Are you ready for our July Bean Of The Month - Samatha Jean?! An adventurer at heart with eyes full of wonder! Those innocent eyes are impossible to resist! Having grown up with our milestone blanket, this little bean is now 14 months old! 

Thanks to Mummy Suzi (@makaiju) for sharing her motherhood tips and recommendations on some of the best baby-friendly places to visit in San Jose, California. Read on to learn more about this lovely family! 

TWB: Where are you from and can you tell us a little bit more about your family?  

@makaiju: We're a multi-racial family from San Jose, California that loves books, museums and cartoons.We love to travel, and now that the under-5 vaccine is available in the US we're looking forward to taking Samantha on more adventures around the Bay Area and beyond.

TWB: What is your favourite product from The Wee Bean and why?

@makaiju: We loved the You Make My Heart Go Boba Boba milestone blanket! It was the perfect background for watching Samantha's growth over her first year. It's astonishing how different she looked from month to month! It also inspired folks to buy her boba-themed toys, so she's accumulated several plush boba. Her favorite is still the boba rattle she received with the blanket.

TWB: What are your must-have items that you would recommend for first time moms?

@makaiju: Get the biggest playpen your space will allow! We were lucky enough to have room for one large enough that my husband can lie down in, and some of our best bonding time as a family has been together in Samantha's space helping her with tummy time, reading stories, and teaching her letters and colors with her toys.

@makaiju: In San Jose we have a charming little zoo/children's park called Happy Hollow, and we love to take Samantha there to watch the red pandas and wallabies. They also have small carousels and theme park rides, and a big grassy area she can run around in.

For shopping, there is a wonderful children's bookstore calledHicklebee's that we visit regularly to keep Samantha stocked with books. Before the pandemic, they hosted authors and had children's activities, and they've started bringing those back.

TWB: After a long day, what’s your favourite way to unwind?

@makaiju: I like to settle in with a novel and a mug of cocoa and read.

TWB: Your best tip/advice on motherhood?

@makaiju: Children love to explore and will surprise you with what they can do! Give them the opportunity to show you, but remember that every kid grows at a different rate.Be mindful of your child's development goals, but don't overthink it. Don't worry about how fast other children are reaching their goals, just help your little bean do the best at the milestones she's working on today.  

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*Bean of the Month Series* - Every month, we select a baby to feature as our Bean of the Month and this special little Bean will receive a prize of HK$50 off their next purchase.