When you get invited to a baby’s fullmoon party, do you usually give a present or an angpow (red packet containing cash)?

My first choice is to give a present. I only resort to angpows when I’m in a time crunch. It’s the perfect excuse for the girls and me to trawl the baby shops in search of something cute.

Of course, if I were a new mom, I’d rather stay home and shop online at some place like Lilaguide where I can also meet and chat with other parents.

But my girls are teens now and they get giggly and excited about which is the cutest thing to buy. It also gives me a chance to give them some quick peeks into motherhood so they’ll appreciate me more .

If you liked this post, please subscribe to my RSS feed for more hip parenting posts. Oh and do leave me a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I went to a baby’s fullmoon party last weekend. What I really cannot understand is why some couples even bother inviting guests when they’re just not bothered to entertain them.

In this case, the baby’s mother was ‘hiding’ in the living room with her baby and the father was only entertaining selected people and leaving the rest of us standing there like fools.

There was only two main dishes and frankly the food wasn’t enough for everyone there. The drinks were diluted beyond recognition. I barely ate and we left in less than half an hour and we’d driven all the way out to the boonies.

I honestly wish people would be less pretentious and use the slightest excuse to make money by throwing parties or dinners just to collect cash and gifts. It’s disgraceful !

I remember turning to books and calling my friends and family whenever I needed help with my babies or had questions about which is a safe and reliable baby product to buy.

I didn’t want to take chances with my babies. It would definitely be wiser to tap on other people’s experience rather than risk the consequences of trial and error. Parents of today are luckier because there’s always the internet to turn to.

You can network online at sites like Lilaguide.com which is a localized community of parents sharing baby-related information. Whether you need a recommendation on what to do or what product to use or where to go, you’re sure to find good company there.

It’s really a great resource for moms. Go check it out yourself.

Celebrating a new baby is the most exciting moment of motherhood. I remember taking tons of photos and handmaking cards to mail to relatives overseas.

Baby cards and shower invites are so easily accessible these days. Well, at least the ones at InvitationsNCards.com. They have the sweetest baby shower invitations at very affordable prices.

They are so much more beautiful than the ones I cut out and glued together . No doubt, handmade ones are more personal but I mean, who has the time for those any more?

I think your time will be better spent organizing the shower and making sure the food and decor are well taken care of so your baby shower will stand out.

We’re having a number of babies born recently in our neighborhood, and it got me thinking about how invaluable cloth diapers are. For quite a while now, it seemed they were viewed as being old-fashioned and clumsy compared to disposables.

But to be honest, there’s nothing like cloth diapers. They may be a bit of a challenge to fold and put on your baby. But all it takes is a little practice.

They’re really worth your while because they’re very comfy and soft, and because of how permeable they are, you won’t have to worry about your baby getting nappy rash.

I don’t dispute the convenience of disposables when you’re out or traveling. But when you’re in the comfort of home, cloth diapers are the best.

We went to a fullmoon party for a friend’s new baby girl. The baby’s mother was lamenting about how this new baby is so different from her number one, who used to sleep a lot.

She says this baby is a night owl and would stay awake for hours without getting tired. Yeah, I can imagine how taxing it must be for a mom in confinement to be up late when she should be resting.

Actually this is the complaint of many mothers who claim their babies just won’t go to sleep. Haha, it must be something in the modern moms’ diets or babies are getting smarter.

But seriously, each baby is different. Some are more active and alert and can’t wait to become part of the family action. Others are sleepy heads who couldn’t care two hoots about what’s going on around them.

So you really can’t compare. Just go with the flow and hope it’s just a phase and that they’ll soon sleep through the night.

I was one of the lucky ones who didn’t have to hire a confinement lady after any of my kids. My aunt took on the role and it turned out very well.

I was talking a lady I met the other day at a wedding dinner. She says a confinement lady costs rm3,000 these days!! Crazy, I say! That’s more than what some executives make a month.

I think demand is more than supply which is what’s pushing the rates up. Confinement ladies are an endangered species, and a good confinement lady is hard to find.

At 3k a month, every older woman and her dog would want to get into this business, qualified or not, to make some quick bucks.

Many times, even the worse ones are unwittingly considered good by some new mothers. I’ve heard of confinement ladies who delegate their work to the maid, and of those who sleep in air-conditioned comfort while neglecting the newborn.