Today on 19.4.2018...

I never knew before that the worries of a mother can stretch as vast as the ocean, until I become one myself. Before, my daily routine consists mainly of work and what-to-eat for lunch and dinner, where to chill on TGIFs. Given my 天塌下来，用被盖-mentality, WORRY doesn't seem to even strike me at any time.

I always believe that things around me happen for a reason and whatever that is placed upon me, it is God's work and it is meant to make me LEARN and become a STRONGER person; for my family, for myself. 

The day WORRY came visiting, was the day I realize there is a little precious one in me. Every step I took, every meal I ate, even my sleeping posture became A BIG DEAL overnight. I worry about baby's growth development; I think those were the time I talked to God most 😆. The same kind of worry repeated when I was carrying my second little precious. And the worries went on to the next level when they are unwell, when they fall, etc..

Walking their childhood journey with them, all by myself, was the toughest yet the most fulfilling periods of my life; especially when they were merely 20-months apart. Many asked me "How did you do it?" - that was a GOOD question! 

Becoming a mother myself has made me re-think about my life. Going back to as far as my childhood time, tertiary journeys, rebellious periods and OL days. Re-visiting the different stages of my life made me realize my strengths and weaknesses. It was like an eye-opening and it felt like I finally began to understand WHO I REALLY AM. And I started to think about WHAT I CAN DO, to improve on myself so that I can help my girls to achieve their brighter journeys. 

Today on 19.4.2018...I would say my biggest worry for the girls is their safety. When Singapore seems to be a safe country (compared to others), it doesn't seems so anymore. There have been cases of e-scooters knocking down on little children and elderly. Just 2 days ago, there were a video that was circulating on social media and whatsapp, about a school girl who got hit by a car while crossing the road - my heart almost stopped! And another one - an elderly man who was walking at a carpark and was hit by a reversing taxi. Paranoid - YES, this is the word now. 

All mishaps could have been avoided - can it? can it not?? It is no more about teaching them the safety rules when crossing the roads. I even have to get them to watch out for scooters or e-scooters or bicycles when we walk our from our lifts, leading to the walkways UNDER OUR VOID DECK! There have been a few accidents AT the zebra crossing near our block. Some of the drivers don't even bother to slow down at zebra crossings - perhaps it is time to install cctv at ALL pedestrian crossings?

I am a driver myself. I understand that when I am taking the wheel, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of myself, those in my car, and also the pedestrians. 

For drivers: 

IF YOU ARE UNWELL, DON'T DRIVE. 

IF YOU ARE IN A BAD MOOD, DON'T DRIVE. 

IF YOU ARE IMPATIENT, DON'T DRIVE. 

IF YOU ARE IN A RUSH, DON'T DRIVE (because you are risking another person's life and you won't know until it happens).

For pedestrians: 

NOTHING IS THAT URGENT THAT WE HAVE TO RISK OUR SAFETY FOR IT.

OUR LIFE IS MOST IMPORTANT IN THIS WHOLE WORLD - TREASURE IT.

🙏

Today on 11.4.2018...

Waking up with a heavy-head is the last thing every mother look forward to. Especially for those who needs to rush their kids to school before heading to work themselves.

Today, I woke up with one but the early morning rush of preparing breakfast and getting the girls ready still continues. Lucky for me is I have already stopped working 😉 ; oh ya, I have stopped my Kindy-job and now back to being a Full-Time SAHM again. Yes, AGAIN 😆. Why do I stop since my younger girl is in Primary One now. Well, when the time comes and I think I need to stop, I stop ~ it is just this simple. Financially ok, not ok? That has never come into my mind in whatever decisions I need to make; we are NOT RICH. Rather, the word 'Sacrifices' calls for us. Everyone works and lives differently, we decides and choose what is best for us. Every morning is a blessing now that I get to take breakfast with Aaron before he leaves for work and on some days, I catch-up with friends over breakfast - all these I never had time to do for the past 3 years.

Back to where I started ~ heavy-headed. It could be due to the natural sauna environment we have in Singapore or the second-most anticipated period has come ~ SA1 😅 ! I still remember I was an extreme student who loves exam periods during my school days - CRAZY right? Yeah, that's me. And now, not just one but BOTH my girls are taking their SA1, commencing next week! Yes, I'm excited too! So excited that it took me TWO days to work out their exam preparation, taking into consideration to give Alexis FREE time on her CCA days and the days she have piano lessons. Not forgetting that Saturdays are also meant to be a RELAX day too -  "striking a balance in work and play" is always rooted in my mind.

When you are the designated person who takes care of household, daily meals, their well-being AND when you are also are their TUTOR for all subjects, this is really NO JOKE. Again, this is my choice. Most importantly, I am happy doing what I am doing.

Mommies, the time has come; it always will come 😆. Let's embrace it, have fun battling it together with our kids and 加油🙆!
 
Today on 11.4.2018...I woke up with a heavy-head, yet I am feeling happy because I am back on my blog once again 💖.

Today on 07.4.2018...A foody-day Saturday at CitySquare

There are days when I am just so lazy to whip up just the simplest meal, these are the days when we will step out of the house, take a slow stroll to the nearby shopping mall and simply indulge ourselves with whatever we can find.

Today, after the girls' swimming lesson at APS. We head down to City Square mall for our lunch. We went to Chick-a-boo, ordered our sets and took some funny shots while waiting.

The sets come with three sides of our choice and I will give a SUPER LIKE  for the chicken. 

Which flavor did I gobbled? Of course SPICY for me! 😏

After our finger-licking-good lunch, we walked around and Daddy said: why don't we have our early dinner here too 😤 ?!!! I think he must be on a eating mood. We walked in Decathlon, Daiso, "K"rafers' Paradise  (Art Supplies), and soon it was 5pm! 

We stopped in front of a newly-opened cafe, The Lazy Garden. They were having a 1-for-1 promotion on mains and so we decided to give it a try!

The girls were thrilled when their sets were served to them in cute mickey-shaped plates (apologies, I simply couldn't adjust the photo proper! 😡

We were satisfied with the food, price was reasonable too and staffs were attentive to our needs; another LIKE given today!

Today on 30.3.2018...An adventurous Good Friday at Forest Adventure

Holidays are always precious for us, more now especially both our girls are in primary school. 

Our plans are mostly impromptu and today, on Good Friday, we decided to head down to Forest Adventure for an adventurous day! 

I checked their website for the available time slots and confirmed our preferred time. As there is a height restrictions for different course, and it was our very first time there, we opted for the Kids Course; $36 per children $25 per accompanying adult (inclusive of the Big Zip). 

The girls were excited and quick to take their breakfast and in no time, they were changed and all ready to go!

The weather was great when we arrived, with occasional breeze as we embarked on our adventure! Alexia, being the bolder and 'chilli padi' in our family, decided she would be the first to go, followed by me, then Alexis and Daddy being the protector of the family was on the last. The kids course has a total of 22 crossings including two awesome ziplines. Step-by-step, we completed the whole course in about an hour. Just when we have completed the whole course, the rain started to pour ~ victory downpour? 😄

We enjoyed ourselves tremendously and the girls were asking to come again ~ and yes, we will!

Every family outing is important to us. Not only we get to have fun together, we learn to overcome whatever obstacles and challenges ahead of us. Many times, through play together, we are also able to find out the strengths and weaknesses of our children. And by learning together, we are also helping our children to overcome feelings of fear, insecurity etc. 

I believe in helping a child, taking little baby steps at a time. This approach not only helps the child to overcome his fear, his confidence level will increase to a higher level.

Life is all about taking baby steps ~ all we need is just that little bit of patience and we can help our children soar!

Today on 13.3.2018...on a calm evening...

When we have nothing to do and all feeling happy and relax, we have our crazily FUN 😆

This is what happens when daddy is not around and it's an ALL-GIRLS Night!

Family ~ Where Life Begins and Love Never Ends

Family ~ Where Life Begins and Love Never Ends

Do you still remember what made you decide that it is time for you to tie the knot with your partner?
Was it that unforgettable proposal that he had literally swept you off ground?
Was it because age is catching up and anyway you have been together for so so long...and so it is time to?

Whatever the factor was, it doesn't really matter anymore.
What matters now (after being married) is the 'How' and 'What' you both can do to start your family and never let it end.

Aaron and I decided to tie our knot within a year of our courtship. When we sent out our invites to relatives and friends, many of them went 'So fast?' etc.. We settled for an alfresco outdoor wedding at 1-TwentySix, Playground @Big Spash (just googled that it has ceased operation) and a month after that (as planned), we were promoted to become Daddy and Mommy! I quit my job and prep myself for the Motherhood Journey. Was I nervous or worried? Not at all! Other than the very bad morning sickness that lasted almost 5 months, I was really enjoying every moment and counting down to the day of delivery. I told myself that I am already a mother and I sure can take care of my own baby, without any help - and I did it; not once but twice!

There is a Chinese sayings ‘船到桥头，自然直’ (to cross that bridge when we come to it). I am a positive person. I always believe that 'where there is a will, there is a way' and this notion has seen me thru many life's experiences; the good, the bad and the worst. The state of mind is of utmost importance in our life. It not only controls every part of our body, it actually ruled it and our future is highly dependent on it.

Most would agree with me that before and after marriage, before and after having children, things DO change; such as commitments and responsibilities. The change is often more significant in women. The promises that we have made to our husbands, that 'I will not neglect you even after our baby is born' (doesn't this ring a bell? lol) - how many of us have kept it? On behalf of Mommies, I say this to the Daddies: We are not neglecting you. We are just temporary taking away OUR time to give it to our little ones and we hope to have this understanding from you that this move is necessary and one day (very soon) the lost time will come back to you. It may sound selfish to some, but I believe that there are few out there who truly understand the need for this lost.

Having said that, I admit that ever since the birth of Alexis (my 1st girl), I have given almost all my time to my children. Some may say this is poor time-management. Some may say 'Same here!". I do not have to defend myself nor do I have to explain further. YOU don't have to either :). We all know more than anyone else, why things have change from before to now. And the point here is not to make any other person understand because the only person who matters and the only person who need to understand is OUR PARTNER.

Still remember the marriage vows that was witnessed by many? "...to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, as long as we both shall live" ?

Commitment is a mindset . . . an attitude . . . a way of thinking that will enable you and your spouse to navigate through the still waters and the storms of a marriage relationship. Along the journey, during the transition periods from courting to married to becoming parents, there is bound to have arguments or even fights - these are simply parts and parcels of life and due to the differences in every individual; Man and Woman.

If you have have not read the book on 'Man are from Mars, Woman are from Venus', I strongly recommend you to grab one today! This is definitely a MUST READ for EVERY man and woman. This book has enlightened me a lot in terms of relationships and how our brains are wired differently. I came to understand that many disagreements can be agreed, many fights can be un-fought . . . if only we know why man don't listen and they accept that we don't read maps! I read the book many years back, it is amazingly interesting and a good read! 

However there are still many days that I got up from the wrong side of bed and even the angels can't help me think right - I am still ME. There will be days when everything seems all so perfect and suddenly the next day, nothing seems right. What I want to say is... when 2 persons decide to come together as 1, to start a brand new life together, to create a better tomorrow... this is where Life begins and Love Never Ends.

Aaron and I have fought the worst-est fights, but at the end of every fight, it is very important we know that we fight so much because we actually love each other. Just like the fights with our parents, siblings, besties... we fight with the people we love because we usually want something, we want to be loved by them, feel supported, and we want them on our side AT ALL TIMES.

The next time you begin to feel that 'it is over', think about WHEN it Begins. Just like the love of a mother for her child . . . when love begins, it NEVER ends . . .

EZEQUE Skin Therapy for Dry, Itching and Sensitive Skin

Count yourself LUCKY if you or your precious little ones are not suffering from dry and sensitive skins. Be more sensitive with words you use when you encounter someone who is scratching all the way because non-intentional words hurts and it can ruin ANY person's self-esteem.

I am talking on behalf of all stressed-up mommies whose little ones are suffering from eczema. Being one of them, I empathize the helplessness when we watch them scratch till their skin bleeds. Other than trying our very best to rid of any allergens that may cause any adverse reaction to their skin, the other task that all of us consistently do is to moisturize their skin every few hours with whatever lotions that is best in our knowledge. We used to indulge in the best skincare on our faces, and now we spent almost every cent to get the best lotions and creams that is said to be good for eczema skin.

We know that every single thing that comes into contact with their skin, like body wash, shampoo, lotions and even apparels, if not selected with great care, may cause their eczema to flare up. However, most of us, still will give that new product a TRY - because "...everything I do (try), I do (try) it for you (our children)".

Same for me, I have tried everything that I have heard (that is good) - from off-the-shelves to expensive ones from dermatologists, from applying fresh aloe vera to feeding her with pure cedar nut oil, from switching her entire diet to ONLY-organic stuffs. One simple fact I know and am praying very very hard is that 'eczema is for life, and most of the time it will be outgrown as the child grows older' (crossing my fingers!). But before that miracle day comes, I will never stop doing my homework - to find the one product that will help her relief her itch and moisturize her skin MINUS the oily-feel.

Of all the creams and lotions that I have applied on Alexia's skin, Physiogel A1 range is what I would strongly recommend. The creams and lotions have anti-itch effect, and it keeps the skin moisturize well. However, it doesn't pass me off totally because of the oily-feel from the cream and the other point is - A1 range is not sold in pharmacies,  I got mine from their PD at United Sq and I understand that only PDs and hospitals carry it.. and so, my search continues...

As the saying goes: It is always good to keep an open eye! Terence from SEC called and told me that a new product is on the way and we can try it for Alexia. His description on 'Non-steroid' and 'Itch Relief' attracted me. Well-known for his good service, Terence passed me the samples the very next day, just the right time as Alexia was having a flare up.

The set came in 2 bottles, a Mist Spray and Moisturizing Cream.

SEC Mist Spray

The function of the mist spray is to soothe and relieve itchiness fast, which prevent and stop the scratching. In addition, the formulation works to moisturize and hydrate the skin from inside out. The spray has anti-septic ingredients, hence it is great for open wounds too (*there will be a mild stingy sensation when sprayed on open wounds)

SEC Cream

The function of the cream is to seal and block off foreign particles from entering the skin. It prevents loss of water and moisture from the skin by covering the skin's surface, closing the cracks and enhances the skin barrier.

I tried this combination and am really satisfied with the results as it does relieve her skin's itch almost instantly and her skin was moisturize without the oily-feel! Of course, the most important factor for me is that it is Steroid free and Paraben free! It is so compact that I can bring it out wherever I go!

I tested it on her elbow and the back of her thigh and below are some pictures which I have taken over a duration of 3-5 days.

(elbow) Day 1

(elbow) Day 2

(elbow) Day 3

(elbow) Day 4 - Inflammation reduced and skin repaired!

(back of thigh) Day 1

(back of thigh) Day 2

(back of thigh) Day 3 - Inflammation cleared!

Today, many of us go for Paraben-FREE and Sulfate-FREE products because of the harmful chemicals that can affect our health and skin. We also know that too much steroids will cause thinning of the skin and therefore we try our very best to reduce the use of it; unless necessary.

If you, your little ones, or even anyone you know of, is suffering from eczema, you may want to share this with them ~ Your sharing may change a person's life!

You can make a date with Terence @6659 7890 and head down to their office at 1Pemimpin Drive OR visit their store at Takashimaya, (Household Department, Level B1)
http://www.seclifestyle.com.sg/index.php/store-locations

Western Medicines Or Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) ???

When you are not feeling well, or someone in your family requires medical attention, where do you go - the nearest GP clinic or TCM? Do you believe ONLY in 1 of the 2 practices or you think that each has its own specialty?

As for myself (and I believe many of you too), my mom brought me and my brother to our family GP clinic when we are unwell. In fact, almost all of those whom I know, seek consultation from the Western practices; which is considered a norm. How about those who prefer the TCM - do we label them as 'exceptions'? Ironically, those who believe more in TCM may call us the 'exceptions'.

I would say there is no right or wrong, whichever one prefers is solely based on his beliefs and most of the time, these beliefs are results of Upbringing & Habits - We have been brought up to consult the western practitioners, from the day we are born for the vaccinations and so since we are there, our parents (and now us), conveniently consult the doctor for any health-related concerns.

I have never given any thought to how TCM can help improve one's health, nor have I ever step into one when I am down. It was not until I was into my early 30's, the time when my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer, when she started to undergo chemotherapy, that I started to get interested to learn more about the other options, besides western medicines. My mom was not the first one in the family who was hit by cancer. Her father (my most beloved Grandpa) was also diagnosed with colon cancer 2 years before her diagnosis - he lost it after 1.5years of battling. My family was strongly hit by CANCER - since 2006 till now, it has taken away a total of 6 family members; which includes grandpa, mom, god-ma, aunty and 2 uncles - and this is a huge blow to me and their next-of-kins.

I would sit before the computer for hours and into the wee hours, just to learn more about what Cancer is all about and how chemotherapy can have adverse effects on a patient and what other options should one go for to quickly boost up his immunity since all the good and bad cells will go with chemotherapy. I am not being paranoid after having witness so many of them gone. I just feel there is definitely more to what one can do to fight and win this cruel battle. I am grateful for my desire to learn more and the never-stop-learning mentality as I then realize the importance of collaborating the Western & Eastern Medicines towards having a STRONGER Body and Mind, especially for one who is undergoing chemotherapy or has any health or even skin disorders.

Now a mother of 2, maintaining every one's health in the pinkest level, has top my priority list. I always believe in keeping myself open to every options that is available and that positivity leads to better things in life. On top of supplementing our health, I am also concern over my younger daughter's eczema issue. I started us on a liquid health supplement (Vemma) in September 2012 and today my girls are enjoying their weekly Paediatric Tui-na (推拿) massage at Thomson Medical TCM, which I believe will strengthen their digestive systems, build up their immunity and in turn improve my girl's eczema issue.

There is a very important lesson that I have learn from one of the TCM doctor, she said:
"A person may be taking the most expensive ginseng everyday...BUT if he does not maintain a healthy lifestyle, every single bit of the ginseng or any life's elixir will only go to waste. Whether western or eastern medicines, bear in mind, neither of it cures. Ultimately it is the Lifestyle that plays the MAJOR role in a person's life." 
And she further explained to me a healthy lifestyle means: a good diet, a positive mindset, stress and anger management, quality sleep and exercise!

Positivity will block the negative thoughts that overwhelm you during tough times. 

Stay positive and you'll achieve more than what you set yourself for.

SEC Shower - A Solution To Dry And Itchy Skin

"Stop scratching or your skin will become worse!"

Does the above ring a bell to you? Or is this a common sentence you often use? Hmm... this has been a daily sentence that I have been using for more than a year and I guess my girls are getting tired listening to me. Almost everyday, I would say that to Alexia and I know as she is growing up, she too is getting annoyed with her skin condition.

Of course I know that it is not that she like or want to scratch, I know that other than scratching, there is almost nothing else she can do to relieve the itch, even if the area starts to bleed. Yes - you hear me right, she would even continue to scratch when it has began to bleed! And there I would go - screaming at her to "STOP"!

Hey, you must be thinking I am such a bad mommy, so hard-hearted. Don't comment so fast unless you are in my shoes. Or you may say: If I was in your shoes, I would show more patience and love towards her. Fair enough, I agree with you. I agree that being a mother, especially when my child is suffering from eczema, I should show more love and patience towards her. I did! I swear I did - showered her with MORE love and patience. Unfortunately, there are just some days when my impatience would overtake my patience, my anger (or rather helplessness) would take over my love and I just hit my top!

I believe there are also someone out there, who feels the same way as me. We try so hard to do what we can, to prevent them from scratching, to prevent their skin from bleeding, but no matter how hard we try, the one split second that we move away from them, come the onset of the bleeding and there goes the almost-recovering skin again.

I am not asking for understanding here nor trying to defend myself. I am just saying that, seeing my child suffer is the last thing I want and even on days when anger took over everything else, I have never stop looking for whatever solution there is to help improve her skin.

I bring her to recommended doctors, Western or TCMs. Very often, I was consoled by doctors and friends that there were more worse cases than her. But this has never stop me from looking on for anything that may be good for her. I tried various cleansers and moisturizers, I changed her whole diet to only organic food. I invested in good vacuum that is able to trap the finest dust, to provide a cleaner environment for her. I surf the internet every night on all eczema-related websites. I try to find natural and home-remedies because I do not like the constant use of steroid creams. I would do everything from A-Z to help her improve her condition as we all know that eczema is almost incurable - all we can do is to pray hard that she will outgrow it sooner, and try our very best to maintain the skin and prevent any flare ups.

In April 2013, our prayers were somehow answered. Aaron read from Young Parents magazine about the SEC Shower system that can help people with skin sensitivity and eczema. Without ANY hesitation, we scheduled an appointment to find out more. The representative gave us a demo on how the system works and explained the technology that was in used.

 

Any hope is a hope for Alexia and of course we bought the Shower system and the installation was scheduled on that very Saturday! When investing in any product, I always look on the benefits of it. The water bubbles created a soothing pressure when it touches the skin. MOST importantly, we observed that Alexia's skin has become more moisturized and she does not scratch as badly as before. And ever since then, my girls always look forward to their bath-time.

Good things are meant to be shared.
I am not bragging about this Shower system for any reasons.I understand the helplessness any parents have when they have a child who is suffering from eczema and I just hope that this system can help relieve the child's discomfort, the way it has helped Alexia.


If you would like to find out more about the shower system, below is their address and contact for your easy reference.

SEC International Pte Ltd
1 Pemimpin Drive , #07-09 One Pemimpin, Singapore 576151
Tel: (65) 6659 7890    Fax: (65) 6234 6528

 **The representatives are very friendly and I definitely love their after-sales service.

Fun at NOOK: D.I.Y House of Pancakes

I am always on the lookout to visit places or restaurants that serves nice food or anything different from the norm. And today, a mommy friend recommended me to NOOK: D.I.Y House of Pancakes, where we can create our own pancake and eat it!

We decided to head down to the shop today for an advance celebration of my elder girl, Alexis's 4th birthday, together with my younger girl, Alexia and her younger son, Lucas (Alexis's classmate). The shop was located at Bukit Timah, 21 Lorong Kilat,#01-03 S’pore 598123.

The parking lots were parallel parking and being a lousy parallel-parker, you can imagine how long it took me to park; luckily the 3 kiddos were patience enough.

While heading towards NOOK, we walked pass another interesting bakery café, with antique English furnishing; Carpenter and Cook. Perhaps I will find an excuse to head down to this café one day soon.

We were the first customers at NOOK and upon entering the shop, we were welcomed by the sweet aroma of the pancakes mix. Though I didn't took much pictures of the shop, I personally love the interior deco as it gives me a sense of something exciting that is about to happen!

We took the table just in front of the wall that shows the name 'NOOK' and ordered:
2 bottles of pancake mix; choc and strawberry + rainbow sprinkles and m&m choc toppings, a plate of Breakfast Bully and Caesar Salad.

The minute the toppings were served, one can easily imagine that there is no chance for the m&m to even have a chance to be used as toppings on the pancakes ~ it was soon gone into our little tummys! Our little ones were really fast-learners. We only had to show them once and they soon were showing off their new skills. We all had such great fun creating different shapes and designs.

My personal take about NOOK:
* Recommended for friends, dating couples, family with kids 3 year olds and above.
* Rating on menu selection: I would give 3 out of 5
* Pancakes: wide flavour varieties, ranging from all-loved chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, etc..

Generally, a FUN-place where creativity says it all!

Supermarket FUN @Jelita Cold Storage

What is the best place you can think of that is most educational to our little ones? 
The place that we (mommies) frequent most, some 2-3 times per week, others EVERYDAY - SUPERMARKETS! 

Most of us used to have our little babies in carrier or slings when we visit the supermarkets , and when they are able to sit up, we have them seated in the trolley. It is almost since birth that they have got themselves so familiar with the supermarket environment that we are not even aware of. And very soon when they take on their baby-steps, almost all of them begin to imitate us by wanting to manouver the trolley. And this is the best time we grab their curiosity of their surroundings and things around them by introducing to them, the various greens and fruits, the household neccessities etc. This is the one place that they will always frequent from now till they are old!

Alexis and Alexia loves the trolley and they love mimicking the way I shop for my groceries. Each time we visit the supermarket, they will fight to push the trolley, they will try to put in the whole supermarket into the trolley (and I ended up putting the things back to their shelves) and we ended up spending more time in there.

And when I found this cold storage outlet in Jelita, you can imagine the excitement when they saw the child-sized trolleys! They insisted to have one each and happy enough to strike a pose with their new-found-toy! And needless to say, we spent more than an hour in this supermarket!

It was fun and funny to see the two of them pushing their own trolley, telling one another 'what-they-need' and putting it into their own cart and at the same time, trying to compete with one another to have more items than the other. 

Some of us may find it annoying when children makes too much noise in supermarkets. To me, this is part of learning FUN and a way to improve their gross motor skills as they learn to manovere the trolley by taking care not to knock into any persons or things along their way. At the same time, language and math is introduced as they learn the names of various types of food and household necessities and the price of each item - don't you agree this is a great place for learning?!!!

Head down to Jelita cold storage with your little ones, if you can't think of any FUN place you can bring them to.

The simplest FUN very often creates abundance knowledge and wonderful experiences for the little ones!

Happy Marketing, Kiddos!

Venue:
293 Holland Road
#01-01 Jelita Shopping Centre S(278628)
Mon - Sun : 24 hours

Today is Christmas....

Today is Christmas ~ And I only have one wish in my mind and I hope my prayers will be heard.

I pray that 2nd aunt will be blessed with the STRENGTH to pull her through her fight with cancer.
I wish YOU who have heard my prayers will give her ALL the strength she need.

2nd aunt ~ my mom's twin sister.

My mom lost her battle to cancer 4 years ago, after not making it on the 3rd surgery, in a short period of 6 months.

My grandpa lost his battle 6 years ago.

My 2 uncles lost theirs; 1st uncle within six months after my mom, 3rd uncle - a year after.

How many more of my family members do you still want to take away?!!

It is time you leave my family alone!

When I walked into the familiar environment, filled with people with worried faces, with an air of 'emptiness' as I entered the room where my 2nd aunt was. When I saw her lying on the bed, my tears rolled down instantly. I stroke her forehead, I held her hand in mine - I felt as if I was holding my mom's!

The whole scenario seems to be re-playing again!

It is really time YOU leave my family ALONE!

Great Day/Experience at HappyWillow, Fusionpolis

Today's parents not only are busy with our children's daily activities, most of us are very often busy attending birthday parties of our children's friends or our friends' children.

Whenever I attended such parties, I would look into how well the event is organized, the cleanliness of the venue and the attentiveness of the staffs - hmm, what a typical mother. Well, I supposed all these matters especially if I am considering to bring my kids back there for a Fun-day or perhaps (who knows) it might be the next birthday venue for my girls.

So far, I have attended parties at Go-Go-Bambini, The Gym @Tanglin Mall and @Rochester Mall, and also (today) @HappyWillow.

I must say that all 4 have their own good way in planning for the birthday event; keeping in mind on safety, as well as program planned such that even the youngest child will get to enjoy the FUN.

Having attended today's party at HappyWillow, I MUST and have to compliment on the attentiveness and helpfulness of the staffs. Why? All because both my girls decided to 'test their patience' ;).

1st incident: my younger girl spilled over a cup full of orange juice. Less than 2 seconds, one of the staff came over to my rescue. I apologized for the mess, got my little one (1yo) to apologize; she did with her 'ori' :). The staff smiled and replied 'No worries at all'. :)

2nd incident (just 10min after the first): this time the test was put up by my elder girl (3yo)...hmm, I should not have embarrased her by saying this publicly but (ok let's just read and forget about this tomorrow ok? ;)). She couldn't hold on much longer and gave the party floor a 'quick-wash'; okok, she pee :(...Luckily the party room was left with me, my girl and a few standing adults (it was near to ending time). The adults went 'oooooohhhh' and I could sense my girl's embarrassment and quickly said (to the adults) "ooh, it was mommy's fault". Again, within the next second, the lady-staff came over with a mop and said to us (smiling), "it's ok, mommy can you bring her one side while I clean up the area"...This time, I apologized repeatedly for the 2 'accidents', my girl apologized too and she told me 'don't worry about it at all, she is still young'... :):):)

Well done HappyWillow and Congratulations Jason ~ for having a Great Team working with you!

Will I be a return-customer? A DEFINITE - 'YES' :), not just because of what the staffs have done for me today.

HappyWillow is a play-gym that caters not only to the kids but Jason has the parents in mind too, for creating a very cozy Willow Lounge area where we can sit, relax and have a cuppa, while our kids roam the 'Play Garden'.  There are also pretend-play child-size furnitures and tools, cars etc.. Not forgetting, there is a Book Burrow with a wide array of children's books for the little 'bookworms'!

Now - would you not want to visit Happy Willow???

Well, I have already made an appointment to be there this coming Fri (23 Nov) for their First-Ever 'Willow Festive Fair'. See you, Jason and Team!

Wait, wait, Thanks Donna for having us and giving me an eye-opening at HappyWillow ~ A Great Party with Great Event Organizers @a Great Venue! :)



From left: Leia (bday girl), Donna, Alexia, ME

Sliding-FUN: (my 2 Angels) Alexia and Alexis

What is that rash on my Baby's Face???

I guess this is one of the 'top' worry faced by many parents (especially Mommies) when they notice a sudden outbreak of rash on their baby's face or any part of the body.

I also experienced the same worry during Alexis and Alexia's time. And the funny thing is they both developed face rash just 1 week prior to their baby shower! What a time for the rash to come. Just when we are happily, looking forward to, and getting real excited to the day we celebrate their one-month old party, little one suddenly decides to look 'better with natural blusher'???

I know it is not just them because I very often see or hear friends telling me their little one developed face rash just few days before the BIG Party!

Hmm...Is it due to hormone change? Just what could it be??

This topic is extremely important for me because my younger one, Alexia, has eczema and it became worst when she was near to 5months old. Till today, we are still combating with her eczema. We have brought her to many doctors, not to mention Specialists, Professors. Done allergy-tests but results showed that she does not have ANY food allergy, tried several applied-on creams and lotions, mild shower baths etc..sad and angry to say with not much of improvements.

As we do not want to poison her skin further with steroid creams, we did our reseach online and have tried applying aloe vera, pure shea butter, mangosteen on the affected areas. We have also started to give her a daily (1-oz) dosage of health supplements (made of mangosteen) and have seen slight GOOD improvements (crossing our fingers tightly).

I heard that many children outgrow eczema by age 2 while others by adulthood. And I pray hard that that day will come for Alexia too. It just pain me to see her skin flare and especially when she starts scratching.

What could it be? What could be the cause? How long will it last? How to cure it?
Acne can be present at birth, but more often it shows up after a couple of weeks. This rash presents as red or white bumps on the baby's forehead, temples or cheeks and even the back. The area can can become more pronounced if baby is hot or fussy, or if his skin is irritated by saliva, spit-up milk, or fabric that's a little rough or has been washed in strong detergent.

Newborn acne happens because in the final stages of pregnancy, the mother's hormones cross the placenta into the baby, stimulating oil glands. If you take certain medications while nursing, or if your baby takes certain medications, they might trigger baby acne. However, blemishes on your new baby's face aren't necessarily acne. It could be reaction caused by a skincare product, particularly an oily one that can block pores.

Baby acne usually clears up within a few weeks, but it can linger for months. If it doesn't clear up within three months, or you're concerned about it, talk with your baby's doctor. The doctor may prescribe a mild topical medication if the acne is long lasting or severe.
Persistent baby acne may be a clue that your child will deal with acne when he's a teenager, too.
Parents should wash their baby's face with warm water and mild baby soap once or twice a day and then gently pat it dry, but should avoid scrubbing the acne or using creams, oils, or over-the-counter acne medications, because these will only cause the acne to worsen.
Milia is a common baby rash that can be mistaken for baby acne since it also presents on the face. But milia presents as white bumps, not red.

Milia occur when dead skin becomes trapped in small pockets at the surface of the skin or mouth.
Most cases of milia disappear on their own within several weeks. Wash your baby's face with warm water two or three times a day and pat it dry. Don't use lotions, oils or other treatments. Never pinch or scrub milia or baby acne. You may cause more irritation or an infection.

Eczema (more often described as dermatitis) is a skin condition that can affect not only the face but also the whole body! There are different types of eczema, depending on the root causes of the problem but they all have one thing in common: they result in dry, itchy, red and cracked skin, which can become sore and bleeding through scratching.
Eczema typically comes and goes. It isn't contagious, but because it's intensely itchy, it can be very uncomfortable, and scratching can be a problem. If untreated, the rash can be unsightly, so it may present a social challenge for a child, too.

The tendency to have eczema is often inherited. So your child is more likely to have it if you or a close family member has had eczema, asthma or allergies.

Eczema is not an allergic reaction to a substance, but allergens or irritants in the environment (such as pollen or cigarette smoke) can trigger it. Less frequently, it can be triggered by allergens in your child's diet – or in your diet if your child is breastfeeding.

The rash can also be aggravated by heat, irritants that come in contact with the skin (like wool or the chemicals in some soaps, fragrances, lotions, and detergents), changes in temperature, and dry skin. Stress can also trigger a flare-up of eczema.

How to treat eczema?
1. Use an emollient (a medical moisturiser)
These are sold over the counter as creams, lotions, ointments, bath oils and gels that help to reduce water loss from the skin, making it less dry and itchy. It's best to use them after a bath or shower to lock moisture into the skin.

2. Try steroid creams
An appropriate-strength cream prescribed by your GP when the eczema flares up can reduce inflammation and itching.

3. Change diet
Although diet is rarely the only trigger for eczema, according to the National Eczema Society, food is thought to be one of its causes in around 30% of young children (babies and under fives). Foods that cause most reactions in young children are eggs, cow's milk, fish, peanuts, soya and wheat. About two in three children will grow out of eczema by their mid teens, and there is currently no conclusive evidence that dietary changes in older children and adults are helpful.

4. Identify other triggers
Some types of eczema are triggered by allergens such as pollen, house dust mites or animals, or irritants such as certain fabrics, soaps, perfumes, detergents, cigarette smoke or solvents.

5. Tackle stress
Stress, anger or frustration can make symptoms worse. Distraction techniques can also work for children.

As parents, we often pray for all GOOD things for them. And I personally believe 'Natural' cure is the BEST.

Good night!

I AM BACK!!!!

Gosh! I have been gone for a GOOD 3 years.
Where have I been? What have I been doing??

Once again - Hello Everyone! Babyummy is BACK, now with a BIGGER heart and a Healthier ME!

Let's do a quick recap of the 3 years:
I have truly dedicated my time to my daughters - YES, you heard me right - I am now a mother of 2 lovely girls. Alexis is 3 and Alexia 1...How time flies ya :)

Alexis is now attending Nursery 1 in Queenstown Good Shepherd Kindergarten and Alexia is still enjoying 'home-leave' :)

After I gave birth to Alexis on 30.10.2009 (yup, that was exactly when I stopped blogging!), I almost sold myself to her. 365days, every hour, minute and second, was FOR HER; don't you think she look great?!!

Then Alexia 'join' us on 12.06.2011; their age gap being 20mths apart and I got even busier, eeh...no helper ok, ALL BY MYSELF, and of course with (limited) help of hubby! :)

The 2 of them are totally different: Alexis is the quiet while Alexia is loud, Alexis is gentle while Alexia is ACTIVE!

Few of my friends commented: "luckily you had Alexis FIRST. If Alexia is the elder one, don't think you would go for a second child". Haha... perhaps. But with my love for children, I think I would still go for a second one even if Alexia is No.1. In fact, after I gave birth to Alexis, though she is a very good girl, easy to handle, I also told my hubby '1 is enough, let's focus and give her the BEST'. But, when Alexis almost turned 1 year old, I suddenly have this weird feeling that somehow, somewhere, she seems to be missing out on 'something', something which other kids have but she doesn't ~ a sibling! I felt that her loneliness and that was when I told my hubby "let's go for a 2nd one", and I am glad we did! Look at Alexia ~ she is so cheerful, she is such a GEM.

In fact, both of them are my PRECIOUS!

Now that they are gradually growing up and my hands aren't as tight. It is time I move my butt. I have sat/sleep for a long 3 years. If I still continue to sit and sleep, I really dunno if no.3 will pop out and perhaps you will hear from me again in another 3 years' time...whahaha...

Witnessing their growth and developments has given me a brand new insight of what Motherhood is. The greatest joy comes when each of them starts to call me 'Mommy' :) and the greatest worry is when they are unwell.

I believe all mommies are the same, WE all want the BEST for our child(ren), we want them to be in the BEST OF HEALTH.

We may get annoyed, be impatient, get angry with them BUT finally, we still love them more than anyone else and we will go ALL OUT; across the mountains, over the oceans, to give them whatever they need.

My grandma used to say 'your mom gave birth to you, you give birth to your children' ~ this cycle will repeat forever unchanged ~ this is so very true.

Ok, it is late now... 2:15am (local time). Goodnight Everyone.

See YOU SOON!!! ;)

A Child's Brain: How it Develops. How Parents can Help...an extract from TIME magazine

This article is extracted from TIME Magazine (February 24, 1997), I read it and felt the need to share it with all great parents out there...

Wiring the Brain
At birth, a baby's brain contains 100 billions neurons, roughly as many nerve cells as there are stars in the Milky Way. Also in place are a trillion glial cells, named afterthe Greek word for glue, which form a kind of honeycomb that protects and nourishes the neurons.

Neurobiologist Carla Shatz of University of California, Berkeley, says:
"what the brain has done is lay our circuits that are its best guess about what's required for vision, for language, for whatever".

During the first few years of life, the brain undergoes a series of extraordinary changes, Starting shortly after birth, a baby's brain, in a display of biological exuberance, produces trillions more connections between neurons than it can possibly use. Then, through a process that resembles Darwinian competition, the brain eliminates connections, or synapses, that are seldom or never used. The excess synapses in a child's brain undergo a draconian pruning, starting around the age of 10 or earlier, leaving behind a mind whose patterns of emotion and thought are, for better or worse, unique.

Deprived of a stimulating environment, a child's brain suffers. Studies have found that children who don't play much or are rarely touched develop brains 20% to 30% smaller than normal for their age.

Wiring Vision
What's Going On: Babies can see at birth, not in fine-grained detail.They have not yet acquired the knack of focusing both eyes on a single object or developed more sophisticated visual skills like depth preception. They also lack hand-eye coordination.

What Parents Can Do: There is no need to buy high-contrast black-and-white toys to stimulate vision. But regular eye exams, startingas early as two weeks of age, can detect problems that, if left uncorrected, can cause a weak or unused eye to lose its functional connections to the brain.

Window of Learning: Unless it is exercised early on, the visual system will not develop.

Wiring Feelings
What's Going On: Among the first circuits the brain constructs are those that govern the emotions. Beginning around two months of age, the distress and contentment experienced by newborns start to evolve into more complex feelings: joy and sadness, ency and empathy, pride and shame.

What Parents Can Do: Loving care provides a baby's brain with teh right kind of emotional stimulation. Neglecting a baby can produce brain-wave patterns that dampen happy feelings. Abuse can produce heightened anxiety and abnormal stress responese.

Window of Learning: Emotions develop in layers, each more complex than the last.

Wiring Language
What's Going On: Even before birth, an infant is tuning into the melody of its mother's voice. Over the next six years, its brain will set up the circuitry needed to decipher-and re-produce-the lyrics. A six-month-old can recognize the vowel sounds that are the basic building blocks of speech.

What Parents Can Do: Talking to a baby alot, researchers have found, siginificantly speeds up the process of learning new words. The high-pitched, singsong speech style known as Parentese helps babies connect objects with words.

Window of Learning: Language skills are sharpest early on but grow throughout life.

Wiring Movement
What's Going On: At birth babies can move their limbs, but in a jerky, uncontrolled fashion. Over the next four years, the brain progressively refines the circuits for reaching, grabbing, sitting, crawling, walking and running.

What Parents Can Do: Give babies as much freedom to explore as safety permits Just reaching for an object helps the brain develop hand-eye coordination. As soon as children are ready for them, activities like drawing and playing a violin or piano encourage the development of fine motor skills.

Window of Learning: Motor-skill development moves from gross to increasingly fine.

...Reading as an easy way to help a baby's brain grow
It's important that we take to heart what the neuro-scientists are telling us - without losing the heart of the reading experience. In today's high-tech world of E-mail and microchips, it is easy to forget the importance of human connections in our daily activities. Technology has brought many welcome conveniences t our lives. But it has the potential to create feelings of distance, detachment and isolation among us.

Reading to a child while touching, hugging and holding him or her can be a wonderful antidote to the impersonal tendencies of the information age - for both the adult and the child. While critical to building brains, reading is equally important to building trusting and close relationships. That's why reading should not be viewed solely as an intellectual proposition, particularly in the era in which we now live.

When Can We Start Reading To Our Child?

Cultivating the habits of reading to our child aids in his future development in language skills, hence should start as early as our child is born. When a child learns to read, he is acquiring other important skills such as the ability to express himsef, his needs; building his confidence and self-esteem, etc.. By reading to our child at their young age, we are also teaching them the connection between words and expressions (feelings), as well as expanding their vocabulary.


Reading aloud to our baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years to come — and it's an important form of stimulation.

Reading aloud:
--> teaches a baby about communication
--> introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way
--> builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills
--> gives babies information about the world around them


The more we read stories aloud to our child, the more words our child will be exposed to and the better he or she will be able to talk. Hearing words helps to imprint them on a baby's brain. Kids whose parents frequently talk/read to them know more words by age 2 than children who have not been read to.


When reading, our child hears us using many different emotions and expressive sounds, which fosters social and emotional development. Reading also invites our baby to look, point, touch, and answer questions — all of which promote social development and thinking skills. And our baby improves language skills by imitating sounds, recognizing images, and learning words.

Young babies may not know what the images in a book mean, but they can focus on them, especially faces, bright colors, and contrasting patterns. Read or sing lullabies and nursery rhymes to interest and soothe your infant.

Between 4 and 6 months, your baby may begin to show more interest in books. He or she will grab and hold books, but will mouth, chew, and drop them as well. Choose sturdy vinyl or cloth books with bright colors and repetitive or rhyming text.

Between 6 and 12 months, our child is beginning to understand that pictures represent objects, and most likely will develop preferences for certain pictures, pages, or even entire stories. Our baby will respond while you read, grabbing for the book and making sounds, and by 12 months he will turn pages (with some help from us), pat or start to point to objects on a page, and repeat our sounds.

There is never a time too early to kickstart the learnings for a child but do not forget that learning should be a fun time for them and not a forceful one.

Tips: One of the best ways you can ensure that your little one grows up to be a reader is to have books around your house. When your baby is old enough to crawl over to a basket of toys and pick one out, make sure some books are included in the mix.

**HAPPY READING**