Thinking of getting mum flowers or chocolates this Mother’s Day? Based on the survey we did recently – and the wealth of articles that echo this – 90 per cent of the mums actually asked for me-time, rest or more sleep as their top wish for Mother’s Day. As part of Mummyfique’s Mother’s Day celebrations, we organised a private session for mums at Lab Studios to try their newest Flow & Stretch class.
Co-founder of Mummyfique, Gidania Wong said, “So whether you’re ultra fit, or not fit at all, it doesn’t matter. I think what’s important is the first step to loving yourself, having a little bit of time to thank your body for keeping you in good shape, and keeping you safe and healthy for your family.”
Flow and Stretch Class
The guests were able to try out a new class type at the Duxton Road studio. This class type, Flow and Stretch, is aimed at promoting mental and physical relaxation. It also provides mums with an opportunity to stretch out stiff joints or tired muscles. Available at all their studios, the class will help build strength and improve flexibility, and is good for mindfulness. The first half of the 1h class focused on movement, followed by half an hour of stretching.
The Mums' Reviews:
Sara Ann Shuen Krishnamoorthy, emcee and presenter, initially had reservations about going for the session. She explained, “I was seriously aching from being on my feet and running around for three whole days prior at an event. But once I got there, saw many familiar faces, actually got on the mat and struggled through – it was the best thing I did for myself. It really stretched me out and my aches and pains went away.”
Maggie Dumra, Designer & Director of social conscious resort wear Bae Bee Boo, and also a mum of two girls, added that she enjoyed the yoga and the stretches. She explained, “I have not done yoga for eight months and it’s nice and gentle to re-introduce it back.”
Additionally, Helen Su, mum of three who also teaches barre, shared, “I loved doing yoga with all these mummies. It was great to workout, sweat, and connect with everyone.”
Despite not working out regularly, Cindy Tan (second from left), business owner and mum to Chriselle, enjoyed the class. In her Instagram Stories, she shared that she had a great stretching session, and was “most grateful for the much-needed me time for us mummies.”
About Lab Studios
Lab Studios is currently celebrating its seventh anniversary. Its founders, Jasmine Chong and Betty Kong created a studio to give the community high quality and reasonably priced yoga classes. Starting with Lab Studios in 2016 and Yoga Lab, its first location was along Hong Kong Street. Currently, they have five locations including Holland Village, Duxton Road, Joo Chiat and East Coast. Their classes include Reformer Pilates, barre and yoga, with 10 different class types and more than 200 classes a week.
7th Anniversary Promotions: Get seven credits for $135, which you can use across all locations, and is valid for two months from the date of purchase. Another option is the 77 Credit Pack ($1,203.70), which is shareable and valid for 7 months. Otherwise, on 15 May at 12am, purchase your credit to drop in for the Barre and yoga classes on that day for just $7.
Taking Time for Themselves
Pampering Themselves
We caught up with some of the mums to find out the truth behind this survey. Did they have similar experiences? Overwhelmingly, the mums mainly got their me-time after their children went to bed. For this to be a reality, the children had to sleep by 8.30pm, so mums could get some valuable time with their husbands and also to devote to pampering or exercise. Out of the mums we asked, Kelly Keak and Dahlia Mohd prioritised their skincare. For example, Kelly, founder of mtm labo, said, “I also try to delegate time for facials and masking every night. Besides taking care of her skin and neck, Dahlia also stressed the importance of getting sufficient sleep. She explained, “Sleep is actually very important for your mental health, so I try to prioritise sleep as much as I can. You can’t be the best version of yourself when you’re tired.” Sydney Ho, co-founder of Hub and Spoke Cafe, Time For Thai, Urbans SG and SG Overflow, agreed with this. She said, “I usually try to sleep in, because as moms, we are always deprived of our sleep.”
Along the same lines, Choo Ling Er, a professional athlete who’s finished in the Kona World Championship six times, said, “Taking care of my body is part of being an athlete.” Every week, she goes for sports massages and to the chiropractor. She added, “So that’s when I go to town by myself, and have lunch then do my sports massage once a week. I have a helper, and she’s really good with my baby.”
Working Out
When her kids are asleep, Dahlia exercises. She explained, “Once the kids go to sleep at 8.30pm, I have an hour to do what I want. So usually I’ll go for a run, or cycle in the early morning. I’ll get up before they wake up. I wake up at 4 o’clock, I’ll cycle at 5 o’clock and I’ll be back by 6.30am. So it’s either early morning or late at night.” Likewise, Helen spends her precious me-time working out. She said, “I get about 1hr a day since I workout almost daily.” This helps her feel emotionally, physically and mentally stronger. She added, “I also find it to be a huge stress reliever, which is something I need with three young children.” Helen enjoys a good mix of barre, Pilates reformer, tennis, yoga and Barry’s Bootcamp.
Other mums had yet to commit to an exercise regime. For instance, Maggie has just opened a store and she said, “It’s been so full on. So I have not been exercising for months now. But it’s been always at the back of my mind to kick start something so I’ll probably start soon!” Inspired by the workout session, Angelina Pradana, account manager and digital content creator, said, “Now I want to focus on working out to have a better body.”
Work-Life Scheduling
Ling Er and Kelly make sure their time is properly scheduled. With the assistance of their helpers, they’re able to balance both their work and time with their kids. For example, Ling Er starts training at about 4-5am for three to four hours, and then reaches home as her daughter Kira finishes her breakfast at about 9 – 10am. She then spends time with Kira until her second nap at 3pm. After that, she continues training until 6pm when she comes home to feed her daughter dinner.
In order for Kelly to get a lot of me-time, she said, “I really delegate and plan out the different works for my helpers and all. So I just really spend quality time.” For instance, she tries to get everything done during her 11-month-old daughter’s naptimes. Hence, she works when her daughter takes her 1h morning nap, and her 2h afternoon nap. Kelly also ensures she knows what her kids are eating and trained them to sleep early – her daughter sleeps at 7.30pm. She stressed, “It’s important to make them sleep early so you will be able to have quality time with your husband also.” Having a routine makes it easy for her helpers and daughter to follow and know what to expect.
Ideal Mother's Day
Enjoying Time Alone or With Friends
Mum of two girls, Cordelia Daphne Low, the boss of Anticipating Diva, Little Bear’s House and The Acai Collective said that her perfect Mother’s Day would be to “sleep the entire day”. Similarly, Dahlia would like to wake up late “with the kids out of the house”. After a quiet breakfast on her own, she would take a long shower, then have another nap. She explained, “It’s about taking the three to four hours for yourself, and kind of just enjoy the solitude.” Ideally, she’d also want to spend her time with other mothers to connect with people her age, and exchange experiences and stories. She elaborated, “With other women, you get to connect with who you are as a person.” Whereas with young kids, their energy levels are different, and you’re attending to their needs all the time. Maggie, on the other hands, would like a day devoted to pampering herself, having a facial, massage, hair spa and getting her nails done.
Family Time
Meanwhile, Kelly is looking forward to spending time with the family. She said, “It’s the first Mother’s Day with my daughter.” For the occasion, Kelly’s planning to do a twinning outfit with her. Her plans in the daytime will include spending time with the different generations of mums. After having brunch with her kids, Helen would ideally take a nap and eat snacks in bed alone while watching the latest season of Bridgerton. Similarly, Sydney’s “perfect Mother’s Day would be breakfast in bed and snuggling in bed with my kids enjoying a nice movie.”
Competing in the Ironman 70.3 at Desaru Coast
Unlike the rest, Ling Er will be doing what she loves best – competing in a half Ironman at Desaru Coast on Mother’s Day. She said she’s looking forward to seeing her daughter waiting at the finish line. Since her daughter was born, Ling Er has raced eight races and baby Kira has been there for every one. The well-travelled baby has also been to New Zealand and Langkawi, all before the age of two.
Our Sponsors
Mummyfique also purposefully curated a bag of indulgent offerings to help these mums on their self-care, pampering and fitness journeys. First up, Gym Wear Movement sponsored the outfits that the guests wore during the yoga session. Eugenia Ye-Yeo, founder at Nodspark and co-founder at Cane Art and Haf Box Pte Ltd, and mum of two kids loved the outfits. In her Instagram stories, she shared that she had been searching for “good looking, well-fitted and coordinated gym gear”, but hadn’t gotten down to it. Hence, she said, “I am mighty pleased with these and can’t wait to wear them for my strength exercises.” Angelina Pradana also enthused in her Instagram post, “This gym attire from Gym Wear Movement is so comfortable that I went to buy a few more sets when I reached home!”
Gym Wear Movement
Pamela Siow, director of Gym Wear Movement, said she targets women above 30. These women might not be very fit, but they wear these outfits regularly. She said that while she was looking around, she found that the brands were either expensive or too masculine. Instead, she wanted something trendy and stylish and that she could wear daily.
Mums, too, have similar frustrations, so Pamela and her team “worked to resolve these issues, and we make their lives more convenient”, she said. For instance, their leggings are flattering even for postpartum mums – no unsightly bulges or camel toe. Similarly, their sports bras have moldable cups and clasps at the back so they’re easy to wear. The functional clothes with pockets, are also moisture wicking and convenient (no ironing needed!)
SOVA Silk
To keep their hair away from their faces during the workout, the ladies used SOVA Silk‘s scrunchies. Made of the highest grade (6A) long fiber mulberry silk and 22 momme thickness, this material is naturally hypoallergenic, chemical and irritant free. In particular, the scrunchies do not crease or kink your hair and reduce hair breakage with its smooth texture.
Aside from scrunchies, SOVA also has a line of premium sleep accessories. For instance, the thermoregulating slip dress or pyjamas can keep you cool through the night for deeper, more restful sleep. They’re also luxuriously comfortable and also gentle on your skin. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase can also protect your hair from breakages, while the silk eye mask’s smooth fibres reduce friction on the facial skin, so you won’t get sleep wrinkles. Of all the fabulous treats, Sara said her favourites were “the SOVA scrunchie and the mtm labo products…Sova is amazing!”
Kombucha Works
Thirsty after working out, the ladies reached for the cold, refreshing kombucha from Kombucha Works. In 2018, the founder Katherine Sng, decided to brew kombucha for her family, and personally discovered and witnessed its positive effects. Hence, she decided to start Kombucha Works to share her passion with others. One of the flavours the ladies could choose from was pandan and lemongrass. Pandan is a rich source of beta carotene, essential for eye health and the immune system. In Ayurvedic medicine, it can treat constipation, cold or flu-like symptoms. Similarly, lemongrass contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Tablescape
After the workout, the mums dined on lovely afternoon tea sets from Tablescape. This Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Set ($88++ for dine in, $88 nett for takeaway and delivery) is available from 5 to 21 May. Some exclusive items in this menu include the Lychee Éclair, with a lychee-infused cream. The airy pastry is glazed with dark chocolate, then adorned with mini sugar flowers. Meanwhile, the Black Forest in a Pot showcases two garden-inspired treats with red velvet sponge and rum-marinated cherries. These are housed in dark chocolate and pink milk chocolate ‘pots’. Sara shared, “I liked the green popiah with chicken mayo. Really delish!”
mtm labo
Kelly believes that your skin is unique to you. Hence, mtm labo has been following their core value of custom-blended skincare. In a 2022 interview with Mummyfique, Kelly explained, “A devoted team of experts undergo years of rigorous research and development to produce blends that work well on Asian skin”. The multi-faceted brand offers made-to-measure products so customers can realise their true beauty.
How does this work? After choosing the product you’re interested in, request a consultation or choose from a range of skin concerns. For example, when buying the custom-blended 3D collamoist eye cream, you can choose from two skin concerns. These include sensitive skin, loss of elasticity and eye bags. From here, you can select the functions of the extract that you’d like to add to your product. Some suggestions include targeting dark circles caused by too much screen time, or enhancing collagen production and skin elasticity. Otherwise, you can also choose to get the formulation as is. Cindy said, “Thank you for pampering us with personalised skincare and such a good treat (high tea) after a good stretch!”
Mei Beauty Bird Nest
Another sponsor was Mei Beauty Bird Nest. The 100 per cent pure and natural bird nest is cleaned manually by hand, and sustainably harvested. What this means is that the house nests are harvested under safe and controlled conditions. Thus, this ensures that both the swiftlets and farmers are protected. Available only in small batches, every order is vacuum sealed to ensure freshness. Some of the health benefits include rejuvenating your skin, promoting and maintain healthy lungs, while also providing collagen and protein.
Mother’s Day Roundup: Pamper Mum, Take Mum Out, Easy Ways to Spend Mother’s Day and Skin Inc x Mummyfique Celebrations
