Trying To Regain My Youthful Look

When it comes to my DH and me, there are no surprises opening Christmas gifts. I know he would rather some techy gadget and I'm no good in buying those stuff. So he selects what he wants and I wrap it. This year, his Christmas gift was a wireless mouse. Likewise, I tell him what I want so we don't waste money on "unwanted" stuff. I usually don't indulge on beauty products but a once-a-year-purchase is okay. So, this year we got me a "Cellular Youth Creator". Let's see in a few weeks time if I am looking more youthful. Hahahah.

You know, when I was playing golf, I never did bother much about skin care. Of course, that was a big mistake. If you have children, I hope you make an effort to teach them about proper skin care e.g. applying sunblock, how to wash properly, foods that nourish the skin etc.... Especially during the teenage years when they are prone to pimples and acne. Don't be like me, wait until I get closer to the "wrinkly age" and then try to "regenerate" my youth :)

Mamas Skincare Tip:

• When out shopping for a cream, make sure you read what ingredients are being used. Don't just get caught up by hyped-up advertising. Do a little research on skin care product reviews. This product I bought has Hyaluronic acid which is a needed ingredient to fight sagging and wrinkles. Other ingredients to look out for are Acetyl Hexapeptide-3 (Argireline), Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3 (Matrixyl) and Retinol.

So, mind to share some of your beauty secrets?

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There's a bunch of other stuff too. Not sure what you can do with PLR, go on over to: 5 Ways to Use Private Label Rights Articles and Content

Mom PLR Ebooks is a great resource if you want to sell E-books to moms.

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Chicken in Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Christmas eve dinner was simple but yummy. We are not big fans of turkey, so chicken it is. (Save a bit of money too coz' Turkey is so very, very expensive here). In my household, the drumstick is the most valuable and most sort after part of the chicken. It usually ends up on my daughters plate (an example of a parent's sacrifice). Since Christmas dinner is about having a good treat, everyone gets a drumstick. Even better, a whole leg!

This "Chicken in Mushroom Sauce" recipe is by my friend Joyce. Had some at her home one day and my whole family loved it. Actually, I don't really know what the dish is called, so I just made the name up. Hehehe. But basically, that's what it is -- Chicken in mushroom sauce. We ate it with rice but I bet it would be great with mash potatoes too.

Okay, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• Chicken whole leg
• Light soy sauce
• Pepper
• 1 can Campbell Mushroom soup
• 1/2 can evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  

How to cook it?

• Marinate the whole leg in soy sauce and pepper
• Later, brown it on a pan (like the picture above)
• In a pot, make your sauce. Pour out the contents of your mushroom soup and add 1 can of water (as instructed on the Campbell soup can). Stir until all is nicely dissolved and no lumps. Add in 1/2 can evaporated milk and 2 tbsp of mayonnaise.
• In a baking dish, put your browned chicken whole leg and pour the sauce on top.
• Pop it into the oven to bake. I baked mine at 200 degrees celcius for about 30 minutes. My oven is small, so stuff usually cooks faster. But I would say 30 - 45 minutes is a good time. Afterall, your chicken will be half cooked already because you browned it first.
  
• If you have lots of chicken and need more gravy, just double up on the sauce ingredients.
  

Of course we had to have vegetables too to balance out the meal. So I made a mix of brocolli, cauliflower, carrots and prawns stir fry.

How I cooked it?

• Saute garlic in butter
• Add in the prawns. When prawns are cooked, remove them. You don't want to overcook them with the veges.
• Again saute garlic in butter.
• Add in the brocolli, cauliflower and carrots. Stir fry a bit.
• Pour in a little water. Close the wok with a lid and let the vegetables steam.
  
• As the vegetables are pretty much cooked, add in a little chicken stock powder (if not just salt to taste).
  
• Put in your cooked prawns and stir fry it around a bit.
• Dish out and enjoy.
  

Merry Christmas Everyone

I haven't been doing much scraps lately. So, here's one for Christmas. You won't believe how many times I had to snap and still couldn't get a picture that I was pleased with. First one wouldn't smile, then another smiled funny, then one would look somewhere else, then the other one looked somewhere else, one couldn't keep still, then they would block their face with their hands etc.... Seeing that it was a Christmas picture, I had to TRY to keep a happy spirit.

Anyway, I'm thankful for digital cameras coz' I can just snap and delete as I like. Hehehehe. Merry Christmas everyone! I know, the greeting comes a bit late but then, there's 12 days of Christmas right?

Mamas' Christmas Tip

• Sing Christmas hymns and Christmas songs with your children to invite the spirit of Christmas to your home.
• Here's a simple Christmas game. It's like "pin the nose on the donkey" except it's "stick the balls on the Christmas tree." (Refer to the picture below). You draw several circles on the Christmas tree, so there's not just one target. You can designate different prize or candy for each circle. I used blue-tack to stick the circles onto the paper. Remember to blind fold the players. Simple even for little children to play.
  

Simple Christmas Cookie Recipes

I made Christmas cookies this year. The last time I made cookies was in 1995. I still have my post about that titled: Rookies at Christmas Cookies. Anyway, my daughter said she wanted to make some this year. KokoD also said he wanted to do, and so I said okay. I warned my two kids that they mustn't run off half way and leave mommy to finish everything. Well, they didn't run off half-way. They ran off 1/4 way. Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses came on tv and I guess that was more interesting.

Anyway, if you want to try your hand at making Christmas cookies, here are 2 recipes for you. Before you start, here are a few baking tips:

1. When you roll out the dough to cut into the different shapes, make sure it is not too thick. I would say about 2mm thick is okay. The thinner it is, the crunchier. Plus. it'll cook faster too.
2. Don't have to mix the ingredients too long. I remember the baking workshop I went to, they said over-mixing will allow gluten to form (like bread dough). You don't want chewy cookies.
3. Don't have to wait until the cookies are brown before taking them out of the oven. You may have to experiment in the beginning how long your cookies take to cook in your oven. Mine is a small one and I had to take the cookies out after 5 minutes. But I believe the normal practice is 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
   
4. Refrigerate your dough for 2 hours or more before you start working on them. You could also make them today, and bake tomorrow.
5. Put your cookies on a baking sheet when you bake. If not they will stick to your tray. I used aluminum foil. That works too.
6. Before you start to cut your dough into shapes, get ready a bowl of flour. You'll need to sprinkle some on your cutting board and dust your roller. You'll also need to dust your hands too so the dough don't stick.
7. You can use frosting to decorate the cookies. But I find it easier to just decorate it with different sprinkles before popping it into the oven.
   

Okay, now for the recipes:

BUTTER COOKIES (SUGAR COOKIES)

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter (soften)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt (if you want to reduce this a bit also can)

Cream sugar and butter together until fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Then add this dry ingredients into the mixture. Put dough into the fridge before cutting it.

SPICE COOKIES

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 4 tsp ginger powder
• 4 tsp cinnamon powder
  
• 2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

In one bowl, premix the dry ingredients (ginger powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, salt, baking powder, flour). Use an electric mixer to mix the butter and sugar. Add in the egg. Then pour in the pre-mix of dry ingredients. Refrigerate the dough.

And so, after collapsing from exhaustion (it took me almost 4 hours to finish 2 batches of cookie dough -- I need a bigger oven!), they are ready to be given away as Christmas gifts. Of course I left some for the kids to eat. Every time I burnt some cookies they were happy coz' they get to eat those. Hahaha. Anyway, my packaging not so fancy. Just a plain plastic bag with a green ribbon. I think I'll improve on that next year.

Well, if you have the energy, make some Christmas cookies to giveaway. It's a great Christmas activity to do with the kids, BUT just expect to do most of the work :)

Christmas Gift Ideas:

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• 


• 

Homemade Christmas Wreath

Want to make your own Christmas wreath? I know how! I learned how to make this Christmas wreath last week at my church's Relief Society's Home, Family and Personal Enrichment meeting. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera or I would have taken a step-by-step process.

What you need and how to do it:

• Flower paper - Well, they told me that's what it's called. It makes the red, white and green circle part. You first have to un-twine it and open it up. Looks like crepe paper but tougher and thicker. Maybe one day I'll get a picture for you. Anyway, you should have 3 different strips of this flower paper (one red, one white, one green). Leave about 2 inches at the top, and start to braid it (you know like braiding someone's hair). You might need someone to hold it for you. Leave about 2 inches at the bottom too. Shape the "braid" into a circle and cross (X) the ends. Use a twisty tie thingy to tie the two ends together.
  
• Beaded string. We used a silver and gold beaded string. With a glue gun, hot glue one end to the bottom of the wreath and just twist it round and round the wreath. Hot glue again when you're done.
• Cut 5 pine needle branches (I'm sorry if I'm using all the wrong terms here. Hehe). Of course here we are using artificial pine branches. The length would depend on how big your wreath is. Use your better judgement. Hot glue one branch on top of the other. Make it so the 5 branches look like a fan.
• Hot glue 3 ornament balls.
• Then hot glue the ribbon to the bottom of the wreath.

My directions may not be the best in the world :P Hopefully you are able to see the picture above and figure out what I'm talking about. Anyway, next time we have another class like this, it's better you come and learn with me, okay?

Merry Christmas!

How To Have Stress-Free Christmas Shopping With Kids

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeIdeally, parents would like to leave children at home when they go shopping. First of all, you can get things done faster without your children distracting you. Second, shopping is worry free. You don't have to worry about them running off or breaking something. Thirdly, you don't have whiny, cranky kids telling you they want to go home or are tired. I'm sure you parents all know what I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, there are times when you have no choice but to bring along the kids to do shopping. So, how do you make your Christmas shopping with kids effective, efficient and fun. Definitely, you need to plan in advance. So, here are some tips for you to think about to ensure your Christmas shopping is pleasant.

1. Time management
We know how children can be when they haven't had enough rest or are tired. So, schedule your shopping excursions around their nap time. This will ensure the child has had sufficient rest and will not run out of energy or become cranky during the shopping trip as a result of exhaustion.

2. Break Time
Take breaks in between your shopping. You can stop for a small snack, grab lunch or rest a little at a play area in the mall or shopping center. Do not expect children to shop for hours on end without short diversions. You already know they have short attention spans. When you take these breaks, you help break the monotony of shopping.

3. Something In It For Them
Plan on doing something that they can look forward to. For example, pencil a trip to the toy store or the park. Maybe even promise to buy a small toy or a favorite treat as a reward for good behavior during the trip. This would be most effective if you schedule this trip for the later part of your shopping trip. This will help to ensure the child behaves for the majority of the trip.

4. Be Prepared
Anticipate what might happen and prepare yourself for a variety of situations. Always bring along some spare clothing for your child in case of spills. If you children is still in diapers, pack along enough supply of diapers. Distraction is parent's best weapon. So, it pays to bring along a few small toys and snacks. They will proof helpful especially if you get stuck in a long line.

5. Give Them A Heads-up
Let your children know what is going to happen on the trip out; Let them know where you are going, what you are going to do, how long it will take and what you expect from them. Mentally psych them up. Make it more fun by writing up an itinerary or a to-do list that they can help keep track of.

If you have to bring your children Christmas shopping, do what you can to make it a happy trip out. If you are prepared, Christmas shopping can be an enjoyable activity with kids. Alternatively, you can do your shopping online.

Get help with Christmas gift ideas, check out my Happy Christmas Gifts blog.

Free Download: Marketing to Moms Online Guide

Do you know who are the ones spending billions of dollars each year? Make a guess.

If you said women, you're almost there. I'm talking about moms. Mothers are responsible for much of the household spending and influence the buying decisions of family members across generations. So, if you have a business (or are planning to have a business), wouldn't it make sense to appeal to these "influential" ladies?

If you're looking to market more effectively to this group of savvy online consumers, download Wendy Wood & Alice Seba free 9-page report:

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Click here to get yours.
(Right click and select "save link as" to download it to your computer)

It is a PDF document and you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view it. If you don't have this software, you can get it here.

Tips to Relieve Holiday Stress for Work-At-Home Moms

Need Help Now?: Click here for a free consultation

Giving gifts to our family and friends is the core of the holiday season but is one of the biggest stressors for work at home moms. We are already stretched for precious time and we know the difficulty of balancing clients with family. It’s a constant juggling game between the two and when we add all the holiday preparations to our overflowing lists, all the fun is often sucked right out of the holiday season.

Now is the time to make a plan of action and get organized with all that needs to happen before the holidays are upon us. Here are some practical tips for easing into the holidays from one WAHM to another:

Take control of your finances early, before your holiday shopping begins, and develop a realistic budget to follow. If you can avoid using credit cards and only pay cash for gifts, you will breathe easier in January when the credit card bill arrives. Paying cash helps you stay on budget and will prevent you from making any rash decisions or buying outlandish gifts.

Prior to driving to the mall, make a list of your gift ideas for each person so you won’t be left wandering aimlessly from store to store, hoping for some divine inspiration. With the outrageous cost of gasoline, bundle your shopping trips to stores that are near each other. Your time is worth money to your clients and should be viewed as valuable by you, too.

Take advantage of your lunch break to shop online. Ordering online is a godsend when you need to ship items out of state. Paying for the online company to ship a gift is far less costly and time consuming than packing it up yourself and waiting with half the town in line at the post office.
Be focused and use any breaks in your work schedule to your advantage. Write out a few holiday cards or wrap a few presents in between client calls. Both tasks become more manageable when broken down into smaller time frames.

When you sit down to write your gift list with a nice cup of tea, decide if you will buy gifts just for family members or if you will also include your children’s teachers, bus drivers, garbage haulers, postal workers, religious education teachers, sports coaches…you get the drift. The list could get very long and break your budget if you don’t plan well.
A great gift idea for these “extra” people in your life is something homemade. If you are a big holiday baker, simply buy a few pretty tins and bake a few extra batches of your favorite cookies or breads. For those of you who do not bake, look for some recipes for making “Gifts in a Jar”. You can buy large or small mason jars at craft stores and you simply layer the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe, close the lid, tie with pretty ribbon, and you have a lovely gift. Don’t forget to attach a copy of the recipe to the jar!

Organizing your holiday card list early will eliminate many headaches and hand cramps later on. Pare down your list, order your cards early, order your stamps online or with your postal carrier, and put all the addresses on computer labels. You can easily find labels with holiday designs and you can add a fun font for a customized look. Many card companies also offer to have your cards stamped with your family or business name, thus saving even more time.

Can you delegate any of the holiday prep to your older children or spouse? Your computer wizard teenager might be willing to input your holiday card list so you can print out address labels. Maybe an older child would be willing to babysit for the day so you can shop for gifts in peace. If you are preparing a holiday dinner, ask other relatives or friends to bring a dish. Older elementary school kids can help read recipes and layer the items in your gift jars.

Rather than build up your holiday as a Martha Stewart-recreation, complete with handmade gift wrap, make your holiday plans realistic to suit the needs of your family and your schedule. Focus instead on the peace, love and joy in your life and take time to count your many blessings.

Article By: Aurelia Williams is a Certified Life Coach that specializes in helping women achieve balance and less stress in their busy lives. Get a free consultation here.

Easy Way To Print Your Digital Photos

Do you have tons and tons of digital photos stored in your hard drive like me? I love my digital camera because I can snap and snap and snap and not worry about running out of film. Unfortunately, this piece of wonderful equipment does my mother no good. You see, she doesn't have any photographs of her grandchildren to show off because their photos are all sitting in my computer.

Well, I thought this Christmas I would be nice and actually print out a load of pictures for her. I think I owe her 6 years of grandchildren pictures. So it's a good thing I came across EOE ONLINE. I don't have to leave my house. I just need to:

1. Register an account with them
2. Upload my photos
3. Select the photo sizes and quantity
4. Checkout.
5. Pay through credit card, bank transfer or bank-in
6. They send the pictures to me.
   

So very easy peasy. I signed up for their newsletter a few months ago and I gotta say, they are really quite a "happening" company. They are very good in keeping their customers informed and seem to have exciting promotions regularly. Like right now, they are having the following promotion which ends 31/12/08:

That is really a good price. I just put in an order for 50 pix (4R size) and it only costs RM15 plus RM5 for postage.

So, if you're thinking of using their services, this is what you do:

• Register yourself first. This is really to your advantage. If something happens during the uploading session, like you get disconnected or something, you won't lose everything. You just log in again and a message box will ask if you want to continue with you order. I really appreciate this feature. My internet connection has been horrible and it was taking way too long for me to upload 15 pictures. I had to close the window and thought "urrgh, I've to start all over again?" So it was a relieve to see that little message asking me if I wanted to resume my order.
  
• When you get to the main page, just mouse over "shopping" at the top bar and select "e-print."
  

I think the only downside for me was uploading the pictures. It's really not the website's fault. It's freakin' Streamyx that's been frustrating me and DH the last few weeks. So darn slow!

TIP:
If you are experiencing tortoise slow connection, don't try to upload 15 photos at one go. Do it like 5 photos at a time.

Another difficult part for me was selecting which pictures to print. Hahahaha. Anyway, my order is in with eoe online. Wait for my Part 2 of this review where I will report on their service.

p.s. Besides just online photo printing, they have other fun services too like photo competition and "shop & win" contest.

p.s.s. If you're a blogger, you can review their site too. For your honest opinion, they will give out 50 4R prints and RM50.00 review fee for each completed review. Heheheh. So you see, I was very motivated to upload those 50 photos. Kekeke. There is also a grand prize – an Olympus E-420 Digital SLR kit with 14-42mm lens worth RM1999.00 for the best written review! More details click here!

(15/12/08)
Update: PART II

"I just got a letter, I just got a letter, I just got a letter, Wonder who's it from?"
(If you've watched the children's program Blues Clues, you'll know how to sing this).
So, this came in the mail on Saturday (13/12). Can you guess what it is?

TADAH! Yes, it's my printed photos from EOE ONLINE. They didn't just throw the photos in the courier plastic bag, they wrapped it in some cardboard so the pictures wouldn't get damaged. The photos were already nicely put in the photo album they supplied.
What can I say? Very nice, very nice!

The one who has been enjoying these printed pictures the most is... BabyD! Actually, the photos were meant for my mom. Looks like I will have to print again and print more. I'll have to do that soon coz' the 30cents for 4R offer is only till the end of December.

So, what do my kids say about EOE Online? They say "Yay mommy, print more!" See, even baby has learned how to do the peace sign and say cheese for the camera.

EOE Online Summary:

• Easy way to print your digital photos hibernating in your harddisk. Just upload, pay and then wait for them to deliver.
  
• How long they take to deliver? Their promise is 3 days. True or Not? Well, I placed my order on the 8/12, which is a public holiday. So they must have received it on the 9th. I got it on the 13/12. That means the photos were delivered after 4 days. Okay-lah.
  
• Photos were delivered in good condition. No damages and printing is clear. Now I just need a better quality camera so my photo's can be more "vibrant".
  
• Save time and petrol. Everything is just "click", "click", "click". Can do this in my pyjamas. No need to think about putting makeup, fighting traffic, finding carpark, and going back to pick up the pictures. Blood pressure normal the whole process :) They also offer free shipping for orders above RM35. See, save some more.
  
• Great prices, good bargains. Better than what you get at the retail outlets.
• Do I recommend it? YES!
  
• Will I be using their services again? YES!
  

Blog Your Recipes and Earn Money

Having a Web log, or ”Blogging” as it’s more commonly called, is a great way to share information with others in a public forum, by posting comments on a (often free) website.

Blogs are easy to build; even a novice can set one up in just an hour or less. With free applications like Google’s “Blogger” (blogger.com) or the easy to use Wordpress (Wordress.com), a simple blog can be put together that will highlight your thoughts and images. By setting it up with a clean format and using the latest templates, this increases the blog’s appeal and it can be updated as often as you wish.

One fun and profitable way to blog is by starting a recipe blog (and there’s plenty of information on the topic in this Just Add Sweat guide). A recipe blog is where you can post your favorite family recipes, restaurant secrets or other popular “dishes” about the world of cooking. It’s perfect for people who have tried recipes and thought they could do better. Or those who have sampled restaurant cooking and found a favorite they’d like to share. If cooking is your passion, blogging about it is a wonderful way to get more information out there about this interest. It’s also a great way to tell others about new products available in the world of cooking.

A recipe blog can also offer the opportunity for an entrepreneur to build a home based business. How? By offering for sale cooking products, popular recipes, cook books and other tools that the budding chefs of the world would like. In this way, a blogger can build a nice residual income to support their cooking habit.

Popular blogs that earn a substantial amount of website traffic can earn even more revenue. Through the power of using web traffic tracking tools, a blogger can earn ad revenue or earn commissions by recommending product from other companies. Successful bloggers can even sell their blogs to others and earn an income from developing popular topics into highly trafficked websites.

With a little bit of time and a lot of creativity, a recipe blogger can create an income working from home.

Recommended Additional Resource:

To learn exactly how to set up your blog and how to create a recipe blog that people love, talk about and come back to, grab Just Add Sweat Guide to Start a Recipe Blog. You’ll also learn how to get traffic to your blog and make money doing something you enjoy.

Wishing You Can Be A Work-At-Home-Mom?

Image via WikipediaMom, Here’s How You Can Start a Work at Home Career

Thanks to the rising costs of daycare and transportation and the desire to have a parent home with the children, today many moms choose to work from home. This arrangement is sometimes called “telecommuting”, and it allows parents the opportunity to set up a workspace in their homes to earn a living instead of having to leave the home daily.

They might also choose to start their own businesses, instead of working for another company. Working from home is rising popularity and the Internet is offering many different types of careers and business opportunities to moms. And for proof that the work at home dream is possible, be sure to check out the success tips from moms just like you in the Full Time WAHM eBook.

So how can you start a work at home career? This is a frequently asked question that can lead to a lot of confusion about on where to start. Here are just some of the work from home careers currently available to moms:

• Party Consultant (beauty, health, jewelry, home decor, adult, etc.) We all know about companies like Avon and Tupperware, but there are so many more opportunities for moms and they are still a popular way to earn an income. From home and garden products, to jewelry and makeup and even adult novelties, home party plans are great ways for moms to work from home. Earnings vary by company and commission schedule.
  
  
• Virtual Office Service. Are you a people person who likes to do customer service and to provide other office services? Then a client service job might be perfect for you. Many large firms are hiring Mom’s to work from home answering customer calls and providing other office support virtually. These jobs can pay between $8-12+ an hour. You can also start you own business providing customer service directly to clients and increase the amount you charge per hour.
  
  
• Selling on Auction Sites or Craft Boards. Many Moms sell their unwanted items on auction sites like eBay.com or sell their crafts on boards like Etsy.com for a source of income. If you are a creative person who enjoys making beautiful things or you want to earn a little extra money for the clothes your kids outgrow, why not sell them!
  
  
• Starting on Online Business. The Internet offers the chance for you to create just about any type of business they desire. Whether it’s creating an information-packed website that helps others (and earns money through advertising and selling products for commissions), creating your own products or selling products at wholesale, the choice is yours.

There are any number of opportunities just waiting to be tried by enterprising Moms looking for fulfillment and extra money.

Recommended Additional Resource:

Working from home doesn’t come without it’s challenges. Learn from 21 moms just like you have been there, done that. Full Time WAHM provides practical mom-to-mom advice on who to balance work & home and how to turn into a work at home success.

Clearance Sale!

There's a CLEARANCE SALE!
Where? Where?
At my bookshop-lah.

You see, I've decided to take a different direction with my Value Bookshop. So, no more selling children's books after this. I've marked down the books tremendously. This is the best time for you to stock up your home children's library. Really CHEAP! Oh, there are some parenting books as well. Not many, but they are there.

I realized I still have some books that I failed to post online. I'm currently working on getting that up. I'll be busy with this so you might see me MIA here for a while.

Please drop by and grab all these fun children's books before they are gone. Don't jusy buy toys for your children. Books are better investments.

Please help me spread the word to fellow parents. I'm trying to clear the books by the end of the year so act fast.

Mucho Gracias!
Click here to zap over to the CLEARANCE SALE now!

What Can You See At A Nuffnang Friso Family Day Out Event

Last Saturday was the Nuffnang Friso Family Day Out event. My kids really enjoyed it. They say a picture paints a thousand words, so I'll let my pictures tell the story.

The event was held at Kizsports, 1Utama. After registration, family pictures and guessing how many marbles in a bowl, the kids were off. With babyD, main attraction was the slide. I lost count how many times he went up on that mega slide -- on his own too mind you. One time he even slid backwards on his tummy.

The kids were given special T-shirts to wear. Oversize also nevermind-lah. Oh, better let you know that most of the pictures here will not be of my children. Simply because they were running all over the place and dear mommy can't keep up. So I just browse around, clicking what I think is the "essence" of this family day.

Of course this kind of Family Day Out is an event to remember. So you see a lot of parents ready with their cameras in hand trying to capture the perfect shot of their little ones.

Me too with my not-so-canggih camera whipped out. The ball area is a great place for taking pictures. Here's one of babyD swimming among the colorful balls.

All the kids so excited. Daddy's have to play "catching" with their toddlers.

Some kids feel a bit lost and need some coaxing.

Moms having some "chill-out" time before the activities begin. Yes, parents need to conserve as much energy as they can. We have to last 4 hours for this event you know. Unlike children, we don't have boundless energy :)

During game time, children were divided into different groups. They had chicken dance, limbo rock, hokey pokey, a little gymnastics, bubbles etc.... Of course prizes were given out.

My son won a hamper and was sooooooo happy. We also don't know why he won it. Daddy said he didn't stay in line and was all over the place. Maybe they gave him the prize for enthusiasm. Hahaha. I guess "super activeness" was a good thing this time.

BabyD was like this little boy here. Not so interested in joining in the activities but rather stick to mommy.
There were some who decided they needed a break.

There were Friso booths for the kids to try the milk. One little cup not enough for my baby. He asked for "more". After which they gave him a little bag with more goodies inside. So yummy the drink until the last drop. Don't even think of snatching it away from him.

After the games, they had a talk by Yvonne Tan from Dutch Lady. She talked about probiotics. You see, Friso milk has probiotics in it. All the while I was thinking, "good, if my kids drink this milk then I don't have to buy vitagen anymore. Kekekeke." AND I won a thumb drive for answering a simple question. Woohoo! They also had 5xmom Lillian Chan share some parenting tips. But I believe the program that stole the day was the magic show by Mr. Banana. He got the everyone laughing at his crazy antics. He almost got swarmed by the kids a few times. Hah, now he now he should be careful of blogger's children. They are all very gung ho. When my kids came home, they were still talking about the magic show: "Mommy, how come he..." or "Mommy how did he...?" There was one trick where he burned a rope and out popped a flower. My son asked if he could burn a rope too and see if a flower comes out (*mommy fainting*). A minute ago he asked me if he could eat paper like Mr. Banana. (*double faint*). Looks like I have to keep an eagle eye on this little guy of mine so he don't do his own "magic."

And even though I didn't win that trip to Hong Kong Disneyland (sob! sob!) or win the consolation vouchers (WAAAAH!), I'm glad I got to meet some bloggy friends. Top picture is Molly (I enjoyed carrying that cute, chubby baby) and bottom is Joanne (or was it Joanna, sorry?). I also met Karen Yiau and Thomas. So, not just a family day out, but also a "connect with friends" day.

Although an exhausting day for mommy and daddy, it was a fun event. My kids couldn't wait to tear open the hamper when they got home. We also got a goody bag to take home and there were...
... 2 tins of Friso milk. Can you guess what my children will be drinking the next few weeks?
So, thank you Nuffnang and Friso for hosting this event and inviting my family. It was truly enjoyable and hope we can come back next year. There will be a next year right?

Baby Colic and Acid Reflux

PRODUCT LIST OF COLIC BABY REMEDIES

Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water

 Blissful Baby Aromatic Massage Oil

Homeopathic Remedy: iBaba for Baby Colic

When I was pregnant for the first time, I read anything and everything about babies. I wanted to be ready. I believe most first time mothers have the same feelings. We want to know what's coming and what's the best way to overcome possible problems. Of course, you hope there won't be any problems. But when they do happen, you want to at least be able to identify it.

So, for all new mothers and mothers-to-be out there, here are 2 baby problems you should be aware of:

• colic
• baby reflux

COLIC
It is normal for baby to cry. That's the only way they know how to express themselves. But how do you know when the crying is something to be worried about? You can suspect colic when a baby cries for 3 hours of more per day, at least three times per week, within a three month period. Pediatrics call this the "Rule of Threes." Besides inconsolable crying, babies will draw their legs up and clench their fists. Touch their stomach and it will feel stiff and hard. Baby will flail arms and legs and appear fidgety and restless. I hate to say it but be ready for sleepless nights.

There are certain remedies you can try:

• Swaddling - Gives the baby a sense of warmth and security
• Baby wearing - Baby is comforted by your closeness and also the motions of being in a sling.
• Rhythmic rocking - You can also put baby face down on your lap and gently sway your knees. This may help baby get rid of wind or gas in the tummy.
• Baby massage - Can help the release of gas and trigger bowel movement.
• Diet check - If you are breastfeeding, check to see if the food you consume such as onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spicy food, dairy, chocolate, caffeine, and citrus fruits is the one causing baby to react negatively. Also make sure baby is latched on properly.
• Gripe water - It's considered a homeopathic therapy, meaning it uses natural ingredients.

Colic can drive a parent crazy. After trying all the methods and failing to find a remedy, do not succumb to feelings of a useless parent. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is wait for it to end. This usually takes place when baby is about three months old. To keep your sanity, don't hesitate in using earplugs. It will help keep you calm amidst the wailing. I'm not saying ignore the baby, but ignore the crying so you can help baby in a calm manner. Also, don't feel guilty in taking a break from baby. It's okay to let someone else take over while you rejuvenate. If you get thoughts of harming your baby, walk away. Let baby cry a little while you regain your composure.

 

BABY REFLUX
It's also known as Gastro Esophageal Reflux or GER. We're talking about babies regurgitating or spitting up after a feed. It's also irritable and painful causing them to cry often. You may think it's colic. GER is nothing to worry about and will usually get less when baby is 6-12 months old. However, you should worry if the reflux is accompanied by baby not gaining weight or not thriving. Also look out for other symptoms such as feeding and oral aversions, esophagitis (inflammation, irritation, or swelling of the esophagus), wheezing, swallowing problems, choking, gagging, asthma, pneumonia, chronic sinusitis, etc.... It could be Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) which requires medical intervention.

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether baby's crying is because of colic or reflux. Just remember, colic babies will pull up their legs. If it's reflux, babies will arch their backs to decrease their pain. Crying is also usually during or after feedings.

Wickless Scented Candles

Do you like aromatherapy? You know, things like scented oils, incense and scented candles? I love it, and my kids love them too. My favorite is the lavendar scent. I also have one scent to help with migraine. I usually use a burner; put the scented oil on top and a tea-light candle at the bottom.

Well, it seems there is another way to fill our house with wonderful fragrances without having to burn anything. It's by Scentsy and their way is wickless candles. What does that mean? Well, no smoke for one thing. Another thing would be how much safer it is. Yeah, I do get a little jittery when I have to light a candle, even if it's a little one. My kids get a little too excited when there are candles around. I'm always worried "something" might happen. Well, you know how little kids are.

So how does it work? The wickless candle bar is called a Scentsy Bar. What you do is warm it with a warmer rather than using heat from a candle. And the warmers come in beautiful designs too which make nice decor for your home. Here's what November's warmer of the month looks like:

With Christmas coming up fast, you could consider this as an ideal Christmas gift for friends or family. You have over 80 yummy fragrances to choose from. As for me, the cinnamon cider which is this month's fragrance sounds like a wonderful scent to have in the home. Go see what's your favorite.

Keeping Kids Busy During School Holidays

I've been so busy working on the kid's Christmas Gifts shop, I didn't realize I haven't made a post here for this week. I just completed two Christmas shopping lists: Great Christmas Gifts Ideas for Kids and Romantic Christmas Gifts for Her. Do check them out coz' I know it'll save you time from browsing around for Christmas gifts.

As for my kids, they are going a little nutsy. It's the year-end school holidays and they've too much energy to burn. I'm sure there are a lot of other nutsy children out there too driving their parents up the wall :) So, what to do, what to do?

Here's a quick list:

• Get them to help you in the kitchen. I get my daughter to wash the plates, bowl and utensils as I cook. Both she and kokoD are ever ready to help me stir (what we chinese say "la-la" or "chow") the food that's cooking in the wok. I'm also getting K to help me cut vegetables. Don't freak out! I give her a small knife to use, not a big butcher knife. Not only do these activities help keep them busy but it's also educational:
  
  • K is learning different ways to cut vegetable e.g. straight, slanting, what size.
  • The most efficient way to wash dishes so you don't waste water.
  • How long to stir the garlic before adding in the vegetables into the wok.
    
  • K can fry eggs and cook instant noodles by herself. Yay! My children won't starve when I'm not around. She's learned how to turn on and off the gas, how much oil to use for frying the eggs, how much water to use for boiling the noodles, how to scoop the noodles out and add the packet ingredients.
    
  • The two kids know how to prepare their own milk and hot chocolate drinks in the morning.
    
• Give them board games to play
• Teach them some card games too e.g. fishing, memory games, uno.
• Let them play bubbles. This will keep them occupied for at least 1/2 hour.
• Computer games. In this day and age, can we help it? But of course make sure you set time limits for them. Interestingly, my two kiddos like playing computer chess. They also play strategic war games. That one I have my DH to thank.
• Go to the movies. If they are watching CDs or DVDs at home, limit to 1-2 a day.
• Outside play time. Go to the park or play badminton in front of your gate.
• READ BOOKS!
• Art and craft - Christmas is coming, so here are some free Christmas coloring pages for you to download. If not just give your kids colorful paper, crayons, different colored markers, stickers, ink pad and stamps, glu, scissors, color pencils etc.... and let them create. Getting a children's art and craft book or magazine will help. Even better, get easy craft ideas with FUN KIDS CRAFT. You’ll have over 700 crafts with illustrations and templates at your fingertips. Great for kids 3 years and up! Over 370 PAGES of fun crafts with step-by-step instructions. It’s a no-brainer.
  
• Talking about Christmas, get the Christmas tree out and let them decorate it. Of course, this is only applicable to people who are celebrating Christmas.
• Music time. Put on some music and shake your bootie. Or, learn to play an instrument like the piano, guitar, violin etc....
• Toys that allow them to create like lego, blocks, playdoh.
• Workbooks. No, this is not being "kiasu". It's just letting your child know they have to keep in touch with some studying so their brain don't rot. Hahaha. Of course we are talking about light and fun work here. Don't pile the workbooks on them and stress them out, okay? If you have a preschooler, read my review on these preschool printable worksheets. If not, just go straight to the JUMBOWORKBOOKS page.
  
• Baking! You can cheat, like me and use something out of a box. I needed to do something that didn't take a lot of time, that's why I cheated.
  
  
  Mixing the batter.
  (Sorry, I don't have one of those high-tech, super duper cameras. Hence the blur picture).
  
  Adding sprinkles. It's a must with these kids.
  
  Cutting the cake. They couldn't wait for it to cool down. Every few minutes I'd hear "Mommy, can we eat now!"
  
  
  Easy peasy baking. Don't have to sign up for RM80 baking workshops where you have to drive them there, wait for them, then drive them back. Don't waste your time unless you have time to waste.
  
  Well, hope these ideas help you survive the school holidays.