More and more mummies are starting to use the traditional Korean "yo" mattresses for their babies and toddlers. We used to have them in only the Pororo design but check this Strawberry Shortcake set in the sweetish pink! It is a dream come true for your little princess or even for yourself!
BUY NOW | TheKoreanBaby.com |$299.90
Empire Rocker by Nurseryworks @ Gilt NOW!
I wish I'd known that a cute rocker like this existed. Sometime last year, after many (six) months of resisting, we finally purchased one of those ugly generic rockers from Babies R Us. There really wasn't much of a choice at that point. I'd been breastfeeding exclusively up until that point on my couch with pillows propped under my back, sides, arms... but after months of this, I developed severe backaches and tendonitis in my wrists and thumbs (very commonly known to breastfeeding mothers as the "mother's wrist" or "mommy's thumb"). Wish this was an option to us at that point! It sure is much better looking than the alternative!
Written by: Jenny Park Kim
This week's Freebie Friday Preview:
Description:
Winner will receive this charming, handmade & handpainted ceramic
dish, with your choice of boy or girl theme, personalized with the
baby's name and birth date.
These lovely custom pottery dishes are the perfect keepsakes for the new mommies!
Can be used purely for decoration, but serves as a wonderful little
trinket holder. Food and dishwasher safe. (approximately 4" square)
If you are planning on a mattress set, this Pororo "yo" set will make a perfect choice. Suitable from newborn to adult (single size), it consists of a Mokhwa som (high quality cotton filled) mattress, a comforter and a long pillow. Mokhwa som mattresses are fluffy, cushiony and comfortable. Most of all, they go a long way and do not sink in the middle. Choose from Green, Yellow, Pink or Blue.
BUY NOW |TheKoreanBaby.com|$179.90
Since old days and even until today, the lifestyle in Korea is very much "floor based". Most of the time, we sit on the floor for meals, kids do their homework on small study tables on the floor. When we go to a "shik-dang" (restaurant), there are table and floor seats to choose from and floor seats are actually considered more comfortable because you can cross your legs anyway you like. When it comes to bed time, most people sleep on the floor too.
"Don't you feel weird without a bed", is what I've always been asked by non Korean friends who visit my home. The answer is no but when I first came to Korea, it was YES, indeed so weird. Our first house after we got married was very small and definitely no space for a bed. I was really disappointed to "get married without a bed" and having to make the mattress and stow away every morning when I wake up was really a chore. My body ached in the first few months of the mattress lifestyle.
I remember before I had my first baby, I told my husband who is 100% Korean born and raised in Korea that I had to buy a baby cot because I cannot allow baby to sleep on the floor which is so dangerous. He came from a poor family and they never had a baby cot so to him, baby sleeping on the floor was the norm. Due to space constraints, we ended up sleeping on the floor on the same "yo" (mattress) from newborn days until today with 2 children. We have since added 2 more mattresses.
One of the main reasons for sleeping on the floor is because the floor is heated. Korean homes do not have any fireplace or air-con type of heater because there is a boiler system that runs underneath the floor. It runs on gas and the water in the pipes built under will boil and cause the floor to slowly heat up. You can choose the level of heat as well. We all know hot air rises so the hot air from the floor will just make the whole house warm. I really love this system because whether you are in the bedroom or living room, it is warm in every part of the house. Another reason for the no bed culture is probably space constraint. In general, the houses here in Korea are small so many people do away with the beds altogether. Of course people who live in bigger houses do have beds in their bedrooms because a big room without a bed would look equally funny.
I have tried sleeping on a bed in my mother in law's house during the winter. It was a single bed and having been without a bed for so many years, I "snatched" the bed but the moment I got in it, I jumped and insisted on changing with my husband who was so cozy on the floor! I must have been spoiled to sleep on a warm cozy "yo" in the cold winter.
I like to put my babies on the floor too. Somehow I feel it is safer and more comfortable for the baby because he/she can roll all over the place without any restrictions. Now I tend to encourage every new mother to "put baby on the floor and don't get a baby cot!". Unfortunately the no bed culture here doesn't apply to other countries so of course nobody is listening to me.
There are many different types of bedding set. For babies, junior, adults, wedding, summer, winter, etc. If you are planning to get a Korean bedding set, please be sure to take note of the kind of filling inside the mattress. There are some cheaper versions which are polyester filled. The polyester fibers are so weak that they sink in not even after 1 month. That will end up being so bad for your back and there is no way to puff up the mattress again. When we buy a mattress here, we always look for cotton filled (mok-hwa som). "Mok-hwa" is the Korean name for the cotton plant while "som" means filling. After some time, when your mattress becomes flat, you can even bring it to the mattress store for them to puff it up and it becomes new again. Or you can even make 2 baby mattresses out of your adult cotton filled mattress. There is almost no ending to your "yo"!!
Article By: Jen Soo of The Korean Baby
Learn Korean/Hangul the fun way with this Pororo puzzle foam mat. It comes in 12 individual pieces. On its own, each piece measures 32 cm x 32 cm and 10 mm in thickness. After fixing, it becomes a big playmat and measures 94 cm x 124 cm. How innovative!
BUY NOW |TheKoreanBaby.com|$39.90
Are you preparing a nursery room?
{left to right, top to bottom: bamboo mobile tree friends, organic baby soap, seed organic cradle, oeuf classic crib (changing table separate), giraffe sconce by jonathan adler, sleep sheep by bcloud, sleepy time the rocker - rocking chair, arlington eiffel bookcase}
short introduction: I'm excited to be joining kokoliving and share with you my favorite things. I'm also excited to be a mom in several months. To learn more about me click on my name below. To learn more about what I do click RSVP. If you have any topics you're interested in please feel free to contact me directly here.
by Janet K., RSVP Press
Jennifer Kim is due to deliver her very first son and child, Jonah any day now. At 39 weeks pregnant, she sent me photos of his nursery. She has graciously shared, with us, the first look through her eyes. Jennifer is the photographer behind the lens of Jennifer Kim Photography on the east coast.
With her love for monkeys of course her baby shower was monkey themed. So she says half of the outfits put away in the closet are Paul Frank - like the blue football player Julius onesie hanging out - which might be Jonah's coming home outfit. Besides a few things monkey carefully placed around the nursery, Jennifer went with Pottery Barn Kids' 'Sweet Lamb' theme.
Mentioning the closet, she says, "I didn't want to get an additional dresser, so we decided to redesign his closet with the elfa closet system from container store (better use of space in the closet). We also replaced the door with the curtains so that we can put a stereo system in one of the shelves. I found a 20% container store online and also during the time we purchased the system, container store was having a special - buy $100 gift card and receive additional $25! I was so proud I found extra savings." Thanks for the tip Jennifer!
Hopefully she'll send us some adorable photos of baby Jonah and herself - the first days?! I know I can't wait to see him in his Paul Frank onesies. Till then, have a safe labor and a happy first meeting between mother and child Jennifer!
As to her photo session, she says they are ... "Carefree, fun, and casual! This describes the type of photography reflected in my personal style. I always recommend “dressing down” for my photo session as this portrays children as themselves and the innocence of infants to shine through. I love capturing raw emotion and precious moments using natural light to showcase each child’s special developing personality. My passion is to provide each clientele with unique and modern imagery that will be timeless throughout the years. Providing the highest quality prints and products are a guarantee."
Visit her blog and website to see her beautiful pictures and stories.
Website | www.jenniferkimphotography.com
Blog | www.jenniferkimphotography.com/blog
Email | [email protected]
