Looked Up: Kenneth Cole Kid's Shoes

I'm a cheapskate when it comes to a lot of things but I really like shoes and I so love getting some when they're on sale. These babies are at 60% off. That's about $16 for a pair and since they have free shipping for purchases over $100, wouldn't it be a good idea to get more?
 

Pictures from the product website.

Haul: By Nature Regular Bars

We ran out of soap and I had to make do with buying at the mall. After trying out the bar for a wash, I knew there was no way I was going to use store-bought soap again. It was just so awkward to feel so squeaky after taking a bath. Being on handmade soap for a while sure made me picky.

But then, why should I settle? It absolutely doesn't dry out my skin, it lasts so much longer, and I'm happy not to use any of the chemicals they dump into the usual soaps. So I went online to my favorite supplier, Organic Joys and went trigger-happy, filling an order of 9 regular soaps from By Nature. It sure was nice to get the soaps within the week through Pedala.

I decided on getting some new variants for fun. Divine Olive, Cinnamon Spice, Cinnachoco, Gentle Lavender, Golden Honey Oats, Honey Lemon, Green Tea Escape and Warm Patchouli. I threw in a Cocoa Butter Melt as it's one of my all-time fave, being unscented, moisturizing and just really good for the skin. The stand-out among this haul is the Cinnachoco. It's really sweet without being cloying and after a bath, the hub asks why I smell so good. Loving...

Craves: herbench/OJ+Rajo

I haven't been to a decent Bench store for a while because the closest one is being renovated and they have this small closet-like store instead of a full one to tide me over. I got the hub some of their soft shirts for our anniversary in the closet-Bench and didn't bother going over to the bigger Bench on the next mall over until today.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the herbench/OJ+Rajo collection when I finally got around to checking out the store. And yes, I want them all. Even the boyfriend jeans. They're all perfect for the office and I've been thinking about how I probably should buy jeans that fit into this decade already. I've been wearing my old ones for goodness knows how long and I'm getting a ribbing from the hub over that. Even if flared jeans are my go-to pants and they're thankfully not out of style, the new ones have a slimmer silheoutte compared to my decade-old ones.

I'm really liking the prices. The cuts and colors for that price is a steal. I'm weighing over whether to get them all or just two. I like the shorts and the skinny jeans the most. Please note that this will be the first skinny jeans I'm considering purchasing. My current one doesn't count as I got it for free. The flared and the the boyfriend jeans are worth buying as well but I figure it's overkill when I can get some of those in the sale section.

How can I lose the preggy belly in a month, please? I figure if I keep a good posture and do my squats and lunges religiously, I have a good chance. And I'm going to start wearing my old pants again. The waist-high ones. Keeping the tummy bounded up could help. After all, wasn't that what corsets are for? I swear, if I actually get into my ideal waist size, I'm going all out in buying pants.

Picture from the RL's twitter page.

Love: Human ♥ Nature Beauty Oil

I really like it when a product exceeds my expectations. I initially bought this oil because I was looking for something to help me with the dark under eye area and the various battle scars left by the pregnancy. I got it from Organic Joys (I really love Aimee) but it's available in some stores in our area.

 

It's 100% sunflower oil. I don't know about anyone else but it's one of the lightest oils I've ever tried. Oh sure, it's slippery and oily but it almost feels like it's not there when you apply it. Also, it doesn't smell a whole lot, just a faint scent of the sunflower seeds.

I can't say I've had a lot of improvement on my eye bags as I really am bad at sleeping on time. Side note: It's hard to expect a miracle in a product when you're not letting your body take care of itself. Nevertheless, I like its moisturizing properties and it doesn't feel heavy on my skin at all. Also, I've taken to putting it on my hair before going to bed.

My hubby likes this oil for his massage. He can be quite a downer  when it comes to oils because he hates how hot it makes him feel. He did not complain at all about the oil when I used it on him. He says it feels comfortable, actually. His back actually got moisturized quite a bit from that.

The absolute kicker for me, however, was that it's a great baby oil. I was checking out sunflower oil properties and found that it's good for rashes and such for babies, not exactly treating it, but acting as a guard against infections. We were experiencing quite a lot of rashes in the neck and diaper area of the little one at that time and I was being told not to use a baby oil as it would make him feel hot and sweaty. Knowing how comfortable this particular oil was, and learning that it's the main ingredient in our favorite baby balm, I went ahead and applied it on the reddish areas. They were clear of the rashes after a day.

So then from one product, I got a facial oil, body lotion, baby oil, rash product and hair oil too. Not bad for one bottle and so perfect for traveling. But please don't use it for cooking. It's cosmetic grade, not cooking grade.

Craves: School of Satchel

If I were to buy a satchel bag, I'd buy from the School of Satchel. Aside from the quirky brand name (I like quirks), they've got quite a reputation for quality and service. A local brand, they partner with charities in support of schoolchildren, which is a cause close to my heart as well. I like that you get your pick of the satchels, 11-inch to 15-inch, handled or non, backpacks even, and in quite a range of colors. Being the cheapskate I am, it hasn't escaped my notice that they have a great discount on red tagged items.

But then, I won't buy a satchel because I'm going for their weekend bag instead. I love a good multipurpose bag. The side compartment is what made me want it. Perfect all-around bag, right? Roomy and weather-proof as well, being made of wool and leather. If it were smaller, I'd get one for myself and but since it's so darned roomy, I'd consider it the perfect bag for sharing with hubby. He can use the side compartment for sneakers for going to the gym and when going out with baby, it's perfect for dirty diapers and roomy for all extra stuff.

With his birthday coming up, I've got a good excuse for this purchase. No backing out now.


Pictures from the product multiply site.

Love: Saya Baby Carrier

The above picture doesn't present me at my best but I'm still posting it as it's the only one I have of me using the Saya Baby Carrier. This was on a recent bus trip that took ever so long where I carried the little one on the said carrier.

I've mentioned this carrier before. I've been wanting it so much even before my little one was born but I was waffling because though it was readily available online, it was not that easy to find at the usual malls and since it was size-based and I'm really bad at choosing clothe sizes, I wasn't sure on which one to order. Thankfully, when I went to Shangri-La Plaza last month, I saw it at the Momtrepreneur stall.


After a lot of hemming and hawing from the hub, he was eventually convinced that having 3 kinds of carriers is not a bad thing. We got it just before the 10-hour bus trip. It was a real lifesaver.

First off, I think it would have been easier to get the carrier when the little one was a newborn. It wasn't that hard for me to use it in the usual carrier position, chest-to-chest, but it took some getting used to for baby to settle down because he wasn't very used to it. Once settled in, he got comfortable and slept quite well.

For myself, the carrier, it was a very comfortable experience. With the usual carriers, my shoulders would hurt after just half an hour as the little one isn't so little anymore and tends to move a lot. As long as I make sure to spread the cloth over the shoulder and back, it didn't hurt to wear baby with the Saya. I like the carrier so much and find it a great convenience that I'm not at all afraid of going out with just me and baby.

There should always be caution in using all baby carriers. It's a little person in front of you and like it or not, he will want to move on his own. No matter how well I position the baby, he would lean back and side to side and every now and then, I check if he's in the correct position not to fall off. That it covers his knees and as much of his back as possible. Thankfully, the cloth stretches and adjusts quite easily.

I noticed that whenever baby is in the carrier, his pee tends to pool at the front of his cloth diaper so even if the back area is dry, it's better to ensure that the front is dry as well or both of you will smell like pee.

I used it as a nursing cover as well, and it worked well enough for the front-buttoned shirts. If the little one is small enough, you don't have to get him out of the carrier to nurse him. That is not the case for us so I couldn't try it for myself. For the other positions, they included a pamphlet with the package that includes a small bag to carry the Saya in when not in use.

In the below photo, I'm wearing the Saya with baby out and it's not obvious at all.

Love: Sophie's Mom Nutella Mochi

My pictures do not do these goodies from Sophie's Mom justice. The package suffered some from being handled inside a plastic bag in a crowded commute home from a trip from the mall.

 

Truth is, it's so hard for me to share this. I just want to scarf the whole box down. So good with yummy soft mochi surrounding an even yummier creamy nutella center. My MIL says it tastes like marshmallows. But it's more. So much more. Crack maybe. Oh yum!