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Like most kids, my kids girls really take festive celebrations seriously. When they were younger, they would hound me endlessly to start shopping early for their new clothes and stuff.

And everything must be brand new, mind you, from their Beanie hat…

… to their pajamas. Even their underwear had to be new . I could hear them talking in hushed tones planning what they’re going to wear on the first day, second day… girls!

I always indulge them by buying them cute co-ordinates that they enjoy putting together. So what if they’re mismatched, they still look cute .

I found these cute kiddy gifts at LittleMissMatched where nothing matches, but anything goes! and you can get them at 25% OFF plus FREE Shipping. Use coupon code – 25FORALL – with your purchase. Offer expires tomorrow, December 17, 2008.

Lots more gift ideas under $25, under $15 and gift certificates where these came from so be sure to get there quick as you can!

Guess what, I have a brand new baby niece born just days ago. I got a text message from my cousin, the excited new daddy, a couple of days ago… and it got me into shopping mode right away. I love shopping for baby stuff especially when they’re this cute…

Okay, I’m torn between this heart-themed set and the adorable baby tutu here . It is, after Christmas month so that makes my little niece a Santa baby, ho ho ho.

I’ve been flipping through the pages of oh-so-cute baby gifts at Pink Taffy Designs and my eyes are getting bigger. Help, I can’t decide! What would a fashion-conscious baby want her aunt to give her ?

Pink Taffy Designs is a kiddy boutique with a wide range of Pink Taffy as well as designer baby wear and accessories. In fact, they also have some cute stuff for moms too. Go check them out for great holiday gift ideas.

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 !

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.