Let’s face it – a diaper bag is not just a diaper bag. It’s the one stop bag for all of mom’s (and some of dad’s) needs. From food, clothes, a safe changing mat, toys to your keys, wallet, phone and much more.
We’ve already gone through a few diaper bags in the last 9 months; never fully satisfied.
I got this Cafe crossover from Vilah Bloom and I’m totally in love with it. It is super compact but large enough to carry all your essentials. The bag has 2 insulated vottle pockets which are great to carry bottles or food.
Built-in wet wipes dispenser for super swift hand movements to handle any situation.
There’s a key/ pacifier clip is super handy to keep your keys or also link some toys. Padded electronics pocket the store your cell phones or tablets
The changing pad is the best. It’s large enough for your baby to be covered from head to tothe, unlike many others I’ve seen.
The Stroller clips are great, especially for us since our stroller has one fully rounded handle.
Love the gold detailing and overall design!
The bag has a solid gusset which is also expandable to fit in more things.
Unlike many diaper bags I’ve seen, the insides of this one are very easy to wipe clean. No worries of staining your bag.
This bag has everything I need. The perfect bag for me to be hands free!
A tip for you guys – make sure to always keep your diaper bag ready, if you use a couple of diapers then replenish as soon as you can. Make this a practice and you will thank me. You need a ready companion while on the move.
It is not only functional but also super stylish. It perfectly suits my personality. It’s a sling. It’s a tote. It’s a stroller bag. It’s a backpack ! It’s THE super versatile bag that every mama needs to have 😄
Vilah Bloom was conceptualized by Designer Jackelynn Garrett, a fantastic lady. Being a mom of 2, she realized the necessity to herself have a chic and truly functional alternative to the diaper bag. No prizes for guessing that Vilah is one of her daughter’s name.
Much love,
Mama Dee
Disclaimer: I was sent this bag for review by Vilah Bloom. However the views are all my own, based on my own experience.
Pregnancy is a wonderful phase in anyone’s life and it should be enjoyed to the fullest. These months are the preparation of a beautiful new life ahead that you never know existed. It is not only a mother’s prerogative to do her best before & during her pregnancy, but also the partner’s duty to ensure the smile on her face never fades away.
Being a first time mom, my baby has completely changed my life and my perspective in life. I’m blessed with a wonderful hugsband who has supported me every step of the way. I’m also grateful to have found a super-strict doctor who helped me reach my ultimate goal.
If you have the slightest itch that you would like to have a baby in the near future, reshuffle your lifestyle choices as soon as possible before you even get pregnant. Be the fittest, healthiest and happiest you can be. The best you can do is to do your best. Here I have penned down some tips on lifestyle choices with a bump:
1.Smile
Keep your days stress free and nights restful with a full nights sleep. We made every weekend a retreat into our beds where we made up for all the sleep we would be loosing once the baby gets here 🙂
An active lifestyle is the key to a healthy life and it is extremely crucial during pregnancy. I worked till 2 days right before my baby was born and I was walking to work every single day! At my 6th month, I enrolled in an amazing yoga class ( Zen Yoga) that not only gave me a new perspective about myself but also gave me a lovely community of friends to interact with. The hugsband and I would also head out on long walks late at night, and this was an excellent stress buster.
This is not the time to start a new fitness regime, make sure you stick to what you know your body and endure. Make sure you don’t stretch more than 70% of your limit. This is an investment to a beautiful delivery and speedy recovery that one must not ignore. It is recommended to take it easy during the first trimester.
Make sure to consult your OBGYN before you start any fitness program.
3.Eat right
This is probably the most important aspect during pregnancy. I was cooking up until late in my pregnancy and this kept me in control of what and how much I ate. I made sure to include healthy grains, green leafy vegetables and lentils that worked for our appetite. I let go of sugars as much as I could; I really did not want to land up with gestational diabetes, as my father’s side of the family has a strong history of diabetes. Make sure to snack on nuts and berries throughout the day to keep your metabolism up. This is not the time to over indulge in sinful food, unlike how the old adage goes. This is also not the time to go on a diet. Eat right, and eat frequent meals to keep your energy levels up.
Do give yourself a cheat meal once in a while, but try not to over-indulge. And trust me, all the controlled goes for a toss once you deliver – postpartum is when you actually are eating for two!
4.Capture the journey
Make sure to capture your beautiful moments and places you visited while they were inside. While you are at it, embrace your belly and smile. You will surely miss being pregnant once the little monster gets out! Pen down your journey and when you read them years later, you’ll laugh at every silly symptom which would’ve felt like a mountain at the time.
Capturing memories at my maternity photo shoot with 2 fabulous photographers
5. Clothing
I managed to stick to my pre pregnancy clothes throughout the first trimester. I then transitioned to looser tees, leggings and loose cardigans to work. By month 5, I went all out and bought very good maternity clothes mainly from ASOS that I wore till the end. Make sure to be comfortable in what you wear. You will need to dump all your heels for a while, it is just to be careful.
6.Read
I was glued on to every single development in the pregnancy and kept abreast with the help of multiple Apps and the handy book my sister gifted – “what to expect when you are expecting”. What I really missed out is reading about what happens after the baby gets here! But I don’t think any books or apps could have prepared me to face my baby.
7.Spend quality time with your bed. Take care of yourself
Make the most of your time before the bub gets here. Pile on all the sleep you can get. Take your long baths, I really really miss them now 😦 Get your nails done and a hair cut, maybe. Indulge in some certified pre-natal massages.
8.Build your support system
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and it’s so true. You need all hands on deck at least for the first few years. Build your support system of experienced mothers and other pregnant mothers so that you can gain knowledge from others experiences and share relevant information with your peers as well. The sooner you start, the easier it gets down the road.
9.Nesting
The nesting instinct kicks towards the end of pregnancy for most mothers, and some fathers as well. Roll with it. Make your home a welcoming haven for your soon to arrive bundle of joy. You will have absolutely no time or energy to make the effort once the baby arrives. You will have to depend on the spouse or other friends & family to fetch things for you.
10.Music 🎶
Listen to your favourite music throughout the journey. My baby for sure loves Coldplay! If your mind is calm and happy, so will the baby’s. I also heard a lot of Classical music like Mozart and Beethoven – you will find tons of playlists on YouTube; this is supposed to be very helpful for babies brain development. We managed to go for a Mozart concert in Vienna and this was truly a thrilling experience to have with the bump 🙂
11. Kegel exercices
It really helps to do Kegel (pelvic floor) exercise right from the start; in fact, Kegel exercises are excellent even otherwise – throughout your life! It is extremely helpful in the long run and you will be thanking yourself once you’ve delivered.
12. Moisturise
Though there are plenty of stretch mark creams available, I feel a simple daily routine of applying moisturiser or oil to your bump, hips, back and legs really goes a long way. I used plain ol’ home – made coconut oil and I highly recommend this.
13. Spend quality time with your partner
Life as you know it is about to change. Get out on regular dates during the pregnancy, and find every reason to celebrate with a fun dinner at home. Cherish the quiet times. We were lucky to have lived in Dubai during the pregnancy and we managed to get out to some exciting places and late night walks in the sultry summer months.
14. Set your intentions right for the birth day
This is something I learnt over time from my previous Yoga training and from Claire, my pre-natal Yoga teacher at Zen Yoga. Set your intentions for the birth day and for your baby. Pregnancy and delivery are overwhelming terms but can be a beautiful experience if you tune your mind well. Labour & Delivery are tough, but are nothing but mind over body experiences that women have been going through since times immortal.
15. Find a suitable OBGYN and hospital
I know many women opt for home births and alternative birthing options but what works for the stereotypical pregnancy is a good OBGYN who will not necessarily be your friend, but will guide you through the right path culminating in a beautiful birthing experience. We found our guide in Dr. Paramjit Luthra at Medcare Hospital, SZR. She is a tough nut and can come across as slightly rude and in-your-face. But this really worked for us, as we did not need a friend who would applaud at every extra piece of cake that I ate but would be a strict goal keeper as she has your ultimate interest in mind. If she was any more lenient, I would’ve probably gone overboard and probably had a tougher time during labour & delivery.
Read my post on travel tips during pregnancy here.
A new baby is a wonderful addition to any family. Enjoy this beautiful phase, before the madness sets in!
Cheers,
Dee
Disclaimer – this is a blog post based on my own experiences during my pregnancy. Please consider that every body, and every pregnancy is unique and what I’ve mentioned may or may not be applicable to you. This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you
The husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary recently. Though we could not take more time off, we did manage a mid-week stay cation at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai. One of the most beautiful days we’ve had for sure.
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Reservation
Our reservation process was so painfully easy. All we had to do was log on to their website and book ! We also got an exciting Master Card offer, which is what prompted us to book in the first place.
Check-in
Though our Check-in time was at 3 PM, we managed to wrap up work and land up at the hotel only by 8 PM. The front office manager was kind enough to give us an upgrade to make our special day even more special.
The front office associate who showed us to our room was quite strange – he seemed to have learnt his spiel and was not too responsive with our specific questions, minus points for this.
We were given a very sweet welcome in the room with a small delicious cake and a lovely greeting card.
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Rooms
Our Ocean view room: Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
As I mentioned above, we were upgraded to ocean view rooms and almost on the 17th floor. The room was fantastic with a brilliant view overlooking the expanse of Arabian Gulf. With a private balcony, the early morning is simply breathtaking ! The 4-fixture bathroom is very cute and spacious.
The hotel
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
The interiors of the hotel are quite garish and not really as per my liking. Though every corner has been thoughtfully made, maybe it suits someone else’s taste. I like more chic and cleaner interiors, over the more classical designs. Though, I doubt if it gets better than this.
Check out this post by My Toronto World on How to spend 2 days in Dubai! She’s summed up the best things to do and if you have a layover, that’s what you need to be doing!
Getting from one place to another
This can be quite a task. Mind you, buggies are available to shuttle you between places inside the hotel complex. We were not aware of this until after our walk to Aquaventure. But I do not discourage the walk – it surely is an exciting place to be at.
The pools
The pools at Atlantis are peaceful – more so being a weekday. We enjoyed a couple of hours before breakfast, soaking up the early winter awesomeness.
Dinner
We were given complimentary dinner and decided to try out Kaleidoscope. The buffet spread was elaborate and had many options to choose from – from Mexican to Indian to Arab. Loved the cheese fountain at the Mexican counter. There are also some live counters that jazz up the buffet. The dessert spread is quite interesting, topped with 1 chocolate fountain. The place was lively and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as we did ! Only drawback is the restaurant shuts at 11 PM, so we had just about 45 minutes to wrap up dinner which was quite unfortunate.
Breakfast
The super-awesome breakfast was at Saffron. We’re both suckers for Asian food and this was like candy-land for us! What variety and such a vibrant ambiance. This is one of our most favorite places in the hotel and would love to come back for a meal for sure. Thumbs up to the staff that make this happen…
This place is a must-try people!
Aquaventure Waterpark
{Sorry no photos available as we were too busy having too much fun}
Ok here’s one from our GoPro 🙂
Aquaventure, The Palm Atlantis, Dubai
We gifted ourselves a GoPro Hero 4. This was our first purchase from souq.com and their response and delivery time is unbeatable.
This was the most epic part of our stay at Atlantis – and our 1st anniversary. We spent about 6 hours at the Aquaventure park and oh boy, what a ball we had ! Each ride was as exciting as the previous one and we just could not get over it. We met some lovely people along the way and made friends with a German family of 3 generations! We tried to cover most of the rides but we chose to skip the deadliest leap of faith…. I’m not sure if I would ever be able to do that one.
Our new GoPro !Our new GoPro !
The Lost Chambers Aquarium
Lost Adventures, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
This was a lovely experience but I would not really recommend paying just to come here. Maybe a good experience for kids but I would totally skip it over
Dolphin Bay
Dolphin Bay, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Though we did not technically enter dolphin bay, we did watch a couple of dolphins do their thing. We had no time to squeeze in this activity after all that we had already done! I just hope the dolphins are kept happy and safe 🙂
Check out
The check out process was fairly easy as well. We requested a late check out since we were to spend time at Aquaventure and they were kind enough to let us keep the room for a couple of additional hours.
Nassimi Beach
Nassimi Beach, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
After check out, we wanted to stay on for a couple of more hours and we thought the beach bar would be the perfect place to unwind after a long, fun day.
Like every other place, I wish I could have stayed just another day to relish the grand Atlantis, The Palm.
But hey, hugsband says we can always go back (maybe)!
deexterous 