Learning In The Kitchen

He doesn't play with his toys. He doesn't watch tv (except for commercials). He would rather pull up that stool and watch me prepare food. Yup, that's his favorite spot in the house.

Mamas Parenting Tips

• The kitchen is a great place for children to learn. As I cut the veges and stuff, I teach him the names of the food. Not just visual, he gets to feel, smell and sometimes taste it too. Sensory learning -- great stuff.
• As they watch you do stuff, they unconsciously pick up skills. For example, they learn that to crack an egg, you tap it against the bowl first. Or they learn that you don't eat the carrot's skin and you use a peeler to peel it away.
  
• Of course, teach them that the knife is sharp and can hurt them. Point out what is dangerous in the kitchen. Teaching them these things is one way of keeping them safe.
  

So, don't shoo them away from the kitchen.

Football Web-TV Channel

WATCH OUT WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS!

There's a new football web-tv channel recently launched by Carlsberg. If you have a husband/boyfriend who is nuts over football, then this is one channel you DON'T want to tell him about.

What will happen if you do? Well, be ready to be a football widow then. No, that doesn't mean your beloved will be dead. Physically he is around but his mind, might and soul will be dedicated to watching football. I think some of you already know what I'm talking about. If he gets hooked to www.partofthegame.tv, he'll be eating, drinking and dreaming football. He probably is already, so you really don't want to encourage him further. They have 5 channels showing all aspects about football from the classic football matches to life as a fan. There's also video clips about football funnies and rituals from the Football Magic channel. Heck, they even allow you to upload your own favorite football moments.

So, remember... not a peep about this if you want to have a chance at some romantic nights with your darling. Unless you are a football fan yourself. Then by all means, knock yourself out.

Easy Recipes For Picky Eaters

When it comes to eating, my kids are not really picky eaters. Thank goodness! They are a bit apprehensive when it comes to trying new foods but at least they eat some vege. That's more then I can say of myself when I was growing up. I absolutely hated all leafy vegetables. I think I grew up on french beans alone. Of course now I am much, much better and eat my share of green goodness everyday.

If you have picky eaters in your house, I'm sure you ask the following questions:

• What to feed my picky eaters? Yup, they can't be eating pizza, pasta, instant noodles and burgers everyday.
  
• What are some easy recipes for picky eaters that are healthy and tasty?
• How do you deal with a picky eater? Even worse, what if there are 4 of them?
• What is the secret to getting picky eaters to eat vegetables?

Your answers are in here:
"Kids & Vegies"

What is in the book? Tips, games, coloring fact sheets, wall charts and easy recipes for picky eaters. With this book you can take the guess work out of your cooking. Plus you'll get them eating vegetables. With this book, you will have the expertise to serve up meals your picky eater will eat. Get your copy today and end your meal time battles.

Don't wait another second. Get it now and download this much needed information instantly. You can turn things around tonight. Click the link below to take a peek inside the book:

"Kids & Vegies"

Sausage Rolls

I made these sausage rolls for lunch yesterday and the kids devoured it.

Ingredients:

• Pastry Puff (can get from the supermarket, the cold section where they sell the ice creams, popia skin and frozen roti canai)
• Sausage (Americans call hot dogs), I got the ones with cheese filling
• Spinach (cut it up into small bits)
  
• Onions (Cut into rings or dice it)
  
• Egg and sesame seeds

How to cook?

• First I cooked the sausage with some butter. Yeah, not a healthy option but yummy. If you're health conscious just boil the sausages. Cut into half and put sausages aside.
  
• Then I sauted the onions with a little bit of soy sauce. Put cooked onions aside.
• Stir fry the sausage with garlic, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Put aside.
• Roll out the pastry sheets. I saw 2 different sizes at the supermarket. There's no fast rule here. Just be flexible and decide how big you want your roles to be. I cut my pastry roll into about 5x4 inch rectangles. I kinda stretched it out a bit too.
  
• Lay your sausage, onions and spinach on the pastry roll. Make sure you have some room (about 2cm) at the edges so you can seal it up.
• Fold the pastry over to enclose the ingredients inside. Pinch the sides to seal it all up. Sorry I don't know the proper technique to do this. I just did it whatever way as long as I don't see any holes :)
• Brush the top side with egg and sprinkle the sesame seeds.
• Put on a baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure you preheat the oven first to 220 degrees Celcius.

One thing I did wrong was to thaw my frozen puff pastry too early. By the time I started to work on the sausage rolls, the sheets were all sticking together. Remember to read the instructions on the packet on how long you should thaw before cooking.

It's okay if your sausage rolls don't turn out as professional looking like what you see in the bakery. Goodness knows mine are far from it. As you can see from the picture, some opened up as I baked it. Be brave to experiment. The one thing I like about these sausage rolls was how I managed to sneak in the vege.

Good luck trying.

Mama Says You Should Check Out:
Easy Recipes For Picky Eaters
Discover the secret to overcoming meal time battles.

How To Lighten Your Household Chores

Special mention must be given to this little guy -- KokoD. He has been most helpful the past week. He has been helping me hang up the clothes and also taking them in when they are dry. It's really funny... it's like suddenly he decided he wants to help. He even washed the dishes after dinner for 3 nights. And mind you, it was voluntary. I didn't even ask. He insisted.

He's also been very, very good with babyD. Not just playing with him but taking care of the brother's needs. For example, he'll get water for the brother to drink or put music for the brother to dance. One day K was angry at babyD because he kept destroying her lego creation. So kokoD said "come baby, koko will take care of you" and he took baby out of the room so he wouldn't disturb the jie-jie.

When it comes to reading scriptures and doing worksheets, he's given me good attitude. No whining, instead concentration.

Such good behavior must be commended and that's why I'm dedicating this blog post to kokoD. He's definitely made my household chores lighter.

Mamas Parenting Tip

• Give your children opportunities to work around the house. You have to start when they are still young. Even babyD helps around the house. He loves to take the forks and spoons to the dinner table and puts back his clean laundry into his drawers. Sometimes I will get him to carry the dry laundry into the house.
• Involve them in your housework rather then chasing them away. There's always something they can do.
• When they ask you to do something for them, teach them how to do it first. For example, when you make milo or milk for them in the morning, teach them how to do it. When you are folding clothes, let them try (then refold them later). Don't just do things for them and forget about the teaching part.
  
• They don't teach these living skills in school, so it's up to you to equip them. At least when they leave home when they're older, you know they can take care of themselves.
  

Baby Story

BabyD is a very sociable fella. Here he is trying to make friends with our neighbour. The little girl is just a few months older. The pictures were taken by my daughter and I thought it was soooo cute as the two toddlers attempt to communicate without words.

I've done two versions of what the story may be. Why not add your version of the story?
Kids are so cute. We adults can only guess what goes through their minds.

Version 1: I haven't seen you in a while. I miss you.
Version 2: Oh look, your hands are as tiny as mine.

Version 1: Here's a kiss from me...
Version 2: Look, I have all my teeth already.

Version 1: ...to you.
Version 2: Open up, let's see your teeth.

Version 1: I have to go now. We can't keep meeting like this.
Version 2: Oh-oh, I feel something yucky. I think I have to go now.

Version 1: Don't forget me. I'll be right here waiting everyday for you . Sob! Sob!
Version 2: I gotta go change my diaper.

Internet Withdrawal Syndrome

Friday my internet got zapped by lightning. Only today did they get it up and running again. Meanwhile, I had to endure internet withdrawal symptoms. Like a smoker trying to quit, I had to find something to substitute my "loss". So, what can you do when you're disconnected from the internet world?

• Catch up on some scrapbooking.
  
• Sing more nursery rhymes to the baby.
• Experiment in the kitchen. I made chicken rendang for the first time.
• Do more house cleaning. I finally washed my curtains. Cleaned the fans today too.
  
• Write articles for submission later on. I wrote an article on golf (something I know about) so I didn't have to do much research on the internet for that.
  
• Exercise. Go for walks and play badminton with the kids in the evening.
• Read more books to the children.
• Take naps.

So, do you get internet withdrawal syndrome?

Different Ways Children Play

There are a number of parents, including me, who advocate that we encourage children to play. It is through play that little children develop small muscle skills, eye-hand coordination, physical skills, memory, creativity and language skills. Through play, children have an avenue to practise skills already learned. They learn how to understand the world around them and it allows self expression.

So, don't think that play time is a waste of time. Don't bog down children with too many organized activities and study that they have no time to engage in play.

Here are different ways children play.

1. Exploration
   This is where children use their 5 senses to observe and discover the world around them. For babies, you can do finger plays. Play with their fingers and toes with these favorite rhymes: "This Little Piggy Went to Market" and "Round and Round the Garden." The latter is my baby's favorite. As they grow older, give them time to explore nature and how things work. Of course, exploration has to be within safety limits.
   
   
   Look mom, I caught a dragonfly!
   
   
   
2. Imitation
   Basically it's "monkey see, monkey do." If you talk and sing to your baby often, you'll see they will start to imitate your sounds and expressions. If you have toddlers, you'll notice a "mini-me" running around as they try to do the things you do. Sometimes they can be a nuisance and get in your way, especially when you are trying to get things done quickly. However, the best thing parents can do for them is to let them participate and not exclude them in your activity. If you want them out of your way, provide them with toys or similar safe objects to play with. For example, giving them play dough and they can pretend to cook and cut.
   
   
3. Physical Play
   Give them time to run, jump, climb, crawl etc.... This helps them learn to control and coordinate their body movements. If you don't have time to take them to the park, just blast some music and let them dance around. Balls are every kid's favorite. Teach them to roll, throw, catch, bounce and kick it.
   
   
4. Constructive Play
   This entails building or making something. Building blocks and lego are some examples of constructive play. This is great for their eye-hand coordination. It also helps in teaching them about patterns, size, shape and colors. Art and craft projects are wonderful activities too. Young children love to cut and glue. You can teach older children simple origami and they can use that in card making. For simple craft ideas, check out FUN KIDS CRAFTS.
   
   
5. Make-Believe and Pretend Play
   I'm sure you've seen your children acting out their little make-believe stories or pretending to be someone they know like a teacher. This pretend and role playing develops their language and social development. This is how they understand people around them. Fantasy play no doubts encourage creativity.

My Super hero son

So you see, playing is not wasted time for children. Now that you know the different kinds of playing, maybe we can do them a favor and support them in these areas.

Eat This Not That! for Kids!

Every kid loves junk food and every mother wishes their children will eat healthier meals. Well, this book by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding is a favorite for many and has made Amazon's best seller's list. It guides parents to make better food choices whether eating in a restaurant, at home or at school. It also touches on holiday meals and vending machine snackes. I'm sure you'll appreciate the kid-friendly snacks they share. Reading the detailed analysis and nutrition tips on many of our children's favorite food choices, your eyes will be opened to which food is helping them and which food is harming them with hidden fat, calories and other nasty stuff. For example, did you know organic "health food" cereal has as much sugar as a soda? I bet that never crossed your mind coz' when most people see the word "organic" and "health food", we automatically think its good.

You'll find this book fun to read with great illustrations. Even your children can go through the book and decide which foods they want to swap for a better alternative.

Click here to get a copy today:
Eat This Not That! for Kids!: Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!

Talking about eating healthy, I've found my secret to getting my children to eating vegetables voluntarily. And... I'm talking about raw vegetables too. I say "my" secret coz' I don't know if it'll work for you. What's the secret?......... jeng, jeng, jeng, jeng...... Vietnam Rolls.

Take a look:

Diced tomatoes, mango strips, cucumber strips, shredded carrots, scrambled eggs and pork strips. The pork was cooked with garlic, light soy sauce, little bit of dark soy sauce for color, honey and black pepper. Don't add water, just stir fry on low fire so you don't burn the honey. Oh, add a little corn starch towards the end to make the meat smooth. (For beginners, add water to cornstarch before putting it in the wok.) If you don't eat pork, I'm sure you can substitute with other kinds of meat. You can even go meatless and be 100% vege.

Butterhead lettuce.

Get some vietnamese rice paper and soak it till soft. Lay down the butterhead lettuce and then pile on all the other stuff. Add mayonaisse (or not). Wrap it up like a poh pia or burrito.

If you don't like the rice paper wrap, just use the vege to hold the other stuff. That's what I do. I think it tastes better without the wrap. But of course, it's more difficult to hold everything together. My kids love this. They would never eat the tomatoes, carrots, cucumber or green vege by itself, but they love the combination.

It's easy preparation and a good break from eating rice everyday :) I love how the mango gives it a bit of tangy/sweet taste. This may not be the exact way to make vietnamese rolls but this is how I saw my friend make it and it works well for me. Give it a try and let me know if this "secret" works to get your children eating vegetables too.

Watch Out For Curious Children

My girl won't be happy about this post. So, hopefully she won't find out that I've written this. It's funny to me but embarrassing to her. Anyway, you parents need to know this so you can be ready for such things too no?

So, what is it?

1. One night, my girl comes out of our bedroom covering her mouth. So, we ask her "What's wrong? Is it you have a mouth ulcer?" She just shake her head and refused to move her hand away. After much persuasion (and a little scolding), she exposed her face to us. What did we see? 2 small nicks - one near her nose, the other down towards her chin. Yes, my dear child tried to shave herself. DH was on the verge of scolding her but I told him to stop. I could see she was already embarrassed. I didn't think she needed us to make her feel worse. DH asked "what are you trying to shave?" She answered, "my moustache." Sigh! How come I didn't notice her moustache? Hahahaha.
   
   
2. Another night we were sitting on the couch watching tv. She was holding a tiny, tiny ball of blu-tack and using her fingers to play with it. Next thing I know, she turns to me and says "mom, how do I get this out from my hair?" Alamak! Lucky thing the blu-tack she had was just a little bit. I remembered reading that if you get chewing gum in your hair, use ice to harden it and it will come off. I figured it should work the same for blu-tack. Unfortunately, it didn't work. In the end, her grandma snipped off her hair.

I know I'm not the first parent to have her child do such things. So, this is a heads up for parents who haven't yet experienced such "silliness". Actually, the right word should be "curiousness." Don't know what else they'll think off. Oh yeah, watch out for the "stuff this up my nose/ear/whatever" act too. And remember, they usually feel bad and dumb after they do it. So go easy on them.

p.s. Here's my "curious" experience - I burnt my hand trying to figure out how hot the car cigarette lighter was. What's your "curious" experience eh?

Sick Kids

Friday evening after school, my daughter started to feel sick. The next day, she ran a high fever. When she got better, the other two boys started their feverish spell. Jie-jie has progressed to coughing incessantly. Yesterday, kokoD who is usually very active and can't stay still for one minute, lay almost lifeless on the couch the whole day. He hardly ate anything too. BabyD was also sick but still running around a bit.

When they are bouncing off the walls, we wish for peace and quiet. Now that the house is silent, I can't wait to see them lively again. Motherhood is a crazy, crazy thing.

Baby Milestone: 20 Months

I haven't been writing about baby for awhile. I also haven't been scrapping for awhile. So, here goes some baby updates.

• Still isn't talking much. Compared to his siblings, he is slower in developing speech. He can say "mama," "papa," "koko," and "jie jie." Even to call "mama" and "papa", we had to train him for 1 whole week before he called us correctly. When he remembered "mama", he forgot how to say "papa" and vice versa. It was so funny coz' you could see him trying to think how to form the words. He would move his lips trying to get the right sound and the wrong sounds would come out. Then he would try again. Finally, he can now "label" us correctly. But he didn't have any problem with "koko" and "jie jie." Maybe because he plays with them so often. When he talks to us, it is like playing charades. He uses all sorts of sign language and facial expressions. He understands a lot of things and knows what we are talking about. So I know there is nothing wrong with him. I guess he is just the strong, silent type. Hahahah. Which is a good break from his noisy, chattering siblings.
  
  
• He has started to show interest in drawing. He will help himself to our stash of recycle paper and writing materials. I would put his hand on top of the paper and trace round it. He loves that. He can follow my instructions to draw circles or "up and down." Absolutely loves to play with chop (or what some people call rubber stamps.)
  
  
• Still addicted to his "nen-nen." Yes, I am still breastfeeding him.
  
  
• He is 12 kg. Very solid structure and still has a little tummy. He's got all his teeth out already.
  
  
• Loves to climb like a little monkey. He would push a chair next to my bed and then jump onto the mattress. Also loves to jump on my couch (thanks to the brother's example). I'm still trying to get him to stay off the tables. Sigh!
  
  
• He don't like to watch television... well, except commercials. Toys don't appeal much to him too (unless his siblings are playing with them). His favorite past time is to pull his stool next to me in the kitchen and watch me cut vegetable and stuff. If he is really hungry, he will hold his bowl out while I am getting the food ready.
  
  
• He is a great helper around the house. He will help me carry the folded laundry upstairs. If you need to find something, he will find it for you. When I come home from grocery shopping, he insists that you give him a bag to carry inside. When it is time to sweep the house, he and his brother will put up the carpet, foot rug and footstools. He will even take the broom and dustpan for you.
  
  
• The most special thing about this little guy is his warm, caring nature. If an aunty asks for something to eat, he will share his food. Last Saturday we were at a friend's farewell party. He walked up to an aunty that he hardly knows and offered his cup for her to drink. She, of course, would not take his cup. So he walked to the drink table and took a cup. He pointed at me to fill it up and then went back to the aunty and insisted she have a drink. Hahahah. He has got many "aunties" at church that dot over him. And he freely rewards them with his hugs and kiss.
  
  

Thoughts On China's Milk Problem

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeJust a quick post on this issue. It's horrible all these babies getting sick and dying from contaminated milk. Yesterday I got the message about the food items that have been recalled. Now everyone is wary about China products. I just can't help thinking:

• All the more reason why BREASTFEEDING IS BEST.
• Good motivation to stop eating sweets and ice-cream.

And my son has suggested we get our own cow.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Chinese milk fears spread in Asia
• China: Babies Killed By Bad Milk
• 53,000 Chinese Children Sick From Milk

Simple Kite Craft

If you're thinking of a way to keep your kids occupied, you can try this kite craft.

I traced a kite shape onto art block paper and had the kids color and decorate it. Then I used some string and tied up bits of crepe paper to make the tail.

KokoD wanted to fly the kites. Obviously these kites are not going to fly. Anyway, I wanted to make him happy so I did this instead:

That's as close as I can get them to fly. KokoD was semi happy. He still wants a kite to fly. Guess I'll just have to learn how to make one. Thank goodness I know someone who knows how to do it. Must ask her for instructions. Come to think of it, maybe I'll just look around for a cheap kite. Hahahah. Is there such a thing? CHEAP kite?

Mamas Parenting Tip

• When it comes to art, I believe you need give children ideas. I always have this thinking that we need to give our children the freedom to express themselves. That's true but I've also come to learn that before we let them "create", we need to guide them first.
  For example, after I drew the kites, I gave my children some colored paper to decorate the kite. When they came back to me with their finished work, I was like "huh?" It was like a few shapes randomly glued here and there, and the background was bare.
  So, then I took a pencil and drew a pattern on one kite. I suggested they use crayons to color coz' the colors are brighter and bolder. I also colored it a bit for them so they could see what I was talking about. I also gave them further suggestions like thinking about themes for their kites e.g. sea life, jungle etc.... Anyway, I think that helped give them a better idea about patterns as oppose to randomly sticking stuff here and there.
  
  
• This is a great way to teach about symmetry. You could fold the kite in half. You draw a pattern on one side and have them copy the other half.
  
  
• If you're going to hang the kite like I did, you might want the child to color both sides of the kite.

Happy crafting!

p.s. Don't forget to check out FUN KIDS CRAFT for many more easy kids craft ideas.

Vegetable Garden Planting

Yesterday was harvest day. Yum, yum! Just look at those freshy, green leafy vegetables. When they say organic vegetables tastes better, they are right.

These are the "Huang Ti Miao" I blogged about before at "Recycling Vegetables." By the way, it was pointed out by Adeline Tan (when she left a comment) that this vege is called Ceylon Spinach. Some of you mentioned that you were going to give it a try. How has it been? Or have you procrastinated your vegetable garden planting? These vegetables are one of the easiest kinds to grow and if you're looking to start a vegetable garden, I would recommend starting with these.

Here are just a few pictures of them growing in the garden. (Oh yeah, in case you don't have a garden, you can grow them in pots too).

This is just one patch of our vegetable garden. There's more at the back of the house.

Nice and fresh. Thanks to my DH's efforts. Hahahahah.
Just snip off the leaves and let it keep growing.

Mamas Parenting Tip

• Involve your children in your gardening work. Let them pull out weeds, dig a little, water the plants, or kill the snails. It's great quality time together as a family and they learn science first hand.
  
• Grow your own vegetables and you don't have to pay more for organic foods.
• Growing your own vegetables isn't only about saving money. Most of us in the city don't have enough land to grow a vegetable garden to sustain our family. But that doesn't mean we should shove the idea altogether. It's a wholesome activity and the skills you gain is priceless. With the state of the world today -- natural disasters, political unrests, war, and so many more uncertainties -- you never know. Maybe one day you really need to grow your own food. Would you have enough gardening knowledge then to survive?
• If you can help it, don't cement up the compound around your house. Cultivating a garden is more beneficial than that extra parking space. Really!

Lian recommends:
ORGANIC GARDENING BEGINNER'S MANUAL
If you want to start but don't know how, just read what Julie Villani has to share. She studied horticulture at TAFE, completing certificate III in Horticulture. She went from growing straggly plants to raising enough veges to feed her family. In this book she'll teach you how to prepare good soil, create an easy, 'no-dig' veggie plot, 5 easy ways to keep your garden weed free, secrets to composting, naturally protect your plants from pests, how to grow your food in limited spaces and many more.

Easy Kid's Craft: Bookmark

This was what I was busy doing yesterday: homemade bookmarks.


My daughter was rummaging through my table looking for one and I thought it would be a good idea to make one ourselves. Afterall, she has been bugging me to spend more time with her.

Since I'm not a crafty person, I searched the net for ideas. Came across a felt and ribbon bookmark. Seemed pretty easy plus I have some felt that I've been storing for years. There's also a lacy cloth in my "junk box". I used that instead of ribbon. It's about time I took these things out and put them to good use.

I didn't let the kids do the cutting. I let them do the designing and gluing instead. At first I used white glue but then decided that the glue gun is a better choice. End up we did a whole bunch because the kids wanted to give away to their friends and aunties at church. So here I am cutting away.

This is really a craft that only takes a few minutes to do (unless you decide to do tons of them).

I know I should do more craft work with my children. It really is a good way to have some bonding time. Not to mention encourage their creativity and develop their fine motor skills. It keeps them busy: away from trouble and away from the television. My problem is, I like hassle-free crafts. I will only consider doing it if they are really easy and if I already have the materials. That's why my craft sessions with my kids are sorely limited. Poor kids!

MAMAS PARENTING TIP

• Designate a craft box and stock up on some art stuff like felt, glitter, googley eyes, buttons, different kinds of colored and patterned paper, crepe paper, ribbons, stamps, glue gun, lace, glitter pens, pattern scissors, embellishments etc....
  

Anyway, I came across this ebook called "FUN KIDS CRAFTS". Really fun and easy kids craft ideas - all 700 of them. I'm sure you'll find some that suit your liking. There are mother's day crafts, toilet roll crafts, preschool crafts, christmas crafts, bible crafts, holiday crafts and many more.

If you really want to see how easy it is, just click the following to see some sample pages. Also check out the bonus e-books that come with it.
FUN KIDS CRAFT

Darn Those Stretch Marks!

Image via Wikipedia While spending time with my son, I decided to show him my stretch marks. Sort of an attempt to say "see what you kids have done to me!". Well, this is what he suggested:

"I think we need to cut it off. We should cut off the skin and then put a looooooong, loooooooong plaster that stretch until the back (pretending to put on the plaster, or some of you call it band-aid, and wrapping his hands across my tummy to my back). Cut off the skin so new skin can grow.
Oh, but what about the belly button? Mommy, how to cut the belly button? Aiyah, never mind-lah, cut it out also so you can have a new one, don't want this old looking one anymore."

I tell you, I was laughing my head off.

On the other hand, I was kinda impressed too because he actually incorporated what he had learned before to come up with a solution. You see, he sort of has this corn like infection on his finger and after putting some medication, some of the skin started to come off. So I explained to him that it's a good thing coz' then new skin will grow. I guess that's how he came to think of skinning my belly so new skin will grow. Hahahaha. But his comment on my belly button cracked me up.

Anyway, back to the topic of stretch marks -- how many of you mommies were able to get rid of stretch marks? I've tried the Palmer's coco butter and all it did was made my stomach itch. Apart from that, I guess I haven't been too diligent in trying to get rid of it. But lately I have been doing a little reading about stretch mark creams and thought I'd share the knowledge here.

So here are some tips if you are also wondering about stretch mark removal:

• First thing is, don't just choose any moisturizing product from off the shelf. You will need a product that can go deeper, past the skin's top layer (epidermis). Highly recommended are products that have high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin E, collagen, elastin, glycolic acid, and emu oil, liposomes and aloe vera gel. These ingredients are able to penetrate into your second layer of skin called the dermis. The dermis is where the stretch marks occur. They help to replace damaged skin cells and also activate the renewal of healthy cells.

• Eat foods that promote skin health such as those rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, zinc, silica and protein. These would include nuts, fish, carrots, citrus fruits, milk, eggs and leafy greens. The right kind of nutrition will help your skin stretch better and also to bounce back quicker after birth. Avoid coffee, caffeinated drinks, tea and smoking, as they are not good for your skin's health.

• Whether you get stretch marks or not are influenced by many factors such as:
  - Genetics. If your mother or sister had them during pregnancy, the chances of you getting them are higher.
  - Skin condition. Dry skin will be less elastic and makes you more prone to stretch marks.
  - Amount of physical stretching. If you are carrying a very large baby or more than one baby, you are more likely to develop stretch marks.
  - Ethnicity and skin tone. If you have fair skin, the probability of having them increases.

So, care to share your stretch mark experiences?

Here are some stretch mark cream reviews:

• Trilastin SR (Results in about 3-4 months, 1 tube can last up to 45 days)
  
• Revitol (active ingredients include squalene oil, aloe vera, Vitamin E, DL-Penthenol, and Vitamin A Palmitate)
• Purely Shea (100% organic, unrefined, unscented)

Tips of Positive Parenting Skills

Are you in need of some parenting booster? Feel that you could benefit from some tips of positive parenting skills?

Well, I sure do. Every morning for the past week, I tell myself that I'm NOT going to shout at the kids. I find that the home environment has not been too good lately. Too much negative energy -- us parents shouting at kids, kids shouting at each other. Aiyoh, really feel like running away sometimes. But I've come to realize that for the kids to change, I have to change first. That's why, before starting the day, I have to tell myself "I'm going to be a better mother today. I will be more calm." It does help a tiny bit to keep that statement in my mind the whole day. However, bad habits are hard to break.

Motherhood does seem tougher on certain days don't you agree? Anyway, just wanted to introduce this FREE parenting guide called BE A GREAT MAMA. It's wonderful to have these occasional reminders. I don't know about you but I always feel a little strengthen after reading such things.

It's a 29 page guide with the following parenting topics:

• Being a Role Model
• Showing Unconditional Love
• Being Consistent
• Protecting Our Kids
• Giving Them Choices
• Playing with Your Children
• Giving them Praise
• Avoiding Bribery
• Controlling Your Anger
• Listening to Your Kids

Get your copy now. Click the image below.

Fried Ikan Bilis

Actually, I don't really know the name of this dish. Plus, it's modified a bit from the one I used to eat. I remember when I was really young, my family would sometimes order this ikan bilis (anchovies) snack at the golf club, especially during bingo nights. Ahhh... memories.

Anyway, I decided that I should try to recreate the dish. My first attempt wasn't very good. The ikan bilis wasn't crispy enough. Second attempt my FIL helped out. I volunteered to bring this ikan bilis dish to a friend's farewell gathering. As I was kinda busy that day, I just described to him what the dish was suppose to be. Getting ready to cook, I realized that I had very little ikan bilis left; definitely not enough to feed many people. So, FIL suggested to add potatoes. He did a wonderful job with the dish. Very well modified. Watching how he cooked, I learned to do it the right way. Today, DH modified it further by adding tomatoes.

Usually for our meals, I have 3 dishes: 1 meat, 1 vege and 1 "whatever". This fried ikan bilis is a delicious "whatever" dish. So, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Ikan bilis
Potatoes - strips
Onions - sliced into rings
Red chilli
Cili padi (if you want it even more hot)
Tomato (optional) - cubes
Lime

How to cook:
Add enough oil for frying. Get it boiling hot.
Fry the ikan bilis until crispy brown. Put aside.
Fry potatoes until like french fry or crispier. Put aside.
Reduce the oil. Just leave a little bit to saute the onions.
Add in the chilli and tomato. Stir around for a few minutes.
Mix in the fried ikan bilis and fried potatoes.
Little bit of soy sauce.
Add sugar to taste (depends on how sweet you want it).
Dish it out, serve to eat.
Cut the lime in half. Squeeze over the dish before eating.

Hope you enjoy this salty, sweet and little bit of sour fried ikan bilis dish.

Striving To Make the Perfect Playdoh

I realized the other day that it's been ages since I made playdoh. I checked my blog and the last playdoh time was October 2006. Yikes! Well, since baby D have yet to be introduced to playdoh, I made some again. This time, I decided to use the recipe that required the dough to be cooked.

I made 4 different colored balls. Each time I did one, I strived to make the perfect playdoh.

1. First attempt, I used this recipe provided by EJBABY when she left a comment on that last playdoh post.

World's Best Playdough Recipe
1 c. flour
1/4 c. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
1 c. water
1 T. oil
2 t. food colouring
Mix dry ingredients in medium pot. Add water, oil and food colouring. Cook and stir over medium heat. When the mixture forms a ball in the pot, turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface.

Problem: I learned that you shouldn't cook the flour mixture over the fire. It burns really fast. Thank goodness the burnt smell didn't stay on the playdoh. Yes, it turned out okay in the end. But it really was not a good thing for the bottom of my pot. And I think I used 2 tbsp of cream of tartar instead of 2 tsp.

2. Next batch, I decided to use another recipe from a book called "The Preschooler's Busy Book" by Trish Kuffner.



Colored Playdough Recipe
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, then knead until smooth.

Problem: I didn't read properly and mixed the salt and cream of tartar to the flour first. I was suppose to put those two ingredients with the liquid and keep the flour aside to be added later. Well, I pinched away what I could. I didn't mix it in with the flour yet so they were kinda still sitting at the top. In the end, playdoh turned out okay.

3. Batch #3 I decided maybe doing the cooked version of playdoh didn't suit me. I went back to the uncooked playdoh recipe.

Uncooked Playdough
1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Food coloring
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstach
Mix water, salt, oil and food coloring to make a bright color. Gradually add flour and cornstarch until the mixture reaches the consistency of bread dough.

Problem: I halved the recipe. I didn't need 3 cups of flour. The texture is not as nice as the cooked version. It was very hard to knead. This was very noticeable coz' I just did 2 batches of the cooked one and that was nice and soft.

4. Last batch, I decided to give the cooked version another try. I think I got it right this time. By then, I was already exhausted and decided that the kids have sufficient playdoh. Plus, I've had enough with mess already.

Mamas Parenting Tip

• If you want to make some homemade playdoh, try the cooked version. It is very much softer and the texture is smoother.
• The cream of tartar is suppose to make the playdoh long lasting, even up to 6 months. But it must be kept in an airtight container of ziploc bag.
• DON'T cook the flour over the fire. Cook the "liquid" part over the fire. Add the flour only after you've removed the "liquid" from the fire. If not, get ready for a black bottom and lots of scrubbing.
  
• When you start kneading the flour, it's going to be hot! Of course-lah, you just cooked the "liquid" right? Use a spoon, spatula or something first and stir around.
• If the playdoh is a bit sticky, sprinkle with flour. At first I had the children play on newspapers laid on the ground but they said when they pressed down, some of the playdoh would stick to the paper. In the end, I gave them my cutting boards and dusted it with some flour.