PS I Love You Photography

Feature - Newborn Photographer

Anyone out there love love newborns??

I bet with a million dollars that I am NOT the only one!!! 

Today, I will share with you my behind the scenes with one of Singapore's trending newborn photographer, Patricia Seng. She runs her independent business P S I LOVE YOU photography and is the studio is based her new spanking awesome townhouse. I will show you around her working space which has been thoughtfully thought out!!! It just amazing to have both studio and outdoor, natural lighting options for your photo shoot. 

I got to know Pat 5 years ago while we were both pregnant and chatting in a mummies-to-be forum. We were staying in the same estate and started hanging around for the children's playdates. She was a very hands-on mummy who makes her own flash cards (like ALOT) and always have the most toys in the house.  Pat was always the appointed ad hoc photographer and the talent was obvious. Her child always had the nicest props for his photos and eventually he had the nicest album *envy. It was at that time she left her career to embark on her interest and that was photography. She started her studio at home and many of us started to be her supportive models. 

Today, lets go behind the scene on how a newborn shoot is done. 

PS I Love You is a home based and the environment is just so comfortable for parents especially with post-partumn mummies who gave birth just 1 week ago. The studio is located in the basement, there is a play area for the crazy toddlers to spend their energy while the parents get cosy. Patricia has a abundance of toys for the children to chose from, there is even a train set up. ball pit, cooking area!

A sneak preview of Pat's studio.

The Process: 

Pat has a area where the parents get to chose their selected theme from her array of collection, which I think is really apt.  I really admire her creativity and her professionalism by sourcing out new props from overseas constantly! While some photographers tend to use their classic signature looks, be charmed by the studio's collection. I guess this has to do with the photographer tenacity to love change. 

One of pat's 3 computer screens

Preferred looks are swiped across 3 screens (always amazed by how this works heheh ) and this screen displays their collection

The Studio Shoot

The photo shoots starts! The baby didn't have to be transferred anywhere the whole 15 mins while he was settling in the arms of his nanny (bring if you have 1).  The main star gets his shoots 1st before he gets cranky for a feed and so do time your milk well when you have your shoot!  While the baby stays nicely nestled in his "crib", next comes family portrait which took 15 mins because they took a while to try to get his brother to get a brotherly shoot. After about 45 mins upon arriving to the studio the baby has started to get cranky and it was time for a change and feed. 

During that time, Pat gets ready for the next change or changes... the baby gets his portfolio done the minute he snoozes. At this point, baby got cranky (can't blame right? hahhaha) but with Pat's patience, she spent so much time pacifying and coaxing him to sleep before she proceeds. Now, have I mention she is a mother of soon to be 3?? You can be sure your baby will be in safe, protective arms.

Baby cleverly posing for the camera

Baby being coax to sleep and he was pampered by the touches of the photographer

The Outdoor Shoot

We spent about 1h 15 mins in the studio - includes choosing of themes, baby change and milk. Next, we were brought to the house rooftop for an outdoor shoot! It's so nice to be able to have a variety of shoot in 1 studio isn't it!!!!! What better place then to get it just upstairs? Natural lighting photos are always so beautiful in my opinion but most of us chose to do studio just because its cooler. The rooftop studio didn't get any direct sun which was great for the baby, maybe because it was about 5pm already. So timing is important for beautiful shoots too isn't it. 

Beside the rooftop outdoor studio, PS I love U has a pool studio too!!!!! That theme was soooooooo cute. 

Add caption

The whole shoot took about 2 hours in the comfort of the photographer house. I love how comfortable the whole process was. Just thinking how wounded some of mummies are after birth and it always nice to be hanging around in a home when the baby gets a celebrity photoshoot!!

Here are some beautiful photos of the studio

{Photo Credit: PS I Love You Photography} 

{Photo Credit: PS I Love You Photography}

{Photo Credit : PS I Love You}

You can contact Patricia here at the following links and do click to see her updated photos in her Facebook!

Email: info@psiloveyouphotography.com
Website: http://www.psiloveyouphotography.com

FACEBOOK Page: http://www.facebook.com/Psiloveyouphotography

Pilates Fitness

I stopped breast-feeding and decided its time to get my body back!

This child bearing has taken its toll on the body and not only I feel fatter, I feel SHORTER too! So much for the fat body slouching :( I miss my perkiness in the boobs, bum, arms .. gravity is definitely working.

Spent some thoughts and decided to do some Pilates, mainly because it can help me in my posture and tone my core muscles. Gym is a flop for me coz I think running isn't my forte, or using those complicated machines. Signing a chi chi gym memberships is daunting just because most people there are just too beautiful and have too much competition. Yoga is a good and did it after I had V, but this round I thought, lets do something different.

I read up a little on Pilates and found one that can help with weight loss! Like okie.. why not right? Better do something to bring down the numbers, its crappy that I feel smaller but WHY AM I STILL HEAVY? People tell me its the density of the bone and it gets heavier with age, WELL,  I'm very sure they are in denial too! Seriously.. zzzzz

I saw this on their website http://www.pilatesfitness.com.sg

"We created a unique Pilates routine utilizing Pilates exercises that burn more calories in one hour. Pilates for Weight Loss^TM Class  is suitable for people who want to promote fast weight loss and those who prefer high intensity workout; including males who may find standard Pilates classes too “slow”.

SO DAMN APT FOR ME!!!

My experience:

Day 1: The 1st class was an introductory class. Totally didn't understand what the instructor was trying to explain to me. Like in yoga they have many terms which I disregarded it. Well, it wasn't going to make me a genius remembering them right? This place has a reformer which is a machine that helps stretches the body. Pretty cool this thing, I mean I GET TO LIE DOWN N EXERCISE! What can go wrong with this right????

I spent the 30 mins figuring out the springs, pulley system. I think the have nice terms but I didn't catch it. It was like okie I can do this!!

Actual Class:

I was in the middle of 2 other pilate-ist, Eh should be called that. Yoga is yogist right? Okie I just google and no such word *rolls eyes. Anyway... people. *word!

The one on my right seems like a expert, the one on my left seems new but more senior than me - I think.

So the class starts and what I thought of "lying down and exercising" is cool right? Wa... wrong!!!! It stretches my body in ways not known to me. I felt pulls from everywhere and it didn't help that my machine was making too much "CLINGS AND CLANGS" I think I got eye balled by the expert on my right. Let me digress a bit, she had eyes like a bridezilla. Like Omg ...  every.stretch.was.to.fit.into.that.wedding.gown.eyes. 

You know those type? Ya she was...  I got scared.

So anyway, I was way too noisy. I couldn't control that machine. Pilates is about controlling .. and I CANNOT. Don't let me get started on my quivering legs and arms. My legs are pretty much useless I realised. I got lost in the breathing aspect of it. Inhale or exhale?? Now which one opens the diaphragm ??  and I ended the class with chest pains, aching everywhere.

I just think I am not cut out for sports, its just a 2 left feet thing. While everyone can look stylish in sportswear, I always just don't feel it much. Doesn't matter what brand, though I know some promised that you can fly with theirs hahhaah! Oh well, I gotta be positive with this. I  know I will get it!!! Co-ordination + breathing + looking stylo + looking hawt. IS.SO.DETERMINE.TO.DO.30 days.. let see where this will bring me!

I feel taller .. trust me

Pilates Fitness has kindly offered this to YOU!

We are giving away 1 FREE PILATES CLASS (worth $54)  

All you have to do is follow this 2 easy steps:

1) 'Like' their Facebook Page 

2) 'Like' Flomummy if you haven't la!

3) Quote "FloMummy" when they call  at +65 9184 7622 or email at enquiry@pilatesfitness.com.sg to book a slot.

T&C:
- Only valid for first time customers

- Class consists of 30 min reformer intro + 55 min Weight Loss OR Core & Body Aches class only

- This promotion will be valid till 21st December 2013.

Disclosure: Flomummy would like to thank Pilates Fitness for their offer on attending the classes. No monetary compensation was given and all opinions are purely mine. 

To Cane or not?

That has to be the most common form of punishment of training tools.

Many times I have come across mummies telling me how they execute their training by squishing that cane. It was at that many times I wondered if I made the right choice by NOT using it. Positive reinforcement using praise and sandwiching praise is one of the longest process in the parenting world.

5 Years ago (close) I made that decision not to hit, whack, cane my children. If you ask me if it was easy? I would say nope.. it has to be my hardest. It is way more hard when V was at 2 years and my in laws bought their 1st cane to cane my child.  It was my MIL way of disciplining ... apparently. She took it to "scare" my child ~ So they always say. I saw it and hit the roof! Like literally. I was almost close to being berserk to see how can anyone decide how to discipline my child. The mayhem I caused and the sarcasm that came out of my scorpio's mouth was ruthless. Well, they got the hint and eventually it (the cane) went missing.

I cringe at the thought of the cane. It was my form of punishment when I was young. I went to school with scars across my legs and arms. I HATED it. It was in the parents opinion.. re-educating me. But in the midst of re-educating it scarred my self esteem. I never understood why the need to re-educate when they were the ones who - well, educated me? Why must it be me and not them that needs re-educating? A child before reaching self independence has only their parents' love and warmth. Whatever the child knows come from them . So why the need to whack?

I never understood. NEVER.

When my MIL had that cane and hit the sofa, claiming to train my child. I stood and freeze. Before I went berserk, I asked why the need of that action? Something about the child not listening. Now, the child can barely understand a proper conversation and she is supposed to understand your instructions? Come on! It always starts with a hit on the diaper, slightly on the sofa, then the legs of the table then one fine day, that cane swooshes across the leg of the child. When that happens, the child cries and then what? The person that was using the cane will cry and apologise. Then seriously why bother to even start on it? Don't let me start on those days when the parents are in a bad mood and the child ends up with 3 on the legs and 3 across the arms. Victorious? I am not so much into such trophies. *flashback 30 years

I am not saying I am any good when it comes to parenting. But I hardly lose my cool mainly because its easier to control MY emotions then my young child's emotions. I am the one doing time out instead of the child.  Yes, I raise my voice coz V tries her luck at times. Like insisting on doing something that minute- like colouring a picture we are to leave the house when she has been up the last 2 hours sitting in front of the TV. Stuffs that I find so silly, but the child just love to press that button don't they?

I have caught V hitting her sister a few times. She gets irritated and her initial reaction was to hit her sister. I swear I TOTALLY understand how that feels. I am sure there are people in this house who have hit her without me seeing it just because they know I am so anal about it. But in the midst of Baby Kate being hit and V getting upset, I seem to be the only person who can look her in the eyes and say "I don't remember ever doing this to you, may I suggest that you should never do that. Just because I don't "Interestingly, V has started being aware of her actions and I have seen her practising self control.

The Smart Local Listing

FloMummy got a new listing at the http://www.thesmartlocal.com! Its a website that has reviews about everything that is trending in Singapore!  Its actually amazing that my humble blog has a global ranking.. yes GLOBAL ranking. Like wow right?

It was definitely my 1st collaboration with a local website!I have started using The Smart Local since that faithful email came to request for me to join them in their website. You can read about the top bloggers, restaurant reviews, best buffets, best nightlife even baking classes that are ongoing! I use it most for FOOD!!

So instead of googling and getting lost with all the informations, just drop by and use their guide! Oh at the same time drop by my listing http://www.thesmartlocal.com/sg/bloggers/7133-flo-mummy and help write a review! Thanks all!!

Studio Play - 1 year old shoot

We did Baby Kate 1 year old photo shoot 2 weeks ago and I collected it yesterday! Like our every photo shoot practice, I don't succumb to buying the whole lot. But when I was in the studio and viewing the photos, I  absolutely cannot make up my mind! She looked good in almost every single one! 

We have 1 photo of us n V when she was one years old hanging on our wall. It was pretty hilarious coz V never accepts that that was she in the photo. You can view the 5 photos we chose here: Sean Lau. Just that day, my gf was just telling me that her kiddos have started fighting for attention in terms of photos, birthday parties - like they will compare who has more not. It sort of reminded me when I was younger and how as a 2nd born, I felt I had lesser than. You know how we wear hand me down and play hand me downs? Yea had that all... 

Told Trev about it and he agreed about being fair to the both. Decided that we will do a exact photo and hang it on the wall. We had our family shot done with Natsuki photograph which was enough to last till 2 years or so. 

So we chose back Sean which now rebranded as Studio Play. In fact the voucher was bought when I was expecting when we were at one of the parenting expo. Sean's wife called out us and was like "your girl, Victoria Eden right?" I remember her! Like seriously, she has the sales man memory... I mean 4 years ago u know, she can remember my daughter's FULL name! Of course, we had to buy a package from her... just because she remembered V's name !! hahha

So here are some photos to share. We had to get one the same as V, just because this is my personal favourite signature look.

Kate Lauren

Victoria Eden 

These are just a few of the 155 photos I have in my dvd!

This time round, we brought her nanny and she was just so good in making her laugh!! Besides that, Kate was so easy to handle for she will walk over to her new set up when ever she is changed! There was no need of coaxing her coz she was just soooo ready to be in the photos. The studio was really nicely set up and the aircon did get slightly too cold for us which is why we took some time to feed her some porridge to warm her up.  Other than that, the props selection have increased and we had so much fun taking these photos, The assigned photographer was really quick and always was ready to play with her! 

I love these set of photos so much coz this baby just loves to smile!  Just feel that children completes me so much... and watching them grow up is a blessing!!