Hi everyone! I hope y'all are staying strong and staying in during this critical time. I've been working from home for the past week and spending a lot of time indoors. Now that I'm at home more, I'm able to catch up on my pregnancy journal, set up the nursery and finish up all my DIY projects for #BabySue.

If you're finding it hard isolating away from your family and friends, I hope today's little tutorial can give you a boost of encouragement and positivity. This hanging wall banner is my aspiration for my little boy. I hope he can always stay awesome and happy even through tough times.

1. With a pencil, trace the banner shape onto the canvas with my template and cut it out with scissors. The final size of my canvas after hemming is 11" W x 13" H. You can scale it down to fit a letter-sized paper. Remember to leave 0.25-0.5" for hemming when you trace it on the canvas.
2. Fold the hem to the back and iron them down so that you have a nice clean edge. I like to use the hair straightener to do this as it is easier to iron the edge and follow along with the shape. You can also use an iron for this. Glue the hems in place.
3. Cut the stencil using your Cricut or cutting machine. If you don't have a cutting machine, simply cut out the words with scissors on a piece of cardstock.
4. Tape the stencil onto the canvas and dap the paintbrush with black paint. Carefully dap onto the stencil. Do not brush over, it might bleed underneath the stencil.
5. While you wait for the paint to dry, use embroidery threads and make some decorative tassels.
6. Fold the top edge of the canvas and wrap around a piece of wooden dowel. Glue it in place.
7. Take a piece of cotton rope and add some wooden beads. Wrap around the cotton rope to both ends of the wooden dowel and tie with a knot to secure.
8. Glue your tassels onto each corner of the canvas banner.
9. Carefully lift up the stencil from the canvas.

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It's been a month since we revealed our baby's gender. Now that I'm at my 37 weeks and baby can come anytime, I thought I'd share some photos and videos from our gender reveal party! If you haven't been catching all the moments on my IG stories, you are missing out LOL I did an IG poll and a reveal following after. The online poll results were quite entertaining, with the majority voted that I'm carrying a boy.

Both Will and I didn't have a clue about the baby's gender. When I did my sonogram at around 20 weeks, I asked my doctor to keep the baby's gender a secret. She wrote it down on a piece of paper and sealed it tight with staples. I hid the note somewhere in my vanity drawer until we were ready to find out.

We originally wanted to reveal it together on Christmas morning privately at home just ourselves. But, we ended up being occupied with preparing for Christmas dinner for the families so we totally forgot about it!

With my birthday falling on a public holiday this year, I thought the day would be extra special for us to find out together with our family and friends. At the party, we had all our guests vote for what they think the baby's gender is. And for some reason, most of them guessed a boy too. Where was the love for #teamgirl? As the prize for guessing correctly, we gifted a bottle of our own brewed wine and a pack of Hershey's chocolate bar for the lucky person drawn from the winning pool.

Catch our big reveal in the video below!

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A post shared by Ms. Ting Ting | Ting & Things (@tingandthings_) on Feb 18, 2020 at 6:59pm PST

And it's a boy!

The reveal was absolutely one of our best moments! We were both super excited to welcome our baby boy! Now that the suspense is over,  we can finally focus on a name and organize the baby's wardrobe. We can't wait to meet our little one!

How I DIY Our Gender Reveal Party Decor

As you can see from the reveal party, we didn't have a specific theme but I knew I didn't want it to be just the typical blue and pink... I wanted to add my own flare to the reveal so I DIY'ed all the decorations myself. We actually had two parties, one with just the families and one with friends at home. It was a no brainer to leverage the same decor for both parties.

Old Wives' Tales Poster and Onesie Guestbook

I created this poster based on some old wives' myths I saw online, framed it up and added gold star stickers to the side that I thought was accurate for my pregnancy. This added some interesting speculations to the guessing game. I also cut out some baby onesies using card stocks and hung them on a ladder at home using ropes and clothespins. My thought was to eventually frame these signed onesies in a shadow box for the baby's room. You can get these files here.

Our own brewed wine from Wine Butler, as seen here.

Baby onesies "guestbook"

DIY photo booth

I made the backdrop with crepe paper streamers. It was actually a lot easier than I think and cost me close to nothing. I think I only spent about $5 on the paper streamers and I taped them onto some painter tapes I have at home. I also added some ribbons that I got from the dollar store into the mix to make things more interesting.

Next, I created some photo booth props with my Cricut machine. To go with the gender-neutral idea, I made them in gold and white card stock and glue them onto wooden dowel sticks.

I set up a tripod that comes with a remote control in front of the backdrop. It's so convenient to take your own picture and boomerang that way.

Baby Gender Reveal Party Decor Photo Booth Props - available for download here.

Dessert Table Set Up

I made an extra backdrop using the crepe paper streamers I had leftover from my photo booth and taped them against the wall. I added a "He or She" banner that I made and hung it across the top. I also taped some white balloons on both ends to hide the painter's tapes. I dipped some wafers into some candy melt I had in my pantry (it happened to be pink) and sprinkled the wafers with some pastel coloured sprinkles. They were so cute and tasted soooo tasty oo! 

Cake from Novello Desserts

"Ready to Pop" Popcorn Station

I love puns and I love the idea of a popcorn station with the message, "ready to pop".  The popcorn station was so easy to prepare. I bought some microwavable popcorn and bottles of popcorn seasonings. I used the Kernels brand but removed the packaging wrappers so that they were more neutral looking to match the decor. I glued some labels onto the lids to indicate the flavours, prepared little cupcake liners and a scoop for the station and that was it!

"Mom"mosa Bar

This mimosa bar was very simple to prepare as well. I cut up some fruit slices from strawberries (I love strawberries!), blueberries and oranges onto a platter dish and prepared the juices into the canisters. My friend brought over a bottle of Bubbly and it was perfect for everyone to mix their own mimosas!

Macaron and Fondant Decorating Station 

Instead of doing the usual baby shower games and activities, my friends and I baked macarons together in the kitchen. I shared them my knowledge in fondant making and together we decorated some macarons. Though, looking back we could have baked cupcakes instead to go with the fondant decorations. But there were already too many cakes on the dessert table...We all had a blast and it was a great girl bonding time! Check out my cake art here.

Thank you everyone who came to celebrate with us. Our own gender reveal party was a huge success and we couldn't thank everyone enough. Although it might seem like a lot of work for a pregnant lady to prepare, I actually had a lot of fun putting it together. Will was a great help too! And if you're interested in throwing a gender reveal party, I'm now offering my design files of these decors here! 

Check out my other pregnancy posts!

How to Look Stylish During Pregnancy

Ways We Saved Money on Baby Stuff
Pregnancy Journal: Third Trimester (Week 28-36)

Pregnancy Journal: Second Trimester (Week 14-27)

Pregnancy Journal: First Trimester (Week 1-13)

I can't believe I'm already in my third trimester. Time just flew by so quickly! If you haven't been following, Will and I are expecting our little bundle of joy this Spring! I started documenting my journey from my first trimester. You can read it all here.

Here's what my third trimester looks like:

Glucose Tolerance Test

I was asked to take a glucose tolerance test at around 28 weeks. The lab technician handed me what looked like a bottle of orange soda drink. I was asked to finish the drink in one seating and refrained from walking around in case I burned the sugar off. I waited for an hour before the technician could take my blood. I actually felt drowsy after drinking the soda and passed out at the clinic. Luckily, the result of my test was positive.  My sugar level was optimal but was found low in iron. Besides needing to eat more iron-riched food, I'm now adding iron supplements to my growing list of supplements and vitamins.

Taking Our Prenatal Classes

We took our prenatal classes just shortly after the New Year. And boy, there was so much information to take in in mere 2 days. We were taught about the delivery process, the type of medications to ease pain, how to prepare for labour and baby, and what the support person could do to help while in labour. We also watched some real video clips of birth mothers going into labour. Needless to say, it was very graphic. I wasn't prepared for that.

I do think the class has helped us understand what will be involved and better prepare ourselves for the little one. We even practiced wrapping diapers, bathing and burping a baby the proper way on a baby doll.

More Leg Cramps

Even though I didn't get much swelling and back pains but I did experience more leg cramps than my previous trimesters. I would wake up in the middle of the night because of leg cramps. I had to put up a fort of pillows to support my growing belly and lift my leg up to ease cramps.

Chiropractor Visits and Massage

Because of the leg cramps, I started regular chiropractor visits and continued with my massages. My chiropractor friend even recommended me to visit every week so she could help open my pelvis up to allow room for the baby to turn its head down.

At around 35 weeks, I also started feeling more upper back pain. I didn't think that has to do with my pregnancy at first until my chiropractor told me that the muscles were working hard to balance the weight of my belly. I kept feeling tightness in my neck and shoulders area.

Setting up the Nursery Room

I had a lot of ideas on what to do for the nursery but I didn't want it to be gender-specific. I wanted the room to be bright, airy and inviting. After all, I would be spending a lot of time in the room with the baby. Will painted the room white with a grey accent wall. We got a crib from a friend and bought a recliner glider chair for the room. I just need to add some wall arts and cute cushions to make them interesting. Stay tuned for the reveal!

Heart Palpitations and Discomfort

When I was at 32 weeks, I started to feel uncomfortable sitting at my desk during work. Something seemed to be always poking inside me at the strangest spot and I could never get comfortable. I also noticed my heart beat faster after consuming certain things like a cup of bubble tea. While my OB told me it's sometimes normal, I had to make sure I keep counts of my heart rate regularly.

Perhaps the next time I contribute to this journal would be after the baby arrives. How does your third trimester looks like? Would love to hear your experience as well!

Check out my other pregnancy posts!

How to Look Stylish During Pregnancy

Ways We Saved Money on Baby Stuff

Pregnancy Journal: Second Trimester (Week 14-27)

Pregnancy Journal: First Trimester (Week 1-13)

Photos in this post are taken at 35 weeks in Winter. Outfits shown are non-maternity unless otherwise specified.

I know it can be hard sometimes to feel pretty when the body is getting bigger by the hour. It also doesn’t help when your favourite pair of jeans no longer fit you. Although I don’t consider myself an expert, I can share a few tips on how to look stylish during this 10-month journey.

When I first started my pregnancy, I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money on maternity clothing. To be honest, I'm a bit turned off by maternity clothes out there in the market. They either scream “I’m preggo!” in people’s faces or they just look very unflattering on the body. Companies need to come up with better maternity styles for mommies-to-be and help them feel pretty! Something that accentuates the new curves and is comfortable to wear.

So I took a look in my closet and see if there were items that I could still wear throughout the trimesters. Some of my favourite and go-to items are:

• Long Sweater Dress
• Bodycon Dress
• Knitted Pencil Skirt
• Pleated skirt 
• Paper bag pants
• Peplum Tops
• Loose fit blouse
• Swing dress

As my waistline got a bit out of hand and my jeans no longer fit, I invested in my first pair of maternity skinny jeans and they are a godsend! They are super stretchy with a cotton belly band attached at the waistline to cover the belly. If my tops are shorter or crop-fitted, I don’t need to worry about exposing my belly at all. I also borrowed another pair from my friend to wear interchangeably during the cold winter days. Paper bag pants are my go-to for office wear. They are forgiving for the bump and you can easily adjust the waist with the belt throughout your trimesters.

Tips to look stylish and cute while pregnant: 

Avoid Too Many Layers

It’s probably not a good idea to look an extra few pounds during this time. Too much layering can make yourself look chunkier than normal. Plus, when you’re expecting, you become a human incubator and can feel extremely warm indoor. So, I’d suggest keeping your layers to the minimum.

Leopard Cami - Nordstrom // Belt - Uniqlo // Leather Boots - Blondo // Knit Pencil Skirt - H&M

Accentuate With a Fitted Silhouette

If you’re comfortable in showing off your new curves, I’d recommend a fitted silhouette. It not only emphasizes your femininity, but it actually makes you look chicer and slimmer.

Bodycon dress - ASOS // Thigh-high Boots - YesStyle

Shop The Look:

Peplum to Hide the Bump

In my early pregnancy days when I was not ready to share the news, I’d wear a lot of peplum tops to hide my bump away. Peplums not only camouflage the bump, they also look cute when paired with maternity jeans. Even now that I’m in my third trimester, my peplums still fit me because they are so roomy at the waistline to accommodate my bump.

Peplum top - Zara // Maternity skinny jeans - H&M // Block heel - Zara

The baby bump looks more prominent on the side

Shop The Look:

Add Belt for Waistline

To emphasize a waistline, I like to add a belt to create a better proportion. The waistline sits higher when you’re expecting but by doing so, it helps to create an illusion of long, slender legs.

Wearing my favourite pleated skirt that comes with a belt. Skirt bought in Seoul.

Shop The Look:

Tie Knot Cardigan for Style

A simple cardigan with a tie knot that sits below the chest is another great way to highlight your waistline to create a slimline shape.

This stripe dress is non-maternity as seen here - Blooming Jelly // Block heels - Zara // Tie Knot Cardigan - Zara

Accessorize

Many people underestimate how much accessorizing can do to elevate a look. Accessories work wonders on any plain outfits. Simply put on a piece of necklace or a pair of earrings and they can instantly make you look more sophisticated with that baby bump.

Chunky Heel to Add Height

It’s usually advised against wearing heels during your pregnancy but sometimes you just want that added height to make you look more stylish. My preferred method is to go with chunky heels or block heels. They are easier to balance in and give you some style for your feet to go with the rest of the outfit.

Monotone Chic

Dressing in all the same shade is so easy to do on days where you just don’t have time to colour coordinate your outfit. Simply just wear your top, bottom and shoes in the same colour (or in different shades of the same colour) and you’d look chic instantly.

Knit Pencil Skirt - H&M // Leather Boots - Blondo // Belt - Uniqlo

Kill it With Thigh High Boots

Thigh-high boots are worth the investments when you’re carrying during Fall and Winter. They are so stylish and keep your legs warm. Choose a pair that comes with fleece lining inside if you’re afraid of the cold.

Floral Swing Dress - YesStyle // Thigh-high Boots - Yes Style

Shop The Look:

White Sneakers on Warmer Days

White sneakers go well with any casual outfits. They not only make your outfit look sharp, but they are also very trendy. I like to pair my sweater dress with a pair of white sneakers on lazy days. An effortless look that is quick and easy to put together.

Shop The Look:

It might be tempting for expectant parents to buy all sorts of baby stuff. As Will and I prepared for the arrival of our little one, we discovered numerous ways to save a great deal of money. In today's post, I wanted to share what we had done and how you could also do the same to save money for your newborn.

Don't Be Afraid of Hand-Me-Downs

We were beyond gracious to receive boxes of hand-me-downs from family and friends as soon as we announced our pregnancy. These include onesies, wraps, clothes, swaddle blankets, towels and much more. So we actually didn't bother buying anything new for the baby despite how tempting it was. Both of us grew up wearing hand-me-downs and playing with old toys from our cousins so the thought to follow suit came naturally and was a no-brainer. Besides, we all heard that babies outgrow things, especially clothing fairly quickly.

Some of the bigger ticket items that we were able to get from relatives and friends include:

• Crib and mattress
• Baby swing
• Electric breast pumps
• Diaper genie
• High Chair
• Wagon
• Baby video and audio monitors
• Booster seat
• Potty chair 
• Jumperoo
• Baby bathtub
• Toys

Buy Second-Hand on Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji

Even if you don’t have hand-me-downs, you can still save a good chunk of your money by buying things second-hand. Facebook marketplace and joining local buy and sell groups are great places to hunt for gently used items. Since kids grow up so fast, chances are you can find stuff that other parents no longer needed. Some of the parents even give them away for free!

From my community groups on Facebook, we were able to snatch a good-as-new changing table with pad and cover for $30! We just needed to give it a good wipe and wash before use. It was definitely better than spending over $100 for a changing table alone and it might not be needed once the baby gets older. But we could justify this price point even if it was only used for a short period of time. You can also find second-hand dresser and nursing chair if you're not too picky with style.

Focus on the Essentials and Only Invest in Items Needed at the Moment

Speaking of items that might have a short usage, we chose to invest in things that were essentials and that we would be using a lot. Both of us are money conscious people and always want to make sure that the money spent is worthwhile in the long run. We chose to splurge on items that we thought were better new such as a car seat and a stroller for safety and personal reasons. We also refrained from buying things that we weren’t sure if they were necessary until the baby arrives like a playpen, bottle warmer and baby wipes warmer. These things could wait and be purchased easily if needed afterwards.

Before knowing our friend had a used crib to give us, we originally wanted to buy a convertible crib for the baby. The idea of being able to extend the usage and convert into a toddler bed and an adult bed fit our principles. But little did we know that we would have to buy a separate conversion kit to go along with the crib as well. If we wanted a guard rail in the future, that could cost us another $100 on top of the crib. If we wanted it to convert into a toddler bed, we had to make sure we also purchase the extension rails upfront. If we waited for the baby to grow out of the crib to purchase these items, the store that originally carried these accessories might no longer have them in stock by the time comes! In other words, we were looking at spending more money now without knowing if they would be useful later on.

Borrow Maternity Clothing From Friends

You might feel convinced to buy some new clothes to fit your growing belly but a check in your closet might just surprise you. Many of my clothes still fit me even at 34 weeks pregnant! So before you go out to shop for maternity clothes, always check your closet first. And if you really feel that nothing fits you, borrow from your friends!

I'm telling you maternity clothes can be expensive and only needed for a few months. A good pair of maternity jeans can cost as much as $90 and you might not wear them again unless you're planning to have a second baby really soon. Luckily for me, I've girlfriends who had been through this stage already and are kind enough to lend me their clothes for my pregnancy. These include jeans, leggings, shirts and most important of all, a winter coat.

Jump on Retailers’ Seasonal Sales and Cash Back Rewards

Our stroller and car seat travel system was the most expensive item we bought. But with the help of Black Friday and Boxing Day sales, we were able to save on this big-ticket item. Our travel system costed 15% less than if we were to purchase it at regular price. Any discounts helped at this point, no matter how little they were. We also took advantage of our credit card rewards and was able to get 4% cashback with purchase. Let’s say your stroller and car seat system cost you $1000, with the cashback you could be getting $40 back! That money could be put towards a pack of diapers!

Alternatively, if you like shopping online, you can consider installing a browser plug-in to help you save money online. We were able to find a great deal for a Baby Brezza formula dispenser.

Consider Renting Baby Gears that You Aren't Sure About

While I didn't personally try this option, I still wanted to include this as one of the ways you could potentially save money on. Baby gears are not cheap and we all know that every baby is different. Sometimes babies get tired of things easily or they might just outgrow faster than you had imagined. So it can be hard to decide whether the item you're looking to buy is going to be useful for your child. But with rental services available like StockSupply, you could rent out baby gears that you want and you get to decide how long you want to keep it for. I can see this useful for things like a bassinet or a baby carrier, in which you might only use for a short period of time.

Sign Up for Brands’ Free Product Samples

Did you know that there’re a lot of brands that are giving away free samples for you and the baby to try? I signed up to a few major brands that carry baby products. Some required me to review their products on their page but some just gave samples away in the hope that you would like the products enough to buy them in the future. One thing to be cautious of is look out for sites that might be a scam and only sign up to those that look legit or from a brand that you’re familiar with. A little google research and reading people’s comments could help. I was able to receive these products from different companies for free:

• Nursery diaper organizer caddy 
• Pacifier clips
• Bibs
• Packs of newborn diapers
• Baby wipes
• Baby monitor
• Humidifier
• Nursing pillow
• Manual breast pump
• Baby back seat mirror
• Sleep sac
• Milk bottles
• Diaper bag organizer insert
• Lots of coupons for nursing needs, formulas, maternity wear etc

Some of the samples/products that I received from different brands/companies

Samples from Nestle and Similac Club

Samples from Babies R Us Swag Bag

To help you, I've compiled a list of trustworthy brands that offer free samples, coupons and rewards for expectant parents living in Canada:

• Enfamil A+ Family Beginning Club
• Best Buy Baby Samplers Club
• Nestlé Baby Club
• Similac Club
• Thyme Maternity Bump Benefits Program
• Huggies No Baby Unhugged Offer
• Pampers Diaper Rewards
• Cetaphil Parents Club
• Baby Box Co. 
• Babies R Us
• Amazon
• Buy Buy Baby

Take Advantage of Your Insurance Benefits and Local Programs

Supplies like breast pumps and compression socks might be covered by your insurance benefits from your employer. Compression socks and pantyhose are pricey but they help ease swelling and leg cramps. They came in handy when we decided to go on our babymoon. These compression socks need prescriptions from the doctor. So make sure your doctor prescribe the ones for pregnancy.

Hospital rooms whether it being semi-private or private for your overnight stay are often covered by your work benefits as well. If you're planning to hire a private lactation consultant who is also a registered nurse, the cost might also be covered. Make sure you call your insurance provider to find out what’s covered, how much is covered and what needs to be on the claim form.

Supplement costs could add up easily especially when they were needed during and after pregnancy. We were able to save on the cost for my prenatal vitamins with our work’s benefits. PregVit seemed to be the only prenatal vitamins that are covered by insurance companies and you would need to get a prescription for them from your doctor.

If you don’t have insurance coverage, Sobey's Pharmacy offers free prenatal vitamins and nutrition advice when you enrol in their Baby Be Healthy program. You could check out the details here.

When I signed up to my prenatal classes and childbirth related programs at my hospital, I was offered a free sample bag with newborn diapers, baby wipes and a sleep sac. While these freebies are not guaranteed at your hospital, you can also ask to see if they have any to give you if you're considering signing up these classes.

There're so many ways to save money on baby items. Take advantage of them because this is just the beginning of your child expenses. Hope you enjoy this post and find it useful. Let me know what other ways out there that helped you save!

Check out my other money-saving posts!

Pregnancy Journal: Third Trimester (Week 28-36)

Pregnancy Journal: Second Trimester (Week 14-27)

Pregnancy Journal: First Trimester (Week 1-13)
How to Look Stylish During Pregnancy