Milky Way - The Journey

New Beginnings

2010-04-01T01:35:00.000-07:00

It took me sooooo long to finally get the new website up. And I cannot help but note the date: 1st April. By pure coincidence, the new Milky Way website is finally launched on April Fool's Day.

This is after countless late nights of sitting in front of my computer, working into the wee hours of the mornings, my face artificially lit against the glow of the computer screen.

Some mornings I am inspired and for those times I am thankful. But mostly, it has been me working against time, fighting sleep, and trying my darnest to get the bugs fixed, the pictures uploaded, the text checked.

And I bid adieu to my old website, the one that was also designed by me in 2004. In a sentimental kind of way I will miss the bright, unique blue background and the colourful spashes of colours that characterises Milky Way.

Here is our very first Milky Way homepage when it was launched in early 2005.
And here is the very last homepage before it was taken off in Dec 2009.

Well, the new website is different in that it looks cleaner and carries more content, and is hopefully more user friendly. The signature Milky Way blue-orange combination remains, and I have kept the background white so that the photos will stand out even more.

I have also added in the "shop by size" feature and I am very sure it will help mummies save time in navigating the website.

Another big step is the addition of the Milky Way blog...I have always wanted to share the Milky Way journey but never had the time to do it. I am so relieve to launch this as well.

Rain

2010-03-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Some things in life will never change. One of them is the irresistable appeal of rain for kids. And I am sure that if conventions did not stop us, we adults would not hesitate to splash around a little too.

A few rules govern the fun factor of playing in the rain:

1) Swim suits are wimpy and take away half the fun of playing in the rain. Attire has to be spontaneously as-it-is. Which is to say, the only set of clothing is the very set the parties involved are wearing, with no change of clothing in sight.

2) No warm shower or towels awaiting nearby. Which is to say, the parties involved are likely to remain all soaked and sticky for a decent enough period of time.

3) Even more fun would be if there are parents watching on nervously. Unsure whether to relax and let the kids be kids, or put a stop to this so kids won't risk running a cold and having to skip school the next day.

4) The last "five more minutes!" are the most fun, intense, and crazy. Usually parties involved are able to delay this simply by pretending not to hear the pre-warnings due to the rain.

***
I, however, belong to the group of parents who'd shout for the kids to stay out of the rain. Maybe one day, they'll get to play in the rain (when mummy is not looking).

Meanwhile, they'll have to be content with other options.

Like my 5 year old daughter who declared to me yesterday: "Mummy, today is the fun-nest day in the world, ever. (She's into superlatives these days)."

"Why?"

"Because I got to wear my raincoat, and it is REALLY raining!"

Milky Way's Contributes to Pirate Party

2010-03-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

I had finally found some good use for the mountains of fabric remnants from our Milky Way samples and garments. They would all go towards dressing young pirates and piratresses for my son's fourth birthday celebration.

A pirate theme was the most natural theme for us, given the children's preoccupation with swords and all things nautical. They love to play "ship" on the sofa. They like sashes and scarves. They like heros but they are more fascinated with the villains.

I was more than happy to cut up the scapes of cloth that I had saved from the Milky Way pile, and was extra pleased with the colourful concoction which made the pirates so much cuter and delightful. It was much better than the usual black-red-white combination.

We used the fabrics for the sashes, headbands, money bags and even the handles of the home-made swords. I spent less than $10 on supplies from the bookstore, but ended up with so many wonderful props for the party!

Craft Ideas for Pirate Theme Party

2010-03-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

Bought supplies from bookstore: 2 soft foam sheets (brown and white). 1 pack of black foam sheet. 1 pack of gold corrugated paper. 1 pack of black construction paper. 1 jar of white Sakura poster paint. Total cost: SGD9.00

Supplies we already had at home: glue gun and glue sticks (absolutely essential), ribbons, cutters, dried post-CNY Pussy Willow Stems

Some of the ideas were taken from here: http://www.kidscraftweekly.com/pirates2_issue.html

Pirate Flag Streamers
The trick to this mass-production effort is in stencilling! It is fun and absolutely fail-safe. The most fun part of this project is drawing in the faces of each flag. Check out the eye-lashes on Danielle's flags, and David's careless three-dot pirate face flags.

Pirate Swords
Materials:
- Soft Foam Sheets
- Cardboard paper from used boxes
- Dried stalks of pussy willow (with the buds removed, to be the spine of the sword)
- Fabric
- Glue gun
This was clearly the star prop of the party. Every kid loved their special swords, with comfortable handles made from scraps of Cotton Spandax material (courtesy of Milky Way, ofcourse).

Money Bag
This is unbelieveably easy - no sewing, no glue, nothing. Simply cut out a circle, cut some hols around the edges, string in an elastic string, tie the string, and viola. An easy craft for the kids to complete.

The Pirate Ship Pinata
It was a last minute decision for us to make the pinata. Basically I stared at some old cardboard containers and thought I could recycle them and declutter the house at the same time.

I have had experience with three other pinatas during previous years and this one proved the most successful. Why? The first one was bought from the party stores. It was so sturdy (stubborn?) it took the kids at least four rounds to create a small dent. We even got the bigger, stronger neighbourhood kids who happened to be around to help with the smashing.

The second one - I tried to make it myself as well, copying the method of the first one. It took many failed attempts by the kids, and finally, adult intervention in the form of a penknife. Fail.

So this third Pinata was really a sweet success.

The reason is that only one single piece of newspaper is used to wrap around a structure made from cardboard. It was rather flimsy, but it was just nice for the kids. The sweets started falling out after a few attempts (through the torn newspaper), and continued until all the kids had a go at hitting the pinata.

Treasure Map
Burning the edges off the piece of paper proved an exciting activity for the kids. And brought back memories of secondary school projects.

Pirate Flag
It doesn't have to be all mean and scary, as you can see from this cute bear pirate logo. We nicked the pink cherry blossom from our Chinese New Year decor.

Telescope
Another fun add-on.

Photoshoot - Feb 2010

2010-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

When Agnes, our model, did our first photoshoot a year ago, she was barely in her first trimester of her second pregnancy. At that time, we did not know that it would be a boy, and that he would be called Toby.

Fast forward a year later.

We meet up once again for our second photoshoot, this time with 4 month old Toby joining us in the photoshoot, together with his older sister Sophie.

Scrappy Birthday Party

2010-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do something really simple but memorable for Danielle's birthday. Eventually, I invited my friend Wuling to conduct a session of scrapping for kiddies. Wuling does the most amazing projects, and I was sure she'd be great with the kids.

In the end, all I needed to do was book the function room downstairs, and prepare some simple snacks. The rest of the work was done by the teacher, who came armed with all the required supplies.
What a lovely afternoon of girlie fun! Everybody was pleased with the results and it was totally hassle-free for me. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is too busy to plan but who wants a memorable little gathering.

Check out Wuling's blog at: http://lvoenote.blogspot.com/
Her email address is wuling_18@hotmail.com

Photoshoot - Dec 2009

2009-12-31T01:19:00.000-08:00

This time, our model is the lovely Liz, mother of 5-year-old Jia Jia. At one point, we ran out of ideas for poses and Liz jokingly suggested the golfer's pose.

A baby always sweetens things up. To that end, we got my baby Deb to join in the fun. In spite of her usual clinginess to me, Deb was very happy hanging out with Liz, sitting comfortably on her lap and taking in the scenary around her.

What a third-time breastfeeding mother learnt about breastfeeding

2009-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

By the time I had my third baby, I was certainly seasoned enough not to have to attend a workshop organised by the hospital during my stay there. Or so I thought.

Thankfully boredom got the better of me and so I decided to attend the talk on breastfeeding.

And boy did I realise then that there was still so much to breastfeeding! I had obviously forgotten the early challenges of breastfeeding a newborn!

LESSON NUMBER ONE:
If I were to summarise and give one piece of advice to any mother embarking on breastfeeding, it would be:

Make sure your baby gets a full feed each time you breastfeed him, and wake him as often as you must to make sure he completes his feed!

My mistake for breastfeeding my first baby as that I allowed her to doze off into lala land, congratulating myself for having made her so content she could sleep so soundly.

I later realise that newborns are easily tired out and sucking takes a whole lot of energy from them, so they fall off into a kind of lulled sleep. However this does not mean that baby is full.

I was reminded to use the clock as a guide - to make sure baby gets approximately 20 minutes on each side. It is a good guide because otherwise there's a high chance that the newborn would doze off even after just five minutes of sucking.

(That's me breastfeeding newborn Deborah while in the hospital, wearing the Milky Way Laced Nightie.)

It is hard work trying to wake the newborn, no doubt.

In fact, when the staff nurse asked the room full of new mothers what the greatest challenge was when breastfeeding (there were approximate 20 attending the workshop), a whopping 90% of mothers said it was trying to wake the little sleepy baby to continue breastfeeding.

Ensuring that the newborn gets a full feed is so important because it then takes care of many other issues. It means that it is easier to get into a more predictable pattern (though I am not advocating a strict routine, not especially for a newborn!). The baby naturally sleeps better. The mother gets to empty her breasts better, ensuring a good supply of breastmilk.

So while I was not intentionally aiming for a strict routine for the baby, I found it somehow naturally fell into place.

And that took me three babies to realise.

So I thought I'd share it here for all mummies. :)

LESSON NUMBER TWO:

Apparently I was so zealous in the newfound realisation of LESSON NUMBER ONE that I did my darnest best to ensure that Baby Deb got her fill before allowing her to sleep. This meant that I'd try to burp the baby - maybe a tad too hard - and I'd do everything I could to keep her awake. I called her name loudly, commanded her "don't sleep! Baby! Don't sleep", sat her up...patted her back...

I guess I got a bit overzealous. To the point where my confinement lady had to step in to gently remind me:"Maybe the baby needs a rest." She gently took the baby from me, and allowed the baby to lean back a bit. True enough, after a few short moments, the baby was back awake, and ready to continue feeding.

Yes, let the baby catch her breathe for goodness' sakes. That would be Lesson Number Two - be sensitive to your baby.

A Matter of Gender?

2009-12-01T11:22:00.001-08:00

Dani seems to really enjoy bustling around the office, picking up and arranging things in place, helping me smooth away creases on the clothings as I take pictures.

Unlike her brother David who much prefers hiding himself inside the chests, losing his toy cars inside, pretending to be a pirate and generally making a mess of the place.

Can you see how different they are already?

Perspective

2009-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that the school holidays coincided with my setting up the showroom. This gives me more flexibility in planning my time around appointments and errands. All three kids tagged along everywhere I went. But it also meant that I had to put up with their incessant chatter and requests while I tried to get things done.

"Mummy, can this be my sword?"

"Mummy, can I go inside the cupboard?"

"Mummy, what's this?"

"Mummy, I'm HUUUUNGRY."

Argh. Can I be left alone to finish up my work and go?

And then it dawned upon me that I am so blessed that I can have them freely hanging around me while I worked...

And I remember once again to take a break, and enjoy their presence.

It is all a matter of perspective again!

Photoshoot Oct 2009

2009-10-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

I managed recently to organise yet another fun photoshoot with mummy Liching, seem here with her second daughter Jaimee.

Our older kids mucked around in the pool nearby while we worked. This is the one part of my job at Milky Way which I enjoy tremendously.

A Really Clever Idea to Make Kids Settle to Sleep

2009-08-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

As the title suggests, I recently slapped myself on the back for devising the most wonderful little method in getting my restless kids to nap.

You know how they get really frisky in spite of all the sleeptime routines, endless pre-warnings and then warnings?

Especially when they know that mummy is physically held hostage by a latched-on breastfeeding baby.

BACKGROUND
It used to be that I'd read the kids their stories and then leave them to have their naps. But with the new baby, I've somehow taken to breastfeeding them while reading, and then trying to get the baby to settle to sleep as well with her older sibs. However, after a few afternoons, they figured that they could get away with playing on their beds, because I was stuck breastfeeding.

That was reason enough for them to play punk, testing their boundaries by refusing to lay down for their naps until after much verbal threats from me. So this went on for a few days.

THE BRIGHT SPARK
I really hate to issue verbal threats, knowing full well how futile they actually are.

Then the bright idea hit me. This is what I did:

Instead of repeating myself for them to lie down and sleep, I calmly ordered the kids to make their beds as cosy as possible. Puzzled as they were, they gamely arranged their pillows and bolsters. I even encouraged them to make sure the fan was blowing the right way, and fluff their blankeys a little.

Then, I coolly instructed them to stand over their beds, and watch the alarm clock in front of them. They were to remain standing until 5 minutes was up. No fidgetting, no talking, just stand there with hands behind their backs.

Ah...and then it dawned upon them that this was the punishment that mummy has devised! The two kids were too surprised by this twist to protest, so they stoically stood over their beds, facing the alarm clock.

While their mummy continued to breastfeed the baby, trying hard not to laugh or go "doo-dee-doo...dee doo...".

Finally, after a long five minutes, I simply said, "Ok, now you may lie down and sleep."

You should see how both the two dived into their sheets as if they'd not slept for ages. It was a hoot.

PS: I would have loved to snap a picture of the two little ones doing this thing, but thankfully I was wise enough not to spoil the solemnity of the whole event. Haha! Mummy scores again! Always remember this: we are smarter than them :P

Motherhood Fair 2009

2009-06-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Joining the fair was a last minute decision for me as I had not planned for anything major for Milky Way this year thinking I'd be tied up with the new baby. As it turned out, Deb was such an easy baby that I found myself actually able to take up an invite to share a store with another mummy.

I had everything planned out: I'd get help from my mother-in-law with the baby and express my breastmilk during the fair for baby. Everything was going as hoped until just a few days before the fair.

Baby Deb suddenly started rejecting the bottle.

No matter what I did, Deb either pushed away the bottle, played with the plastic teat, or, stared ahead of her with the teat inside her mouth but stubbornly refusing to suck.

This left me with no choice but to to bundle her along with me to the fair. Thankfully, the nursing rooms at the fair were very thoughtfully set up. There were six cubicles, each one featuring a comfortable armchair and with a free supply of wet wipes. It's the little things like this that make all the difference.

So Baby Deb, all 2 months of her, attended the fair with me throughout the four days!

I'd be bustling, attending to customers, and then making a beeline for the nursing room every few hours to breastfeed.

It turned out to be a much needed respite for me - feeding Deb in the room, resting my back, evaluating the day's work. It was all pretty surreal.

My mum sent her encouragement in the form of this homemade flower-arrangement. I just had to smile each time I looked at the two little plush-toys. Was my mum thinking of me and my sister, working hard at the fair?

The highlight for me was naturally the visit of my two older kids at the booth. All bundled up in their sweaters by their doting grandma, the two burst into the scene with squeals of delight. Even in the small space they found their fun by exploring the changing room, and under the table for scraps of tid-bits. Ah. They are the much-needed reminder of why I am doing what I am doing.

Open House May 2009

2009-05-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to take full advantage of the presence of my confinement nanny who'd help look after the baby, to hold the one and only Open House I could probably manage for this year.

I invited Boon Kuan to come along to sell her beautiful hand-crafted jewellery and she gamely agreed, with her three-month-old son in tow!

Seen here - Boon Kuan taking time in between customers to breastfeed her baby. I really like this photo because of the tranquility it captures.

It was wonderful meeting up with mummies in person, as usual. What was unusual, though, was that there were actually not one, but two homeschooling families that visited! I've always thought that homeschool mummies were the most capable, dedicated and creative people. And that the homeschool kids were the most delightful to have around. And I was right!

Nine homeschooled kids passed through my door that day.

Working with Babies

2008-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

It is generally true that photographing kids and babies is one of the easiest ways to get flawless shots simply because the subjects themselves are flawless to begin with.

But then it is quite another thing to try to get their cooperation when we most need them to. Such as breastfeeding on demand - our demand, that is.

Because as we all know, the kids tend to have their own agenda and preferences.

Usually settling down for a feed is the last thing on their minds.

So our model mummies usually end up cajoling,

or even physically restraining them.

All in search for the perfect shot.

Runaway Boy

2007-11-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

After using the Milky Way dummy to feature our design, I thought it'd be nice to use a real person to model our clothings. And so I planned for our very first photoshoot.

Though not a mummy (yet) herself, Shennon sure shows the qualities of a patient and resourceful mummy dealing with a tot that kept running away!

That tot in question was my own son David who was 15 months old then. He just kept practicing his newfound skill of walking. And so he kept walking away. And away again. Loitering everywhere except where we needed him to be.

He just kept walking away! It was a good thing David didn't tip over because, right below is the deep blue waters of the marina. Looking back, I shudder at the thought of what could have happened. Yikes.

Picking him up didn't help either.

In the end, there were plenty of photos taken that captured the little boy playing around but not many that could be used for the actual website itself. Ah well.

Family Togetherness

2007-10-08T00:34:00.000-07:00

Petra, another of our mummy models, with her family. It's just picture perfect.