I can’t believe just how fast time flies, my little one is already 100 days old! In my culture, the 100th-day milestone is a celebration for the little one but I think that it is a celebration for the parents as well. Because raising a tiny human is certainly not easy! And we’ve made it this far!

Traditionally, parents would invite all families and friends together (usually in a banquet at a restaurant) to meet the little one. But with the COVID-19 situation, that is just not possible. Luckily we’re still allowed to have gatherings with a maximum of 10 people in the house, so we ended up celebrating this milestone with both our immediate families in the comfort of our own home.

Even though we weren't able to have Justice meet everyone at this time, I still wanted to do something special for him. For his first official celebration, we threw a BBQ party with a "golden pineapple" theme.

 

Party Like a Golden Pineapple

In Chinese, the term “golden pineapple” also sounds similar to what we call a precious one in the family. So it's a perfect theme for us and summertime!

This wasn’t how Will and I originally envisioned Justice’s 100th day. We were hoping he could meet all his family and friends at this milestone. But this small celebration would do for now. We barbecued up a storm and DIY’d all the party decorations ourselves. At one point, I even thought of making our own cake...So glad that Will stopped me. I didn’t realize how ambitious I was doing this all while taking care of a baby... But I’m happy with how everything turned out and Justice had an amazing time bonding with everyone! 

Looks like he loves the cake or the cake topper that I made for him!

Here's a look at all the party decor and how you could also DIY yourself!

Pineapple Party DIY Party Decor

I had so much fun designing and DIY-ing all the party decor. I just wish I had more time since I could only squeeze in some crafting time between baby's sleep/naptime (#momlife).  After making the head table and photobooth backdrop for our gender reveal party, I realized just how easy it is to DIY your own backdrops. Check out my tutorial on how to make this tropical balloon arc.

Make this tropical balloon arc in my tutorial.

I was so lucky I found a huge gold pineapple balloon from Dollar Tree. And it was actually the only one left! This one came with a straw where you just blow air to inflate it. No helium required! Next, I also bought the 14" gold foil number balloons to spell "100", also from Dollar Tree. Honestly, there're so many hidden gems from the dollar store for crafting! 

It's not a party without a banner, right? I found this roll of gold glitter fabric paper and I just had to use it! I drew out the pineapple outline and cut it using my Cricut machine. Same with the "Happy 100th" banner using gold cardstock paper that I already have on hand (but you can buy them in Michaels).

Food-wise, it obviously had pineapples incorporated. Besides the usual meat and burgers for the barbecue, we also had all kinds of dishes with pineapples in them.

I couldn't find a pineapple flavoured cake to match the theme. The closest I could find is this Pandan cake. It's a tropical plant so I think it worked. I made a cake topper to dress up the cake a bit. The word, "HOORAY" incorporated the number, "100" in it as well. I love how it turned out. It's such a simple way to dress up a normal cake!

I made these pineapple crowns with green cardstocks and toothpicks

I made these pineapple popsicle bites using a mold. 

Summer fruit punch with mix of pineapple, orange and mango juice with slices of pineapples in them.

Made my own cake topper for this pandan cake from DaanGo Cake Lab

Simple pineapple salsa dip with peppers, pineapples, lemon juice

Made this adorable pineapple paper lantern following this tutorial.

I was planning for Justice's 100 days celebration with a "golden pineapple" theme and came across these extravagant balloon arcs on Pinterest. I'm sure you must have seen them on the web too. They are everywhere! They look beautiful as a backdrop for photos at parties. After making my own gender reveal party backdrop, I'm obsessed with creating my own party decor. I wanted my own balloon arc to match the party theme and colour scheme. And it was actually quite easy and cheap to do one yourself!

For this tutorial, you can find all the supplies and materials from your local dollar store. I snagged 3 packs of balloons in White, Yellow and Gold colour for a $1.25 each. Then, you'll need pipe cleaners, fish strings, some tape and green cardstocks.

Let's get started!

Materials:

• Balloons (white, yellow, gold)
• Fish string
• Pipe cleaners
• Light green and green card stocks for the tropical leaves
• Tape

Instructions:

1. Blow all your balloons in varying sizes and arrange them in groups of 4s or 3s. 
2. Secure the ends using pipe cleaners
3. Attach the groups of balloons onto the string one by one.
4. Download this template for the tropical leaves. Trace it onto green cardstocks or use your cutting machine to cut out the leaves.
5. Attach the leaves in between the balloons with tape.
6. Tape the garland up on a wall or tie it up onto a curtain rod or fence!

Note: You might want to have the smaller balloons to fill the gaps in between balloons.

Easy-Peasy right? 

I hope you guys enjoy this tutorial. Sorry for not supplying all the steps properly with photos. It was hard to juggle between taking care of an infant and crafting...(you know, #momlife) Check out more of my DIY tutorials here. If you do give this a try, please share your pics with me on Instagram: @tingandthings! I would love to see them at your party! 

Pin this for later~

Check out my other posts from this pineapple party!

Jewelry, without doubt, can enhance and make outfits extra appealing. Even with a neutral or plain shirt, jewelry can create a focal point that ultimately makes it fashionable. So, if you’re thinking of amping your style, then you might want to consider adding a touch of jewelry. However, are you picking the right accessories, especially for your striped outfit?

I'll share all about picking the right accessory to match your stripes, without breaking a sweat.

Pay Attention to Necklines

First off, let’s talk about the basics – complementing your neckline with the right necklace.

Pay attention to necklines because wearing uncomplimentary jewelry can destroy your look. For instance, a choker would fit a striped tube top or a strapless dress. It allows you to highlight your accessory and your outfit at the same time. If you love to wear something that shows off your shoulder, just like an off-shoulder top, then dangly necklaces would be the best fit for these types of outfit as they create a focal point on your attire.

Go Bold with a Bold Necklace

Are you having trouble finding an accessory for your contrasting black and white dress? Well, since you're going for a bold look, might as well top it off with one red-colored necklace. Don't hesitate to give people a strong and glam vibe.

You can also use a clutch with your black and white dress to finalize your look!

Stay Classy With a Dangling Pearl Earring

If you want to look classy while wearing your striped body-con dress, then a dangling pearl earring will do the work.

However, be mindful that wearing bold earrings with a sexy outfit can overwhelm the entire look. Reserve those extra bold pearl earrings for simpler attires. For these cases, balance your aesthetics by wearing simple and dangling pearl earrings.

Patterns Matter

If you’re going for a skirt and a shirt outfit with remarkable patterns or bold prints, then you can choose a piece of jewelry with the same or similar pattern. If you wish, you can also select necklaces and bracelets that have the same pattern on their pendants.

This trick will balance your outfit and accessory without appearing trashy or too much. This strategy does not apply to all cases. You can go wild whenever possible. 

 

Extra Tip: Define Your Waistline With a Belt

If you want to wear a dress with horizontal stripes without making your body looking geometrical, then use a belt to define and highlight your waistline. I assure you, you would look stunning on your outfit. Work it, girl!

Here are some of the ways to pair the perfect jewelry and accessories for your striped outfits. Try these suggestions and you will save yourself from some frustrations and headaches. Let me know if this post worked out best for you!

Check out my other posts!

Things You Didn't Know Your Shoes Say About You

How to Find Your Personal Style and the Importance of It

Food art might seem time-consuming to make. But now that we are staying home more than ever before because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have more time to explore new hobbies and do something fun, right? If you’re in the lookout for something creative to do indoor then you’re in luck! Today, I’m sharing 7 simple and easy food art ideas that you can try making at home. This is a perfect way to spark creativity with your kids too! Let’s continue to do our part to flatten the curve.

Write a Message

 

Think of a message that you'd like to convey and construct it with food! This #stayhome food art I created using slices of swiss cheese and a slice of cinnamon raisin bread while in quarantine. Using alphabet cutters, I cut the alphabets to form the word and used a baked quiche for the letter, O. You can also explore different shapes with what's available in your fridge and pantry. For example, muffin, donut and a slice of lemon can also be used to form the letter, O. If you don't have alphabet cutters on hand, you can cut them with scissors. Or even write the message in another style, for example, you can form your message using spaghetti to make it calligraphy style!

What's the Weather Today?

Is it sunny? or is it a rainy day out? While the weather doesn't really matter much when you're staying home most of the time, it's fun to show the weather forecast with your food! Here I created this food art using the basics - eggs, bacon, cheese and a slice of bread! I call it, "Cloudy with a Chance of Bacon". 

To create the cloud and sun, I first separated the egg yolk from the egg whites. I pan-fried the egg whites into a large circle and cut the fried egg white with scissors in a cloud shape. I then cooked the egg yolk so that it is slightly brown. I cut up the bacon and cheese slice to form the arc of a rainbow and cut a piece of bread to form the house. Lastly, assemble all the pieces on a solid coloured plate and you're done!

Tell a Story

Think of a story to tell using the plate of food. It can be something that happened in your childhood or something memorable in your life. In this food art, my story is, "The Early Bird Gets the Worm". I grew up with this phrase and lived by it. I believed you have a greater advantage if you take action right away. And this is the story that I wanted to convey. I first whisked eggs into a bowl and pan-fried it into a large circle. Then I fold the circle in half and in half again. The fried egg would now look like the shape of a pizza slice. I tucked the corner of the fried egg underneath so that I'd have a round body for the bird. I sliced the tomatoes to form the wings and the beak. Using scissors, I cut a slice of an onion to form the feet. I spread spinach at the bottom of the plate and sprinkled some sunflower seeds for the field. The hardest part was the worm. I couldn't find anything that could depict it nicely. Thankfully, I had Lemon Poppy Seed salad dressing to the rescue, which made it super easy. I dragged the dressing longer on the plate and it already looked like a bird is biting a worm. Easy-peasy!

Create a Logo!

A logo is bold with simple shapes. You can turn a logo of your team, your favourite superhero, music band or business logo with food. I created a superman logo using a slice of toast, cheese, bacon and strawberry jam. Read about my step-by-step here. 

Show Your Favourite Character!

I was inspired by the shape and colour of my multigrain bread so I turned it into a Japanese cartoon character, Domo-Kun. You don't need a lot of ingredients either! Here, I used as few as a slice of bread, dabs of strawberry jam, blueberries, and banana slices only. It was too cute to eat! Read about my step-by-step here. 

Bring Out the Colours

Take inspiration from the vibrant colours of different fruits and vegetables and create your masterpiece with them. I love using fruits. Not only because they're always available at my home, but they also make the art look that much more appealing and appetizing. This simple rainbow food art consists of strawberries, oranges and grapes! You can add more arcs to the rainbow by adding more fruits like lemon for yellow or blueberries for blue etc. I loved how this rainbow turned out! Finish off with some scrambled egg whites for the clouds and you're set!

Go Bananas!

With food art, sky is the limit. There're endless possibilities. In this Nutella waffle, I turned the banana slices into alphabets to form a pun. I had so much fun coming up with these food puns!

I hope you guys enjoy these ideas. Check out more of my food art here. If you do give this a try, please share your pics with me on Instagram: @tingandthings! I would love to see what you come up with! Stay home and stay safe everyone!

 

When seeking out treatments to improve your skin condition, there are far less invasive procedures that are as equally effective as others. Namely masks, and skin peels. Masks are essential for the face and are merely washed off after the application. However, there are some face masks that can be peeled-away after applying. Today, I want to discuss ways to improve your skin from face to feet using peels.

As one of the oldest of skincare techniques outside of daily washing and moisturizing, skin peels, however, can also be applied to the full body and then stripped away; removing excess dirt, oil and dead skin cells. Though the process is simple and straight-forward, there are different types of peels to choose from. In the effort to get a better understanding of what's available, let's pay a visit to various skin peels and their benefits.

Wax

Peel treatments using wax is probably the most relaxing of peels. There is the soothing warm wax, the sticky honey wax glow, and the for sensitive skin, the all-natural beeswax treatment. Whichever wax of your choosing, the process yields results that most will agree have proven to be reliable. Resulting in a new layer of skin so soft and clean, it makes you feel like you've taken years away from your actual age.

Chemical

Over time, dead skin, dirt and excess oils will combine with aging hormones and create an adverse reaction in your skin. Not to mention, harsh outside elements that are microscopic and therefore, unavoidable. These factors battle it out with our skin daily, and it doesn't get any easier with age. Therefore, depending on how much care you put into your skin, some types are so far damaged, that they would require a deeper cleansing process calling for a chemical peel.

There may be some over-the-counter manufacturers of chemical peels, but for the best outcome, I advise having it administered by professionals at a clinic. The components of chemical peels are proprietary and dependent upon the manufacturer of course, but most products involve some sort of salicylic acid, peroxides or other abrasive chemicals in order to break down those years of caked-in elements clogging your pores. If you've had a long history of blackheads, blotches, eczema, or rashes that have left there mark on your skin, this method would an ideal solution for you.

Jetpeel

The latest in skin peel treatments, the Jetpeel facial treatments can be best described by likening it to a power washer. You know, the machine used to clean sidewalks and buildings. It is the exact same technique but on a much smaller scale. An air and liquid mixture is in a pressurized-spray; directly onto the skin, safely removing layers until reaching a level that exposes fresh, untapped skin.


Each of these processes is safe and proven to be highly effective. However, they require regular application in order to maintain that baby-soft, fresh-looking skin appearance. As a warning, be prepared to budget for either a weekly, monthly or bi-monthly expense for your treatments. Otherwise, consider it to be a worthwhile investment to keep you looking like the best version of yourself. Still, I recommend trying it at least once, just to pamper yourself. Why not? You deserve it!

Be sure to come back and let us know which peel you decided on, and what your personal experience was like. Here's to wishing you healthy-looking skin every day of the week!

You have waited nine months to see your precious baby, and now that it is finally here your life doesn’t seem to resemble those cute after-birth pictures you saw on Instagram. Instead of dressing your little one in cute outfits, you do your best just not to smell like puke. For months you’ve waited to play with your child, and now you cannot wait to go back to bed and get some sleep. Yes, having a baby can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially if you are not one of those lucky moms whose children wake up maybe two times per night just to eat. All those sleepless nights, raging hormones and exhaustion can easily take a toll on your mental health. Luckily, there are some ways you can maintain your sanity and enjoy being a new mom.

Take care of yourself

A lot of new moms completely neglect themselves during the first few weeks or even months after their child is born. Of course, your baby needs your attention, but so do you. In fact, if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be in any condition to look after your little one. And when you are cranky and fussy, your child will be too. Therefore, make sure you get some sleep, even if it means napping during the day. Forget about house chores, the world won’t stop if you do not vacuum every two days or prepare a home-cooked meal on a daily basis. Speaking of nutrition, make sure you eat food that is healthy and good for you and gives you the energy to deal with everyday problems. Also, keep in mind that fish oils reduce anxiety and depression in new moms.

Take a break

No, you don’t have to be with your baby 24/7. Feel free to take some time away from your little one and do something that helps you feel like you, even if it means just washing your hair or taking a bath with stress-relieving essential oils. In addition, make sure you spend some time with the adults. Talking to your partner and your friends will help you stay connected to the ‘real’ world and give you a mental break from your mommy chores. 

Create a support group

Being a new mom is not just sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows. In fact, it is overwhelming so make sure you surround yourself with people you can completely be real with and share your true feelings with them. Having someone to confide in is extremely important during this time, even if you believe that your feelings are completely silly. Venting to your best friend, a family member, or your partner can lower your stress levels and help you feel calmer. 

Don’t play by someone else’s rules

It is important to remember that not all babies are the same, so it is quite logical that what has worked for one mom won’t work for the other one. It is okay to listen to other people’s advice, but at the end of the day you need to care for your baby in a way that works best for you. Find your own method and stick to it, no matter what others say.

Be realistic

Do not start going through pictures of actresses who gave birth and immediately looked like a million dollars. Forget about the images you see in tabloids and on social media, most of it has nothing to do with reality. Have you heard about Photoshop? Instead of comparing yourself to others, give yourself time to get back on your feet and adjust to your new lifestyle.

Get help when needed

All those raging hormones can leave you feeling emotional and that is completely normal after giving birth. However, postpartum depression is not so if you feel like something is wrong, do not hesitate to ask for help. Waiting until things get even worse is a recipe for a disaster, so act on time. Being a new mom has its ups and downs, and hopefully, these tips will help you deal with everyday challenges a new baby will bring into your life.

One of the biggest reality-checks in life is when a woman gives birth to her child and only then starts to realize that everything she’s pictured – as a new mom – is actually somehow completely different. Everything you’ve expected or thought you’ll do once you give birth will probably be put to the backburner. And yes, that also includes exercising.

Trying to get back in shape after you’ve just given birth to a new life will probably be more challenging than you’ve thought. Even the most active people may find it difficult to get back on track after giving birth. That’s why you should be kind to yourself and your body and take things at a pace that feels comfortable. I know I've been struggling to find the time and just energy, in general, to get back to my active lifestyle after giving birth too.

But here are some things you should know about postpartum exercises that will help you better understand what your body’s going through.

Your core was under a lot of stress

What the majority of women emphasize as one of their biggest insecurities is the look – and feel – of their postpartum belly. Most of the women feel insecure about this part of their body, in particular, as it is one of the parts that’s gone through the biggest of changes. What you need to understand is that your core will stretch or even entirely separate during pregnancy. That’s why you’ll be left with a tummy that looks entirely different than what it used to be. Of course, by exercising properly and with the help of some amazing skin tightening products, you should be able to get your body almost entirely back to its previous state. However, if you’re someone who didn’t really exercise all that much before you became pregnant, you can’t really expect your postpartum body to do miracles.

Every person is unique

Since all of us are unique and every woman’s pregnancy and postpartum recovery is different, you shouldn’t be trying to push yourself into a workout regimen sooner than your body is ready for such an endeavor. Just because some of your friends started exercising two weeks after giving birth, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do the same. Again, your pre-pregnancy fitness level will greatly influence how your postpartum recovery will look like. If your body was extremely well-taken-care-of before the pregnancy, getting back into shape will be significantly easier once you give birth. With unrealistic and heavily-curated content that’s presented to all of us through social media, it can sometimes feel like you’re not doing enough or trying hard enough. But remember that your body is the only thing you should be listening to during these challenging times.

You’ll discover new pains and aches

During pregnancy and particularly before you’re about to go into labor, your body will increase the production of a hormone called relaxin. The increased production of this hormone will actually help your body go through the labor easier as it loosens your joints. Contrary to popular belief, the production of this hormone doesn’t just go away as soon as you deliver your baby. Instead, it can stay in your system for as long as up to 12 months after labor. This is extremely important to understand as it will greatly affect your exercising efforts. Since your body will generally be “looser” than ever, you’ll discover some new pains and aches you haven’t felt before. These can even make exercising feel like true torture, especially if you’re someone who wasn’t very regular with their exercises prior to becoming pregnant.

Make sure you sleep as much as you possibly can

One of the first things you’ll hear is that the mom should be sleeping when the baby is sleeping, and that’s the rule you should start living your life by. The fact that you’ll be going through an entirely new life experience once you give birth can – and probably will – entirely mess up your regular

sleeping schedule. And you already know just how important proper rest truly is. It becomes even more important when you try to squeeze in exercise into your new lifestyle. So, even though

working out can make you feel energized, it can also seriously deplete your energy levels. Therefore, try to get as much sleep as possible to both improve your exercising efforts and help your body heal quicker.

In the end, as much as it is important to take good care of your body postpartum, it’s also important not to try and push it over its limits. Your body just went through a lot, so give it some time to heal and get back to normal as much as possible before you fully get back to your regular exercising regime.

When you give birth, you instantly become entitled to celebrating one more holiday – Mother’s Day. It usually includes breakfast in bed and hand-made gifts from your little ones, such as a picture frame made of macaroni. However, your first Mother’s Day won’t be anything like that. After all, your baby’s greatest accomplishment is not pooping outside the diaper and you still have a couple of years before you can expect any gifts from your little one. However, this doesn’t mean you cannot celebrate this holiday. You are a mom, and you deserve to have a day that is all about you. So, if you wish to commemorate Mother’s Day as a first-time mama, here are a couple of ideas you may like.

Do things at your own pace 

Every day you get out of bed, jump start your body with a dose of caffeine and power through the day doing four things at a time. Well, this Mother’s Day starts the day by having a cup of coffee in your bed while watching your favorite TV show, reading a book, or just looking through the window. You can also prepare yourself a nice breakfast to eat in the bedroom, or, if you are a lucky gal, have your partner prepare it for you.

Buy yourself a fancy piece of jewelry

You will want to remember this day for the rest of your life, and what better way to remind yourself of it than with something you can both wear and treasure. A gemstone necklace from Moon Magic is a perfect choice since it can easily dress up your outfits and basically never goes out of style.

Write a letter to your child

Kids love listening about stories about themselves from times they cannot remember. Therefore, take time to write a letter to your baby and tell them how excited you were to meet them, what the beginning of their life looked like or how they kept your up at night. Basically, there are no rules here and you can write whatever you wish. In a couple of years, take this letter out and read it to your child. They will surely be excited to hear about their first months and it may even become their favorite
bedtime story. 

Build a time capsule

There are so many things you can put into a time capsule, from your baby’s first shoes, their doll, a lock of their hair, or one of their nappies. Place everything in a box, wrap it, and put it somewhere safe. In a couple of years, you can open it together with your kid and see what is in there.

Buy fresh flowers

A bouquet of fresh flowers always brightens up the room, so do not hesitate to add some color and fragrance to your home. Whether your partner gets them for you or you pick them up yourself, they will surely look great in your house for a week or so.

Take off your apron!

This is your special day and that means no cooking and no washing the dishes. On Mother’s Day treat yourself to your favorite meal. You can order in, have your loved one cook for you or dine out. Oh, and do not skip dessert, on this day calories do not matter. 

You are in charge

Do you wish to take an afternoon nap? Then do it! Have brunch with your family, go to the park, spend an hour shopping for a new dress or watch that movie you wanted to see for so long. If needed, ask your loved ones or a nanny for help so you can enjoy a guilt-free day indulging yourself. Remember that Mother’s Day is all about you, so do not hesitate to do things you love and that make you happy.

Check out my other handmade gift ideas for Mother's Day!

Mother's Day Colouring Card Printable

Make Your Own Mother's Day Coupon Book Printable

Gorgeous Floral Mother's Day Card Printable

Ferrero Rocher Bouquet Tutorial

Heart in a Cupcake Tutorial