I've heard colleagues talking about it way before I got married.
And once I found out I was expecting, most advice from friends were
"Buy the big-ticket items at the Taka Baby fair. They've got pretty good deals. And freebies."
It's like the go-to fair.
The Takashimaya Baby Fair* (Jul) is currently ongoing (24 Jul - 11 Aug).
Being people who can't deal with crowds (I will feel sick, literally), we decided to hit the fair on the very first day, at 10am when it starts.
There was practically no crowd at 10 in the morning so it was a lot easier for
There were 4 "must-buys" on my list : cot bed, car seat, breast pumps, steriliser.
The big-ticket items.
I managed to see how the breast pumps work and find out more about the cot we were interested in getting while the hubby went on to search for car seats. This is the first time in 13 years we walked separately while shopping.
We came home with these.
So we bought...
Baby cot bed: Bon bebe Vermont 4-in-1 (White), $419
There were 3 packages available. We took the cheapest one which included
- a 3" fibrelux (coconut husk) mattress
- 5 piece bedding set (full bumper, fitted sheet, 2 bolsters, 1 pillow)
and freebies like the
- Munchkin diaper change organiser
- Munchkin diaper change kit
The $469 package comes with a plushier bedding set (half bumper) and the above-mentioned freebies.
The $519 package comes with a 12 pc bedding set with removable covers, the above freebies and an additional freebie of a nightlight.
Packages for the cots in natural colour all cost $20 less.
We went ahead with the most basic bedding because I thought I might want to splurge a little on another set of bedding for Baby. Can't possibly have only one! :)
They had some purchase-with-purchase options. The baby mobile at $39 (usual $59) was really attractive. It took quite a bit of self-control to stop myself from buying that on impulse.
I haven't quite figured out the purpose of a baby mobile yet. After all, we grew up without one!
Breast pump: Ameda Lactaline Personal, $420
I managed to get the demo on the breast pumps at both the Philips Avent booth and the Ameda booth. I was still pretty sold on the Philips Avent Double Electric Pump ($550 bundle) because of the 'oh-so-soft' petal cushion. I decided on the Ameda because it is cheaper, and so much quieter.
The $399 bundle comes with a manual attachment (for manual pumping) and 3 Gumdrop milk bottles (which I don't really fancy).
I later remembered that Isetan had an almost similar bundle to the one I bought for $399.
Steriliser: Philips Avent 3-in-1 steriliser bundle, $135
- the 3-in-1 steriliser
- one 4-oz Natural bottle
- one 9-oz Natural bottle
- bottle brush
They have another bundle that come with the Single electric pump going for $388. Really attractive bundle but I have been advised by many to get a double electric breast pump.
Again, I recall a seemingly better deal at Isetan's baby fair. I think that bundle ($199) consists of the above items, bottle warmer and a cute Moo Moo Kow diaper (in cow print!!).
But, then again, let's not splurge on items we do not really need. Especially when a friend offered to lend me her bottle warmer. (Bye, cute cow print...)
Laundry Detergent: Pigeon, $6.90
Wash cloth: Alex, $4.90
The other little things...
We were short of a couple of dollars to hit $600 for the freebie so we bought these as well, since we will need them anyway.
Nail clipper: Safety First, $6.32
Brush and comb: The First Years, $5.52
Nappy Changing mat (not in picture): Pigeon printed nappy changing mat, $18.50
and the impulse buy of the day: Pink cap and bootie set, $4.90
And we got more freebies!
With purchase of $350,
the Little Tikes 'Tap-a-Tune Xylophone' (pillows not included)
We didn't quite know how the fair works. The breast pump was our first purchase so we naturally went to pay for it first (so that we can collect out product). We later had that receipt that allowed us to collect this freebie.
I love xylophones so this was really one of the best thing we brought home yesterday.
And because we so happened to be the first 50 customers to spend $50, we received this goodie bag too!
With purchases of $600 (max 3 same-day receipt), this is the freebie
Also with $30 spent, we could redeem a Mustela travel set at the cashier on the 4th level (Baby section).
We had two separate receipts so, were given two sets.
Good for Baby to try out various products so that I know what suits her skin / what she likes.
I like getting freebies like this. It's like shopping for comestics and facial products in Korea. :)
And for the first time, we took part in lucky draws.
Both of us had never had luck in lucky draws so we hope Baby can bring us some luck. :)
It's still not exactly crowded but I know I wont be able to handle this.
I'm glad we were done by 12.30pm.
We went home $1000+ less rich, arms full of bags, and legs that were about to give way.
But quoting the hubby,
"As long as Baby is happy, everything is worth it." :)
*Motherhood has opened my eyes to many fairs and sales.
I learnt that there are two Takashimaya Baby Fairs each year. One in March, the other in July. Because I had nothing better to do, I noticed that the Baby Fair in July usually starts on a Wednesday. At least it has been so for the past few years. I took special notice because fairs and sales at the Singapore Expo usually start on a Thursday.
Other than the go-to Taka Baby Fair, a dear friend also recommended that I should go to baby fairs organised by magazines and/or TV stations "because they are more worth going than other smaller fairs." There's the Motherhood Exhibition (usually in May) and the Parenthood Fair (usually in November).
** Car seat update: We figured it's probably not worth getting a brand new infant car seat (that probably lasts less than a year) especially if we don't go out so often. We contemplated getting a second-hand one but a dear friend offered to lend us hers.
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