things around. 

I got so excited with their BB cream items which come in light and medium beige shades but I didn't have any other way to test or swatch them.  From the displays, I could see right away that they are the BB cream products I could use for my skin shade/tone.  Fortunately, they had this baskets and boxes outside which contained several products.  I saw a container of this 15mL PEACH GIRL BB CREAM SPF 37 PA++ and grabbed some and handed them to the SA. 

15(?)mL sample tubes for 1,000won each

I didn't even know how much each was and I was so surprised that she only asked for 6,000won.  I'm not so sure if they're a bit more expensive compared to the other popular Korean cosmetics brands we like but I think I'll give the products a try.  What's more.. they're cutely packaged.

I'm satisfied when I tried using the bb cream this week.  Although a bit lighter (because I got the #1: light beige shade), I still liked how the product smoothly blended into my skin.

I meant to show you a swatch but the tube got squeezed

maybe such that the product just popped out when I

removed the cap.

After wiping off excess product and blending in the product,

I liked how the cream felt and looked on my skin.

It's also hot here nowadays but my face didn't get oily at all.  Don't you hate it when BB creams that claim to be a primer as well make your face oilier. 

For more Holika Holika reviews, just visit the "Lotus Palace" blog.  Katie, the owner has a lot of Holika hauls I envy...

And since there are 4 extra sample tubes (one is for me and the other is for a friend in Australia), email me your address and leave a comment here that you did and you'll get one sample and other samples I still have here.  Let's do it FCFS... If no one does till the 12th of this month, I'll send them all to my friend.. kkk