Woodland Wedding Inspiration

Though I already had my wedding years ago, I refuse to let my wedding obsession runs off. I guess I'm just into pretty things -or- before you judge as a shallow and impossible fairy tale pursuer, I also think my years spent designing wedding related stationery gets into my head as well. So, yeah, I love wedding.

There is one particular theme, one I almost wish-I-had-that all the time. And it's a woodland theme for a wedding. It's never been the most popular wedding theme, especially here in Indonesia. Let me explain some things about weddings in Indonesia and maybe, some of other similar Asian cultures, weddings tend to must be huge, and lavish, and glamorous! Wear as much gold as you can, if it's not glitter-y safe it for another occasion! I think it's our tradition, did you know that one of Indonesian's traditional wedding dresses includes a 3 kilos worth of a golden head dress? And by infusing something, natural, something green or earth-toned, something woodland-ish, considered to be a taboo right here. Duh, obviously.

These stationery from Postal Press found via ohsobeautifulpaper is beyond charming.

Preston Bailey's magic at work. See the full blown detail at VanityFair.

But I see more and more nature inspired wedding these days, yes, even in Indonesia! In a wedding world, you might remembered the theme topped by Sean Parker's Vanity Fair covered millions dollar wedding. The bride wore Marchessa and Preston Bailey (who else?) decorated what's already a beautiful nature given venue into a more ethereal, out of this world place. And do I spy a rabbit on Olivia Munn's (one of the celebrity guest) lap? Is that the wedding favor? Ehem, ok, so celebrity always sets a trend, whether you like or not. Apart for Parker's wedding controversy, I still think it's a pretty theme to explore, and you can attain it with whatever budget you already have in hand.

Ok, enough with the talk,.. without further ado.. if you're more into succulents than gold ornaments, I present you the woodland wedding inspirations. I hope you're enjoying them!

Why settle with whites? Opt for ethereal forest nymphs look. Dresses from Dress First

Finally, some ideas for the guys, and pretty buttonaires of course. Courtesy of Weddingchicks

Anyway, is the rabbits as wedding favor cute or over the top (would our venue and guests'  dresses be covered with rabbits' poo?, discuss!

 

Wikkistix (FREE) Workshop

I really really in full support of anything to get my 5 year olds off the screens (TV, Ipads, computers, handheld game consoles, etc). But then I maybe the one to blame since I'm ON screen most of the dayswhether it's replying emails or even trying to clear all those damn jellies (for those of you who is lucky enough to avoid the addiction and wondering what I'm talking about, it's a saccarine filled app game. Google for "candy" and "app". You'll see what I mean.) Guilty as well for bribing Big Sis G with a screen when she won't let me do my work, or when I'm driving, or when I try to chew my lunch. OK. There you go. My confessions of a tech addict mom.  

So, how do  you have a screen-free day, you say? You might remember WikkiStix from this post. Those sticky yarn thingy is a great great screen distraction. Those little tiny fingers might kept busy for a while longer. And the good news..... For my fellow Indonesian readers, you and your children can actually test drive the product, for free, >ehem< , FREE !!!  ... as in no charge at all, this Saturday, September 28th 2013 at Kinokuniya, Plaza Senayan. The workshop starts at 2 pm and only last for an hour, so, yes, don't be late at all!  Find or ask Kinokuniya staff for the event corner, yep, if you find Kinokuniya is too vast for you. There will also most certainly a huge Wikki Stix promotion, extra gift with purchase and all! 

To RSVP or any further inquires you may reach WikkiStix at http://wikkistixasia.com/contact-us/

Have fun creating, ladies! 

Ps. Since I live 2 hours drive from Jakarta (boooo!) I won't be attending the workshop myself, so if you please please please share with me your experience with WikkiStix to me! Any photos, tweets, FB updates or a sweet email would be fine! Tag me @babalisme! 

Cootie Catcher Birthday Invitation

Well. I assume you're expecting this one's coming, ...another birthday for Big Sis G! Yay! 

If you've been reading my blog or know me a little too well by now, you might realize that I took the vow of not using any licensed cartoon characters when it comes to my offspring's birthday. But sometimes in the life and times of being a mom, you'll learn to compromise (mothers, are you with me?). For example, when your daughter, all teary-doe-eyed, asked you for a Gru's (from the movie Despicable Me) minions party, and been singing and imitating those yellow creatures for weeks, you'd bound to break your own rule. *sigh* 

So, yes, I made not one but two, TWO, Despicable Me inspired pinatas. One is minion shaped and the other take the shape of Fluffly the unicorn doll (or papoy, according to the minions).We'll get to these pinatas in later posts. Now, I'd like to show you how your 5 year old toddler can to be tricked into your own aesthetic, without him/her throwing a tantrum. My secret is ..... incorporate my love of a British tea party theme into a cootie catcher! Kids love cootie catcher! And I love English roses! It's a win-win solution for us! How is it related to the minions, you ask? Who cares? Just kidding. We're not having a full blown theme party, so I guess I can go away with mismatched party printables this year. Do forgive me.

About the cootie catcher, just in case you're not really familiar with the name, it's a pretty simple origami kids make to predict future/fortune. Depending on what's written inside, of course. It's pretty popular on the playground of first or second grader. To play the game, one must hold the four corners with both pointer fingers and thumbs. Move it open and close, and pick two numbers (or symbols, or drawings, anything), and boom, your fortune's been told! 

Since the cootie catcher is modified to an invitation, mine is filled not with fortune but lots of party's details, all the when and where and in place of the "fortune", I put lots of happy activity to be done when the player choose a certain number combination. 

I was thinking of sharing the cootie catcher invitation with you, what do you ladies think? Would you need one? And instead of oh-so-personal invitation, do you have any other ideas to use the cootie catcher? Share your thoughts in the comment box, and I'll do the most creative idea of cootie catcher as a free printable later on :) 

Meet Petitbleu

Hear ye, hear ye, all expectant parents of the world. *cue royal trumpet sound* - I guess I'm watching too many Baby George arrival press coverage, ehem, anyways...

Yes, I do think all babies are royals in the eyes of their proud parents, now, don't they. And what pinterest album would you create first do if you know you're expecting? ..Yes, I'm guilty as charged as well, it must be the "NURSERY" album, no? We can dream, right? pssh.

Well, at least, if you're more than willing to turn your pinterest nursery album into reality, I have the one that would sure to help you. Meet Petitblue!

This particular crib has a smart storage solution of a drawer underneath with soft closing system.

Here is their intro for you to get to know them better..
"Petitbleu is an Indonesian brand developed by parents Celestine Yoviana and Dan Fulga. An Indonesian/Romanian, husband and wife team who realize the lack in nursery furniture to suit their taste while searching for a crib for their first son.

All Petitbleu products are eco friendly with non-toxic finishes and made from timbers grown on renewable plantations. Each product is made to meet or exceed International safety standards. So there is no need to worry about baby getting “stuck” between the slats.

The cribs offers 3 mattress position for your growing child, and also converts into a junior bed.
Petitbleu  also offer very reasonably priced for the cribs that turn into junior beds.

If you are already interested in buying something from them but the color or the size just don’t fit in your nursery, no worries because all of Petitbleu nursery furniture is custom-built exclusively for your bub and they ship to almost anywhere in the world."

If you happened to stop by at Jakarta next November, please do jot in your reminder about the 5th Indonesia’s largest Maternity Baby & Kids expo, happening November 22-24, 2013 at Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). Petitbleu will be participating on booth #74, so if you are thrilled to see their products in real life, this is your opportunity to see them! And just saying hi would probably more than nice, remember, it's their first time exhibiting their furniture and wall decor, so don't be shy, just drop them a hello.

2 Minute (or less) Nail Art

Unless you've been living under a rock (..or away from Pinterest and beauty blogs, that is), at some point of your idle time you must have considered doing your own nail art. I too have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to that, ehem, obviously. But as much as I'm good with paint, on paper, I have less luck when it comes to paint (polish?) on nails. Every time I look at those pretty nail art, the "ain't nobody got time fo that" meme lady came to my mind. Not to mention on how pricey DIY nail art can be.

So here I am, presenting to you, the much obvious DIY, "Duh"-it-yourself, affordable, very quick version of the lovely nail art revolution. Forget scotch tape (because, heaven lord, who has time to actually wait your polish to be dried, scotch tape a stripe pattern, and wait for another good 20 minutes to see results? cue meme lady ..).

All you need here are ...

Look I don't even need to put a step by step photos for you, do I? 

The steps are, duh... paint your nails, wait for it to dry, scribble away with the marker, and splash that clear top coat on. This is mine and Big Sis G's own result (yep she did all the things herself, nail polishing, scribbling, the whole nine yards). We're doing it in less than 2 minutes. If a 4 year old can easily do it, so can you. Experiment with various patterns, I'm doing chevrons, polkadots and stripes here :)

So, do you have any ideas or plans for summer nails? 

Shop Spotlight : Tee Tick Personalized T-Shirt

Remember when you're in a team, and you'll always have to make a "team" matching t-shirts for everyone in the team? I used to be that one person assigned with that job. I don't know, maybe they trust me because of t-shirt designing ability? Little did they know, designing and actually making one are on a whole lot different levels. And finding the one shop that can deliver what you design, obviously on a budget is pretty challenging.

Ok, luckily that was about 10 years ago. Now, with a click of mouse you'll get thousands of shops to choose from and they will be willing to deliver the finished t-shirts right in your doorstep. Convenience! Yes! Now, I'm not guiding you to ALL the shops, but here's one that you should try if you need any clothing, not only t-shirt, customized. Meet Tee Tick!

Now a bit about the shop ..

"TeeTick is a private label clothing manufacturer where its customers can order their own personalized clothing for personal use, group/team use, or for their clothing brand at affordable prices.

Founded in Vietnam by a group of four creative, experienced and ambitious people who are passionate and strive for meeting the demand and the expectations of customers by creating quality personalized clothing "made in Vietnam", TeeTick offers printed and embroidered personalized t-shirts, poloshirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, hoodies, and jogging bottoms for men, women, and children. The company allows its customers to personalize their clothing with their own logos and text so that each item uniquely meets each customer's specific requirements. 

Being based in Vietnam allows TeeTick to offer amazing wholesale rates for the very affordable and great quality personalized clothing. Also, due to their positive trade status with the USA and E.U, the regulations for importing clothes from Vietnam are more agreeable. As a result, these competitive advantages make TeeTick become the “supplier of choice” for any clothing brands in the United States, Australia, UK and the rest of Europe. They bring together skills in sourcing fabric, sewing, printing, embroidery, labeling to ensure the clothing they manufacture helps their clients’ clothing to stand out from the crowd. TeeTick will only offer you the best quality personalized clothes at the most cost efficient rates. That is a guarantee!"

all pictures taken from TeeTick's Facebook page, custom children clothings and printed bag divisions. 

Had they said they're not making T-shirt? They're doing custom dresses, printed bags, jeans, pants, hats, .. almost any items of clothing you'd need! They are a basically clothing manufacturer who accept your personal orders. And they offer not only printing, but also embroidery to adding embellishments! I'm mostly intrigued about their children and maternity line. You know how lovable that maternity t-shirt that said 1 month, 2 months, ... or about a gender reveal, or maybe the one with a cute little foot prints on them? (They're all over pinterest, search them if you must) Now, that's only one idea from me to contact TeeTick immediately and order some personalized tee. What' s your idea for a customized clothing?

Ps. TeeTick ships worldwide and have shipped to USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France.
The shipping cost is approximately US$6.00 - US$7.00 per kilogram. 

Introducing : WikkiStix

If you have a toddler or two in your household, or have been babysitting one, you'll notice that you would likely to must constantly keep them busy. Otherwise, certain catastrophe might ensue. Occasionally might or might not accompanied with tears. 

I'm so thrilled when Adeline Woo, a mom-treprenuer (mom "slash" entrepreneur) from Singapore introduce me to Wikki Stix! What? Yes, Wikki Stix. It's yarn pieces dipped in a safe food grade wax, basicaly, it's a bendable gummy sticks, much like a  modeling compound, but skinnier. Younger kids might be mistaking it for a stick bubble gum, so please follow the age requirement and always assist your child when playing. Though it's food grade I don't think it's intended to be eaten. Wikki Stix 100% made in USA, so you can count on  it by the safety dept. It's also gluten free, by the way, so kids with allergies can safely play with it. Still, I'd say it again, please don't eat it.

There are thousands of possibilities of playing with Wikki Stix. Big Sis G and I tried the pink pack first, obviously. And she made a crown! So predictable of her, don't you think? See what else we made that day :

I have to say I'm surprise that Wikki Stix is absolutely odor-less. It looks like wax, felt like wax, strangely doesn't smelt like one. But it does leave sticky feeling on your hands and on glass-y surface. Nonetheless, it's not messier than regular play dough and definitely more hassle-free. It also came in lots of educational activities, if you bought the intended packages. There are dot to dot activity, maze, numbers, alphabet writing, Chinese writing, and themed/seasonal activity kits. If you're doing an art and craft party Wikki Stix would be a perfect addition to your activity.

dot to dot activity with Wikki Stix!  

After playing with Wikki Stix, here are my (and Big Sis G's) verdict..

thumbs up for :

• Glutten-free, non-toxic, food grade, odorless, mess free materials. 
• It never dried up, you can use it over and over again. 
• surprisingly sturdy and hard to break
• Fun, creative, and educational content.
• Big Sis G's own word : "I can make things with this spaghetti"

If there are rooms for improvements :

• They are highly sticky and leave sticky, glue-y streaks upon glass surface, cleaning the surface needs some extra time. You can always lined your glass/wooden table with some coverings before you play though. 
• Once you cut it to desired length, well, there goes your length. 

Wikki Stix can now be found all across South East Asia; Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Indonesians, in particular, can find Wikki Stix  in Kinokuniya Bookstores all over Jakarta (Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall and Grand Indonesia). Price ranging from $6.30, lots of variety too, from single color packs, educational kits,  themed/seasonal kits, to birthday sets, and if you shop online, they are offering free worldwide delivery!

What She Wears: Rosebud

Sometimes I think Big Sis G, sooner or later, is going to take my throne is at the keyboard, and make babalisme her own. She's a natural fashion and beauty blogger, don't you think? It just a matter of time until she learns how to type and blog. I don't mind, though. In the meantime, here's a fashion blog post courtesy of my guest blogger of the moment, Miss G.

Thanks to sweet Briana (hey, visit her at SweetDreamsareMadeofThese), I am able to surprise Big Sis G with a pink kimono dress in pink by Le Petit Society! Le Petit Society is a baby to toddler wardrobe retailers based at Hong Kong. Psst, they are currently offering free shipping to the rest of Asia. Ahem. What's so great about Le Petit Society is their stock are designed by freelance mommy "slash" designer. I'm all so into supporting other freelancer moms! Team moms all the way!

The kimono dress is way beyond precious. It runs small on Big Sis G's stature, thankfully I ordered sized 6, while she's only nearly 5 years old. The dress reminds me a lot of a pink rose bud, the top part looks like the bud, and the skirt flatters like a green sepal.Most importantly it is made with high quality cotton, light weighted-ly breathable. Perfect for humid and typically hot tropical countries! I can stop thinking about Thumbellina, despite Big Sis G, well, um.. distant size from the fairy tale's princess. I love how the stitches are so tight and precise. You know, though it runs small on G's tummy, the zipper runs smoothly, merely without a fight! A closer look on the details... 

What she wears : 
Dress     : Le Petit Society
Sandals  : Zara Kids
Bag        : it's a gift from her Auntie.
Flopper  : LVFlopper (curious? more about this, later on the blog!)

The kimono dress is retailed at HKD238.00. Get yours will supplies last! They are running out of bigger size!

What do you think of today's guest blogger? She would love some inputs!

The 9th Workshop in a Box : World of Books

Just in case you've been "being Patrick" (living literally under the rock, get it? :D)  for the past 2 years, let me tell you this; everything you love and obsess about is now inside a box. It's been a craze everywhere, maybe the most noticeable is the beauty and make up box subscription, but almost everything is now can be found in a box. The premise is simple. It's mostly boiled down to : 1. you choose a box subscription and pay online, 2. they will customized your box to your personal preferences, 3. The box delivered to your doorstep each month. The best part is, of course, what's inside will all be a big surprise to you.Indonesians may be familiar with Beauty Treats, a box filled with, duh, beauty, make up, and skincare things. But, really, I have read there are baby and kids's clothing, food, even sport and health, gardening, and  pet products in a box. Well, who doesn't love surprises?

Crafters, rejoice. There. IS. Definitely. CRAFT boxesWorkshop in a Box (WAIB)!! This is also a pretty late introduction since, yes, as you may have realized there is a number 9 on my blog post title. Wow, Ning. *rolls eyes*

The box! 

My illustration of a French librarian lady-that has a nice ring to it- graze the box cover! Yay! 

Indonesian crafters, specially, let me introduce you to Workshop in a Box! (WAIB)

Anyho, WAIB was founded by two lovely ladies of the blogs dreamesh and liaspace, Amesh and Lia, respectively. Hold your horses, crafters, these boxes are not available for monthly subscription yet, but they offer more exciting alternative. Instead of delivering the box to your house, they hold a workshop and put up live tutorial/ craft class known as workshop, hence the name. The ladies themselves get their hands dirty teaching. How awesome is that? The downside is, you have to live in Jakarta. The good side is, YES you can still order WAIB previous boxes on their fanpage. The tutorial will be stored in a CD.

Pretty much everything you will receive! book making supllies! 

This is not the #9 workshop session. I steal this picture from dreamesh's blog post of #5 WAIB. 

I got mine this way too, and if a craft beginner like me could follow the instruction, your chance are high.
Babalisme is also proudly collaborated on this box and their first one! So, keep an eye of my printables from time to time in your WAIB box!

And some pop up elements to make your own vintage French inspired pop up card.

Mother's Day Printable

I always, always forgot that international Mother's day falls on every second Sunday of May. Please excuse my lack of Mother's day related printable/craft. I'm hitting my head on the keyboard right now. 78#$^%!jasrey 6asd$%&*^&@s$d^*a&a34mp;  *  )jfh~#al#ir  ... There you go. I ruined my keyboard.

But, if you're also a last minute lovers like me (no offense, Mom, I always love you, no matter how big a procrastinator I am), I have these two cards available for you to download. TWO! for Free!! Please make you choice and pick a card more suitable to your mom's aesthetics preference. You don't have to even leave your seat now, just download and print. And we all know, although your effort is minimum, your love for mother is to the max. Agreed? Cheers for Mothers!

this one right here. 

And this one right here.

What are you planning on Mother's day? Do you have any DIY ideas to surprise her? 

Shop Spotlight : Little Owl Big Trouble

Hello, folks, Happy belated Easter! I want to thank you guys for entering my California Baby giveaway, and congratulations to *drum roll* our winner Rita I!

Anyway.. I don't know with all of you parents with boy(s), but I never have a hard time dressing and finding cute clothing for Big Sis G. After all, she's pretty confident on determining her own style and her style is well, pretty easy to shop. It's pink-and-glitter-overload-princess style by the way. *eye rolls...easy peasy shopping, right?*

And like all  -cough-*hipster *-cough- ..ahem.. modern and aesthetically educated mothers, I, once in my lifetime I have solemnly sworn not to put anything with licensed character on my daughter's body. Of course, that could only be achieved for the first one and a half year of Big Sis G's life. And she begged for her first Disney Princess Ariel t-shirt. I cursed myself, well done, mom, but hey, the only Ariel (and later Dora, Rapunzel, Hello Kitty..) hurts is my own ego.

Boys, however, I heard is pretty easy to steer into licensed-characters-free zone. They are typically not really bothered with things put on their body as long as they're comfy and free of obstruction in any way. BUT, shopping for boys in a stylish way can be a bit of a challenge. Girls have more options. Always. But don't be discourage on dressing up your little man. Stylishly. Finally. I want you to meet ..

Little Owl Big Trouble!!

1. J Shoes Orange IDR 275.000.-    2. Gray Vest   3. Trendy Training Pants   4. L/S Shanghai Red Shirt IDR 135.000,-   5. Girl's Skull Tee  6. Sweater w/ patches Green

Well, those are only a few of my personal picks to create the perfect little man outfit. I cheated, I put in one girl's t-shirt there. I can't help it I'm sorry. Aren't they the opposite of those licensed character outfit you wish you didn't have to buy for your kids? (Cars and Angry Bird franchise, I'm looking at you.) I have touched and experience it myself. Big Sis G love their harem training pants. (yes, I make her wear boy's clothes, please don't judge me). Not to mention it's easy on mom's pocket too. They are 100% made in Indonesia, too. 

You can shop Little Owl Big Trouble right here or drop a visit to their Facebook page and share some love. 

If you happened to live in Bandung, Little Owl Big Trouble is available on Bebe Bloom at PVJ mall and The Fabrik, Jl Riau. Isn't their Bebe Bloom stockist the cutest shop? I snapped a few pics while I was there and trust me, the pictures did the real store no justice. Excuse my lame photography skill. For more info about their stockist and products availability you are welcome to contact on twitter or Facebook page. 

Thank you for having me Little Owl! 

California Baby Giveaway!

As promised, welcome to Babalisme's first 2013 giveaway where you can win an SPF 30+ Sunstick from California Baby!!

How does it work? Let's see.. 

• Giveaway starts March 20th at 12:00 am GMT+7.00 – April 5th at 12:00 am GMT+7.00 (Jakarta time)
• It will be announce as late as 3 days after it's closed, please do give me time to verify all entries :)
• Open to everyone worldwide. No matter where you live, I will deliver. Standard postal mail only. 
• Enter using rafflecopter only! If you have any question, email me. 
• You must follow Babalisme through GFC and comment with your favorite CaliforniaBaby product as mandatory entries. There are more optional entries to increase your chance, but they are optional. 
• More entries mean the favor will be more on your odds. If you're so keen on winning keep those entries in!
• You must be at least 18 years to enter. Sorry, teen pals, but you can always ask a permission from your parents :) 
• All entries will be verified, yes, each of them, please don't cheat.

The product here is kindly sponsored by the generous CaliforniaBabyIndonesia. I haven't tried it, it's still freshly sealed from the store. Check all the information listed and the expired date on my picture to know more about the sunstick. I can't assure you that it won't cause you allergies, as I haven't tried it myself. But it's CaliforniaBaby! Do read my review on CaliforniaBaby's other products if you want to know about the company's signature ingredient. 

What you're still reading my babbling?? Get your entries in!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

pssst... if you can't wait to win it and decide to purchase any CaliforniaBaby products here , fret not, I just have the 10% discount code for you. It's LOVE10. Don't tell anyone. 

California Baby Everyday Lotion and Sunscreen Review

It's been ages since my last product reviews, geez, I know, I know, I'm such a lazy lady (hey it rhymes!! err.. somehow...nothing to be excited about.. carry on..)

California Baby Super Sensitive Coller Tote, IDR 540.000,- 

Without further ado, I'd like to present to you my own personal review of the much talk about baby product: CALIFORNIA BABY!! Seriously, I have been using California Baby since my toddler, Big Sis G, 7 months old. Then, I obtain their products through a specialty imported baby boutique, which the boutique itself is a rarity in my area, or I tested my own patience by pre-ordering California Baby from (unauthorized) online baby shops. Yes, the prizes are often marked up as high as the moon. No, I'm just kidding, just as high as our stratosphere.

Good news, fellow Indonesians, since there are too much hassle in shopping directly online through international California Baby's website (Indonesians must know what I'm referring to), California Baby finally has its own authorized representative in Indonesia! *insert cheering and clapping sounds*

Here they are, California Baby Indonesia, all polished and ready to serve you. If you'd want to type the address yourself to your browser, it's http://www.ca-baby.com/ instead of www.californiababy.com. Don't worry, they're highly professional, easily contacted, and willingly ship to all regions in Indonesia. They ship real fast, I got mine in less than two days.  They are currently looking for re-sellers across Indonesia too, so if you're interested *aggravated winking at my local baby boutique and grocery stores*, do contact them!

California Baby Indonesia is so kind to send me not one but two products to be tested, reviewed, and then shared the news with all of you. They are Everyday Lotion in Summer Blend and Super Sensitive SPF18 Sunscreen, both suitable for daily wear. All California Baby products are claimed to be :

Contains organic and sustainably grown ingredients
Non-toxic
Non-comedogenic (yes, mothers of the world, now you can pat the products on your face in peace)
Non-staining
PABA, BPA, PVC, and phthalate free, not only on the stuff inside but on their packaging as well
Only vegetable and plant based ingredients
Non-irritating, non-chemical formula
Hypoallergenic

First up, is The Everyday Lotion : Summer Blend (IDR 156.000,- 6.5 oz.) It's from the same range of the much raved about Calendula Lotion, it's highly hydrating I heard it's used more by mothers (and grandmothers) to fight wrinkles rather than by babies and kids. Did I get your attention now? OK, read on. On site, it's said to work well on summer, (duh, thus the name!), non greasy, quickly absorbed, soothing after a long day in the sun.

This is my first time trying the Summer Blend variant, I bribed  allowed Big Sis G to model and test for me. LOL, seriously, no, I didn't bribe her. She's more enthusiastic than me on this one. Maybe she'll start her own beauty blog as soon as she can type.

These are the picture of the bottle, yes it is conveniently come with its own pump! You can see all the major ingredients here (Aloe vera, lemongrass, cedarwood) and the rest of harder to pronounce ingredients on the back.  

The texture is a but runny, more liquid than usual face cream or average drugstore's body lotion. It's unsurprisingly not chalk-y white, phew, it's good news, since whiter than white product could mean *eep* bleach is in it. It's ivory, more beige white. To my Indonesian nose, a lingering scent I picked up the most is the citronella (it IS listed as one of the ingredients, but it's not the main ones). It's quite strong, so maybe it's the reason it's not suggested to be used on babies under 6 months old (well you may, but be sure you're doing it under professional's supervision). On the other hand, it's another good news. Us, Indonesians must be really familiar with citronella, because yep, we have lots of mosquito here and we have tried everything to prevent them from sucking our blood. And citronella here is proven to be quite good doing so. A hydrating lotion that doubles up as mosquito repellent? Now that's genius. It is also rather nice to soothe already-bitten-ohmygod-it's so-burning-and-itchy skin surface. The down side of this whole citronella thing is, of course, you may not want it to use it on your face. As I said, it's a rather strong menthol-ly scent. I, myself, can not stand to use it near my nose, eyes, and mouth.

Mosquito repellent aside, let's test the hydrating power. Here is a really blatant picture of Big Sis G's right knee. A beauty mark to prove it's the same knee. :) First day of use, you can see there are little white patches of un-holy dryness on her skin. Big Sis G is an active toddler, she often use her knees as substitutes for her actual legs. So, go figure. The "after" picture on the right is taken approximately 7 days after our first try. Not bad, eh? I can actually feel it softer and more supple..the uneven darker area is slightly brightened too! I know what you're thinking, you'd want to get it for yourself, would you? Relax, it's also for "sensitive" adults, if you're not, well, you still can use it.

 

Next up is a Super Sensitive SPF 18 Sunscreen (IDR 270.000,- 4.5 oz. ) It's not loaded with bad-ass SPF number, so maybe you would not want to take this baby (pun intended) to the beach, or any place with high sun exposure if you're not re-applying. Although it's said to retain its effectiveness after 80 minutes of water activities or simply sweating, please use higher SPF for extreme sun exposure (you won't remember to re-apply when you have fun, that is). It's also light weighted enough to use under your makeup. *winking vigorously to mothers reading this. 

                            

As expected, the sunscreen has a more creamier, thick texture. A bit more yellow-ish as well, it looks like a pale foundation. It does smell funny, but milder than the Summer Blend lotion. I'm not sure what is dominant in the sunscreen's scent, but I put my bet on the coconut. It does smells a little like cocoa butter. To my surprise, it took just seconds to absorb to the skin, evenly, smoothly, and weightless!! You know how sun screen always leaves a streak of whites, takes forever to absorb, and felt really heavy on your skin? California Baby's the opposite of all that! But it does leave a glittery white cast upon application, but hey, it's better than average. With a busy, jiggly toddler or a crawling baby, you might want to take sunscreen time as little and as practical as possible. 

Soooo.. what's the verdict? I'll give my 4.5 out of 5 stars for these California Babies. The only downside of these two bottles with built in pumps is they are huuugggeee! Though it makes them sturdy and strong (big sis G has already dropped the lotion twice, and not a single leak in sight) it might add some ounces to your belongings, when you're travelling. If you travel low-fare airlines like me, you'll understand the importance of this. Well, there are travel sized products available on the site, so if you're so keen on travelling light, there are options. Got any itching questions? Try hooking up on California Baby Indonesia's Facebook and/or twitter page.

Don't stay away from the blog now, you might even want to bookmark this page, because I will be having a California Baby giveaway soon!! Which products, you say? That's my lovely secret!! If you want, you can tell me which product you'd most love to win in your comment. Let me read that!   

*** I'm not financially compensated for this post, although I did received samples of the products. All photographs, opinions, and words are my own. The sources of any other photographs and information listed that are not mine are stated. ***