ChaChaBurps

Welcome Back...I am a new mom 2nd time.

2015-04-15T14:38:00.001+08:00

Dear Sophie and Sarah. This piece is for you, when your time comes to become mothers I hope mama’s birth story will give you strength and encouragement. Be brave and embrace the gift of birth.

April 16, 2014 was just an ordinary Wednesday. It was a day that fell on the holy week for Christians. A day when the sun was beautiful and the sky was bright blue, it was a day when my little Sarah was ready to make her way into my arms, indeed it was an empowering day for me.

At 40 weeks 2 days I was getting worried, the episode of being induced played in my head off and on. Pushing it a side needed effort; I did it with a lot of affirmation, positive thinking and of course prayers.

April 16, 3am I had surges, waves that were mild but strong enough to wake me up from my unrested sleep. I woke up with a smile, can this be it. Walked to the mirror to look at myself and to read my Birthing Day Affirmations while looking at the image of my family of 3 in the mirror, soon we will be 4.

Plugged in my rainbow and went into deep relaxation. I slept from 3 to 7am with occasional waves stirring me in my sleep, by 7:30am I was fully awake and was getting ready for work, yes work at the office what was I thinking. I had the answer when a strong surge came in and I dropped on fours. The dear husband decided to work from home although I said I could manage. So off Sophie was sent to school and he came back.

I went into the second room; it was my instinct moving me as the room was cooler and darker. Sat there and was wondering whether this is the real deal so I text Nadine. She said “it does not have to feel that way”, and then the waves came off and on. When the surges came my best position was to be on fours. I was in the second room from 8am to 1230pm. The surges came, it certainly felt like waves and it ended with a pull at the neck of my cervix. I could feel every inch of the pull, the pull and movements of blue satin ribbon widening the birth path and then I had my rest. This went on for hours.

Hubby brought up a plate of mee jawa and left it on the ironing board at 10am so I ate, sat on my birthing ball, vocalize my thoughts and visualize my cervix opening just like a rose bloom. I have to admit some parts were hard to go pass as the pulling got intense. I talked to Sarah as well, telling her to take her time, to position herself in the best birthing position. Told her I love her and all of us cannot wait to welcome her arrival. It was all good, peaceful and quiet. Hubby was working downstairs he could hear my breathing. Somehow I felt really comfortable managing my surges alone.

Hubby went to pick up Sophie at 12pm. At this point I was in a deep state of hypnosis, losing myself in a big field of purple lavender, surges very close. Hubby came up at 1230pm, I asked for the bathtub to be filled up in our room so that I could relax and I got him to time the surges. It was less than 5mins a part and at that moment I lost my plug in the tub with that the hurricane started. Hubby grabbed his and my bag, settle the dog and next we were on our way to Pantai Bangsar. We live in Puchong. I nearly had a car birth.

When I got into the car, my concentration broke “contractions” were felt. It did not help that I had to sit down in the car so hell broke and I was no longer grunting but was wailing like a Pontianak all the way to Pantai. I composed myself when was pushed into the hospital and started again when I was in the labour ward. In between my wailings I was asked my doc’s name, I asked for the water to be prepared. The midwives thought I was saying my water bag broke. It was a joke. They wheeled me into the water birth suite.

One quick VE and by the corner of my eye I saw the senior midwife signaling a figure. At that point I did not know what it was but it started a storm in the ward. Suddenly more midwives came in, tables were set up, equipments were prepared. It was chaos in order. Next I hear one of them screaming for Dr Paul. I managed a smile because I knew Sarah was close, very close. I just went on asking whether the water is ready, is the water ready? Heard a second scream where is Dr Paul. ( I later found out that I was already 8cm then)

Next I was in the water; still not very composed but the warm water brought instant comfort, by then Dr Paul was in the room. Hubby was bringing up bags. At one point I was telling hubby that I cannot take this anymore and I cannot understand why I was still wailing, again I was spouting nonsense. By this time I was on my back in the pool with warm water being poured over my belly, the urge of pushing was there but I was going nowhere being in that position. The cool and composed face of Dr Paul was suggesting the gas if I needed it. I just nodded my head but it was a big No in my mind because I want this to be over fast, being drowsy was on not on the menu. So I was stoning in the tub while enjoying the warm water plus trying to rest as well, hoping I was lucky that baby will just slip out. (Not the best of all positions we all know that). After about 20mins I said to myself let’s get the action going, so I turned around and was on my fours in the tub. From the back I could hear Dr Paul saying alright if that will make you comfortable and it did, tremendously! With 3 strong breaths and one nudge Sarah was out and I heard songs of congratulations. I felt her coming out; I felt her inching down the birth canal. There was no ring of fire, no pain, no skin tearing sensation just strong pressure working down the opening. As my face was in the water I could see between my legs a red globe with a light sillouete from the lamp stand that was used at the end of the tub. As I was on my four, turning around with a short cord was tricky but I managed.

There she was Sarah Anne Thor Juen Li in my arms, cord still attached and wailing her lungs out. She was beautiful and I held on to her never wanting to let go. I was then transferred to the birth bed and the usual procedures took place. The placenta came out the moment Sarah took to the breast without the need of any drugs. I had a very small natural tear that was repaired, delayed cord clamping hubby did the honours and all was good. We were left to bond with lots of skin to skin moments and Sarah just slept on my chest. I spent 45min in the pool; it was fast it was good. I thank Dr Paul and he said the most meaningful thing, it was all your effort I just caught the baby well done mummy.

I was on birth high, surge of energy that flooded the system for the whole week. Dr Foo the PD said I did not look like I gave birth, I did not feel like it as well.

I had a good birth, a birth that renewed me, a birth that I will tell my girls when it is their turn. An except taken from snowboard mommy production

What if ….We stop asking the medical profession to feed us fear about our birth?

We will finally become as powerful and wise as we intended to be

We will finally stop rushing to be induced and sectioned

We will change the way the world spins

To my dearest soul mate, Edward Thor thank you for your continuous support. I know my ways may not always be with the mainstream but I love you more each day for being the person you are. You are a good man and I thank god for bringing all of this together for me and us.

A new family indeed is born.

Blueberry Muffins for Breakfast

2013-02-02T10:46:00.000+08:00

We bought the oven as a newly married couple with many plans of baking recipes in our minds, but in actual fact it stayed idle expect for that occasional chocolate muffin baking off and on. Most of the time my oven works more as a microwave heating up food than a convection but not now! Times and Tide have changed...for the better I must say.

Motherhood brings a lot of joy, hardwork and new explorations. I have been using the oven to make pies, pasta and muffins for my little bub on weekends. So the beep beep pre heating signal goes off more often now compared to 2 years ago.

It is amazing how this little human brings changes to our lives. When we had all the time, baking was something that we saw as...hmmm I would say rare. Well this blog is all about Blueberry Muffins and how yummy they actual are. From the main picture above you roughy have an idea how my little girl took liking to it immediately. The shot was taken right after the muffins came out fresh from the oven.

Here you see her picking her melted blueberries and enjoying every bit of it. It was a magical food that got her so focused and seated without moving. It was actually pretty hilarious to see her finally sitting so still enjoying her food. Well mummy was brimming with satisfaction seeing her little girl enjoying her home baked muffins. So good things must be shared and here is the recipe that I am sure will be a hit among your little ones

There are two parts to it, the wet bowl and dry bowl. Let me start with the dry bowl. It is really very simple and can be done under 20mins excluding baking time.

Dry Bowl
35g of baby oatmeal
85g of unbleached flour
Half tsp of baking powder
Half tsp of Soda Bicarbonate
1 tsp of Ginger powder
1 tsp of Cinnamon powder
1 tsp of Salt

Wet Bowl
1 ripe banana
4 tsb of Maple Syrup
1 egg
30g of melted butter
2 tsb of brown sugar
2 tsb of Vanilla Essence

Mix the ingredients of the wet bowl with the dry until all is even and then fold in the blue berries. Preheat the oven to 180C and bake for 14 minutes. (Optionally you can throw in oranges and apple cuts as well).

The muffins kept well over the weekends refrigerated and made a great outing snack as well. I served this for breakfast on Sunday morning with yogurt and oranges. Must say it was the best brekkie ever for her. Happy baking mummies

Malaysian Warehouse Sales

2013-01-15T16:55:00.004+08:00

Warehouse sales are a great place to buy for the entire upcoming year. For the year 2012, I busted nearly RM800 on books and toys for my little darling. First it was the Big Bad Wolf Sale then the GBS sale. These sales comes by normally at the end of the year and they happen pretty close to each other, so better to keep your pockets deep during this period of time. It is BONUS time after all. It is also a good time to stock up the Christmas present list. Most items are on 50 to 40% off.

My loot from the GBS sales are mostly wooden toys as I believe in nurturing an good creative imagination grounding with my girl. Nothing against battery operated toys but they seem to have a short interest span with my girl as well as children in general. Wooden toys have a lasting play time as children can turn them into different modes depending on their imagination and mood. My girl just turn her Duplo pieces into a chair shaped looking object and tried to sit on it. It is just hilarious. 2o years from now, if my little darling reads these post here I am sure she will laughing too

I went to the sale on a weekday, ran out during my lunch time and did a quick sweep of what I liked there. The crowd was not that bad but still there was a long wait at the cashier whom seem to be under a lot of pressure to clear her bills.

Most of the items that I bought are from Plan Toys, normally they cost a bomb ranging from RM50 to RM100 for simple toys like a tea pot set, so with the sale I have 40% taken off which is a pretty good deal.

This is my most favourite toy. A banjo! Yes it makes a lot of noise but is still bearable compared to a drum set that I was contemplating to buy (thank god I did not). I bought a tambourine and xylophone set as well so that we can sing and make some music or I would say noise together!

There was also a nice kitchen set which was selling for RM399 after discount, still expensive from the regular price of RM499 so I erased the tempting idea in my head. All Plan Toys are made with great care for little fingers and hands. They are manufacturers of educational and development wooden toys, using environmentally friendly and green methods.

All paints are toxic free, made from resin and even clean organic produce. Boxes and packaging are also environmental friendly. These are the philosophy of the manufacturer (taken from their website).

Green- As a green company, we strive to use environmentally safe, responsible and sustainable methods to produce our Green Toys. We are committed to minimising our impact on the environment.

Safe- In addition to industry standards, PlanToys follows their own stringent in-house safety standards to ensure a worry free playtime for your children

Smart- The educational merits of our toys are recognised by some of the most prestigious awards in our industry such as the Parent's Choice Award and the Oppeheim Toy Portfolio Award

At the end of the day we did make a lot of noise with the complete set of musical on ensemble, favourite song sing alongs are Burung Kakak Tua and Jingle Bells, well this is much fun compared to a set of battery operated noisy juke box, moral of the story nothing like doing it the traditional way

The complete loot! I might have over did it but its for the whole of next year. (consoling my self) I don't release all these toys at one go. It is really important to not overwhelm your kid so that they learn to appreciate presents or toys. These were just taken out for photography so that I can claim my stake when she grows up claiming the damage that was incurred financially to the mom...* evil laugh*

As you can see my little princess was very happy with the loot as well, which child won't. The mom also got really excited brining all these back in her car boot. The sheer joy of motherhood. Really felt like a Santa Rina!

So mummies and daddies look out for the GBS sale next year, there are huge train sets, baby clothes, doll houses and many more which really brings out the inner child in you. I am sure you will be trilled shopping for your little precious because I did. Cheers!

Where shall I start?

Can I have them all mama?

Meals for Toddlers

2012-11-30T13:04:00.000+08:00

Baby pasta and Fish Fingers

It has been ages since I blogged. There were just so many things happening at work and off work. My dad has been ill and being the only child I had to tend to him and make all the right arrangements for his health and comfort. Oh well since I am back, there are just so many things to write about from MotherCare sales to making my own fish fingers and pasta for my darling princess. Well food brings comfort so let me start the new season about it, a healthy recipe for your toddler. I hope it works for you...:)

I get to be a full time mom on weekends, with that I take my hats off to stay at home mothers out there, especially those without domestic help. From preparing baby food to now toddler food it is quite amazing how full time mothers can conjure up 7 healthy recipes a week. On weekends I am normally faced with the question mark of what to cook for my little darling. So far it has been porridge and pasta with snacks in between.

The pasta that I use is from Justlife. I get the smallest alphabet or star shaped ones made from ground brown rice and is gluten and wheat free.

Next will be the preparation of the pasta sauce. I normally start all my cooking with homemade stock. How do I make my stock? Below are the ingredients

Chicken Stock Recipe

6 to 9 pieces of free range chicken

1Tomatoe

1 Potatoe

1 Carrot

Few Clove of Garlic

Half of an Onion

I normally sauté the aromatics like carrots, garlic and onion before throwing them in the crock pot of water and the rest of the ingredients. It makes the stock extra tasty. Stock is prepared on Friday nights enough to see me through the weekends.

Now back to the pasta sauce. I start my sauce from scratch, no bottled ingredients involved. The pasta sauce that I prepare is basically made up of 3 to 5 vegetables and mushrooms. Mushrooms were introduced when my gal was about 14 months. For those who want to try mushroom, introduce it when your baby is more than 12 months. Allergies are greatly reduced at this age but do keep an eye when new food is fed. Serve it as lunch and if any reaction would happen you are in the right time of the day to intervene instead of having to deal with it at ungodly hours.

I always refer to this website which gives very good information about what to feed your child Wholesome baby food. I even bought the book for reference which is written by Maggie Meade who is the author and creator of the Wholesome baby food website, by the way the ramekin on top of the book is fish pie not pasta..:)

Pasta Sauce Ingredients

1 Carrot
1 Medium wedge of pumpkin
1 Tomato
3 Florets of Broccoli
3 Florets of Cauliflower
2 Mushrooms
A pinch of garlic and onions
Few strands of fresh oregano herbs

Making the sauce is pretty easy but the cutting takes time, so practice makes perfect. I dice up everything, before putting them into the pan a little sautéing is needed with the pinch of garlic, onion and the cut up oregano with a little pure virgin olive oil. When you get a nice fragrance, add on the diced mushrooms and swirl them about. You can spoon in some stock to avoid the ingredients from sticking to the pan.

Next comes all the yummy vegetables, top up with chicken stock and let it shimmer slowly until desired consistency. It takes about 20 to 30 mins on slow fire for the vegetable to cook well and be soft enough to be stirred as pasta sauce. I don't mind mine with some chunky vegetables in it. In the meantime prepare a pot and put in your pasta to cook. Mine takes about 6 minutes to be ready but you can make it cook longer if your little eater prefers it softer. Remember to stir your vegetables once awhile and add stock as needed. You will have a nice aroma coming in when the oregano and the aromatics warm up in the chicken stock. If you want it to be creamier some cheddar cheese can be added at the end when you turn off the fire. Just stir in the cheese and it will melt in to the sauce.

After cooking the pasta for 6 minutes this is how it looks like. Texture wise it is smooth and yummy. The star shapes is a pointer to my feeding time because I get to sing twinkle twinkle little star as I feed my kiddo and she loves it too saying STAR! STAR!

Sorry that I don't have a picture of the sauce on the pasta as I was rushing to get things ready in the kitchen but I am sure you get the picture of how it can be prepared.

Next was to prepare fish fingers. No time for chips just fish at the moment to complete the protein component of the diet. So far I have used cod and lemon sole, both can be bought from cold storage. Although I only buy fillet, sometimes there are rare bones in some areas of the fish so do finger the fillet thoroughly before baking them. One can never be too careful with any kind of bones. Choking is a real danger.

I prepare my own bread crumbs. It is best to work with a piece of bread that is left exposed overnight. Use a cover with tiny holes to cover the bread. The next morning you will have a harden bread. Just crack the bread in a blender with fresh oregano and garlic and give it a spin, you are have homemade bread crumbs in seconds. You can be creative with what you blend, using more than 1 herbs makes the crumbs tastier but it's your little one that is eating it so you will know best what whet's his or her appetite.

Next prepare a bowl and crack in a whole egg for dipping. You can cut the fish in strips so that holding will be easy. Dip the strips in the beaten egg and roll them over the breads crumbs and place in a clean plate. Set the oven to 220C and bake for 15mins. The original recipe uses baking paper but I just drizzle olive oil on the fish strips and also the baking tray comes out fine, actually it taste pretty good even for an adult platter that is customised to salt.

Potatoe wedges can be added to make it a complete meal. Wedges will take 30 mins to bake and should be done first before the fish is baked. The recipe suggest that tartar sauce can be included but I think it is best to make your own.

Pasta and fish fingers has always been a hit with my little baby. I make enough fish fingers so that I can pack them as snacks if we are going out.

I hope some this recipe comes helpful to the mummies and daddies out there and if you have a picky eater maybe some adjustments can be made like using chicken instead of fish.

Happy Meal Time Everyone!

Cheers
Burpssssss

Healthy Food for Babies and Toddler

2012-10-27T16:30:00.000+08:00

Comfort Food

Last weekend, my little girl was down with low grade fever and a throat infection. When I picked her up from the nanny's I was told that she refused all her main meals and only drank perhaps 4 oz of milk for the whole day, on top of that she was very restless, cries easily and wanted to be carried all the time. All these signs of abnormal behaviour. We had a short chat and perhaps thought it was just a phase of teething.

So I drove back with her in the car seat, reached home and decided that we should see a doctor to rule other possibilities. We drove to our neighbourhood paediatrician to have reassurance that everything was alright. Well, a quick checked showed that she had a very red throat and a raising body temperature. The reading was 38c, since the infection was bad antibiotics had to be prescribed (not a fan at all to ABs) but in this case, if her throat does not heal fast the longer the whole food and milk refusal will take place. The last thing I want is a needle for drips in her hands.

So we came back, I prepared a bowl of cold fresh milk and threw in some bananas and tried to feed her, luckily she eat some, poor girl was hungry but just could not eat. Mummy had a broken heart seeing her bubs hungry but unable to eat. All these explained the weird night waking and crying. I have read from Baby Centre that if there are unusual awakening it can be an onset of a milestone of sickness, for my case it was the later.

So what do you feed a toddler that cannot eat? Food still needs to be healthy for a toddler and has to be appetising as well. So this is what I prepared, hoping that she will eat and she did.

Preparation for Pumpkin Mushroom Soup

Ingredients
One medium piece of pumpkin
Few florets of broccoli and cauliflower
3 Fresh Brown Button Mushrooms
Dice them up finely and blend.

To sautee with a little bit of Olive Oil
Little garlic and onions
Fresh oregano

When the oregano releases its aromatics, add in the blended mixture and add some cool boiling water.
Wait for the mixture to boils, add in fresh cow milk and low down the stove to a slow simmer. In my case, since my bubs was not feeling too well, I let it simmer longer than 30mins to really soften everything.

This is how it looks like before adding milk

Thickening with fresh milk

Below is what I fed her for the whole day when it was meal time. So mummies with sick pups out there, you might want to give this a try. Happy feeding!

Toddlers Toys and Activities

2012-10-25T00:44:00.003+08:00

My Evening Weekday Activities with the Little Princess

I am a full time working mom, and many of us who are in the same boat knows what it is like to have to juggle between motherhood and work. On average I have about 1 hour with my child on week days and that 1 hour has to be used to the fullest potential. My little girl is picked up about 6.30pm daily and I get back by 7pm with dinner for hubby and I. Yeah no home cooked food for us! I am trying to figure out how some light cooking can take place on a normal week day. Back to the topic on toddler's creative activity I normally use crayons and papers on weekdays, just not to over stimulate my child with exciting water colours before bed time. We spend about 20 mins on crayons and flash cards before I settle her down with some books. She usually picks her books. Since she is already reaching 18 months, my girl says the word BOOK very clearly to my amusement. Somedays she wants to read her own book which can be entertaining to watch.

I remember her being just a tiny baby when we brought her home and now she tells me what books she likes. Time does fly with leaps and bounds. Books are really important for children and it is never too early to start them off on this wonderful habit. It is always best to combine reading and craft to make the whole session fun and enriching.

Getting ready by prying open the crayon box!

We use crayons and mummy will try to draw images from books, that way the child gets to see how a book related figure is transformed by crayons hence tickling their imagination and curiosity. (note my drawing skills are not fantastic but good enough to get her colouring on it). While waiting at the doctor's office the other day, my girl spotted a pencil on the table, picked it up and started to scribble on the pamphlets around her TADA!!! a behaviour modelled, but don't expect her to sit too long where there are loads of kids jumping off toy horses and slides within the vicinity, the distraction is just too great for any kiddo her age.

When using crayon, please consider about the age suitability. Chunky crayons are the best for little fingers tho I must say that I started off my little princess with normal size Crayola Crayons because I got them first. Only use crayons from reputable brands like ELC to avoid any issues of toxicity and always supervise your toddler. Mine likes tasting everything and sometimes just does it on purpose to see my reaction. So act cool and just move away the crayon from the mouth without creating a big fuss. Not easy I must say but do remind yourself that your child models after you very much. For most of my crayons sessions I use large white papers where my girl sits in the middle and starts swirling her crayons around her. This is when I try to draw images near her and eventually she edges off the paper and starts adding colours to my line. Do be prepared for extra designs on your wall! So far I have all three of my white doors decorated with her master pieces (under the supervision of daddy I must say). The ELC crayons that I use comes easily from smooth surfaces but not rough ones.

As you can see, my bubs enjoy messing up the drawing paper very much and also loves keeping and taking out crayons from the box. Sometimes I wonder why she does it but I can only think of milestones and motor skills development behind all this play learn sessions. Crayon sessions are also fun for adults I must say, these yummy colours just look really pretty on paper and on the shelf too!

The busy bunny at work

The belle positioning herself

Full concentration

I started using crayons when my little bub was 12 months, the best toddler learning toy is their imagination. Drawing creates, whether it is well represented piece or some basic sketches it does not matter because the moral of the story is my kid is having fun with her irregular lines and shapes. I am pretty sure Rembrandt was not born drawing, Oh Maybe Perhaps! I am sure you know what I mean, learning must be experiential and fun and that is when true learning takes place. I have few sets of crayons from chunky to plastic. Some days I use a finger print set for some creative toddler activity, I will post pictures of that on my next blog entry. So far mummy and baby enjoys our sessions a lot, daddy too. I vary different kinds of crayon from chunky, normal size as well as crayon with animal characters on them just for the fun of it. Using the same tool can be boring for a curious bunny mind.

I hope this sharing opens more insights on creative ways of using crayons, eventually they will not need us to "play" with them when their motor skills are refined for colouring and I will miss these sessions when that day comes.

Happy Crayoning Mummies!

Creative Activity for Young Children

2012-10-16T00:59:00.000+08:00

The right brain is a such a fantastic area of our human anatomy,we all know how the different sides of our brains control the many wonderful things that can be done. Based on right brain research, it is best to stretched the capacity of the right brain function as far as we can before the left brain activities kicks in. The right brain has no limit to learning capacity and holds the creative juices for innovation and creative solutions. It is important that mothers think of a lot of art projects for toddlers and best to start them young, as a full time working mom I only have the weekends to work these creative activities for toddlers and perhaps 30mins during the week day, better not to get the kid too excited before bedtime.

My bubs started her hands at art when she was about 11 months old, I started out with handmade paints and attempted finger painting, so sorry that I did not document it..DUH! slap to the head again. It went well but my little kiddo was not too interested in pasting her palms unto white paper. Anyhow for mummies who are interested to make their own finger paints just follow this easy breezy recipe below.

3 tbs sugar
Half tbs of salt
Half cup of cornstarch
2 Cups of water

Combine all ingredients un a small sauce pan. Warm until mixture thickens. Cool and pour in glass containers. Add food colouring to create colour and you will have jars of lovely colours all ready to be splashed about.

I suggest to start finger painting when your bubs is about 8 to 9 months old but every baby is different so by all means do start them younger if you wish and if you feel like splashing some colours about! Cornstarch can be substituted with plain yogurt as well, just in case you have an adventurous food tester as your kiddo.

Play dough for toddler is fun too. My bubs at 16 months enjoys her dough, although still unable to make definite shapes she enjoy just pressing, pulling and pinching them into pieces. I use the type from ELC according to age type which is 18 months and above. I notice the texture is harder compared to the Play-Doh which is suitable for younger children. ELC play dough comes with shapers at the bottom of the container and they have some nice yummy colours. The point is to get your bubs to use their imagination to form shapes, it will really help if you start working out nice shapes with your kiddo and hopefully they get interested to see how it is done. My little girl at the moment is more interested in tearing up what I create to her amusement. Do have a close watch when your little toddler gets excited during such creative activities as they might be interested to taste it as well! Hence why some mothers prefer to make their own play dough. Creative activity for young children brings on experiential learning which is essential in the early building blocks of imagination and creative thinking. Actually the mama and papa also had a lot of fun making things out of these soft dough as it bring back child hood memories.

We spent about 1 hour with the dough, kneading and shaping with my little bubs mimicking our action which is fantastic because learning also starts from modelling. Monkey see monkey do sounds fun here. We used the shaper at the bottom to cut out shapes of flower, house and cars all objects which are familiar to her both sounds and shapes so seeing it being created out of coloured dough is certainly interesting for a curious toddler mind. We also made bangles and she slipped in some on her own which was a really funny scene. It is amazing how these creative activities for toddlers actually bring out their sensory and memory skills. As you can see my bubs was a little bit tired after all that finger gymnastics! She decided to take a rest on the mattress . I have a list of creative material in my stash from crayons to colour pencils. All you need is some space and lots of white mahjong paper and let your little darling take on the floor! Next will be water colour so watch this space mummies and daddies!

Ointment for Babies and Toddlers

2012-09-28T00:07:00.001+08:00

There are days when we mummies need some soothing balm not just for us but our little ones. We all know it, there are down times that could do with some help. For those long nights I have the below in my stash

1. Tropical Herbs Baby Oil from Amway

2. Badger Aromatic Rub from iHerb

3. Olbas Oil for Children

Normally when my bubs has the sniffles, I drop some eucalyptus or tea tree oil in a burner and let it fill up the air. Both oils has antibacterial properties and is able clear out stuffed nose, work well for adults too. On nights when these oils were used, the room smells fresh and nice. I can imagine what a welcome relieve it can be for a congested nose, not to mention therapeutic.

My mummies friends have been raving about these cute little bottle of Olbas oil for children but on the downside, our local pharmacies does not stock up on this wonderful remedy. The nearest country where you can buy it from is Singapore Boots. I am not sure whether Bangkok sells them but mine came all the way from England. Just drop the oil on some soft tissue and bring it near your child to breathe in the vapour, you can drop it on pillows too if you want a long lingering scent of eucalyptus. Olbas oil is safe for babies above the age of the age of 3 months and is used by mothers all around the world.

Another nice and soothing balm is Badger Aromatic Rub, it can be used in a vaporiser or just massaged into the chest for fast relieve. Rub some on the sole of the feet and socks it up for a nice warm comfortable wrap.
One good method that I have learned is to drop a teaspoon of Badger Aromatic Rub in a bowl of hot steaming water, leave it in the bathroom and let the hot shower run. Let it be that way for few minutes before bringing in your bubs for a shower. This method warms the body, clears the nose and allows easy breathing. I bought my Badger at the faction of the normal price from IHerb. Local retailers are selling it for RM60 plus, from Iherb it is sold at 9 USD which is much cheaper at RM28.80 after the conversation rate of 3.2, that's nearly half the price!

I bough this from Amway, particularly for nights when the cries signal indigestion. A warm rub of this oil between your palms and on the tummy area brings smoothing relieve for the bubs, for tummy upsets probiotic pairs best with oils as it helps indigestion and gas internally . The scent is nice, aromatic with Tropical Herbs and tames a headache too, since it is from Amway I do feel a little bit secure compared to using the myriad of baby oils out there form "minyak telon" to Yu Yee Oil.

When travelling never forget to pack these items into your bag, probiotics as well. One will never know how a child will react to a new environment and having these on standby will certainly spare you the agony of driving around.

Cheers mama!

Skin care for expecting mothers

2012-09-14T00:46:00.000+08:00

As a full time working mom, known as FTWM time has always been an issue. For those working mummies out there I am sure you know the predicament of us mummies on the go. There have been months were I have gone without a night cream , a scrub, let alone a face mask but I do try to squeeze in some repair sessions for my pitiful bashed up skin. My skin type is both combination of normal and oily hence I have these little white heads under my skin especially the jaw area. During my pregnancy on the contrary I was blessed with glowing skin which came to me as a surprise.

Skin care selection is as important as your selection of a obgyn I must say...at least for me. i have tried various brands from off the shelves to salon brands. Some of them were just a waste of money and some even made my skin worst. Most of all I hated all the sales talk to make me sign up facial courses in thousand of ringgits, so the quest for the ideal skincare continues.

The I talked to a friend who has been a Clarins user for a period of time and was using it for her wedding preparation. Her skin did radiate and she had a beautiful glow on her big. Back to my skincare quest, so I headed to a Clarins outlet to see what is in store for me. To find the right skin care that is safe for expecting mothers was one of the main reason why I was quite adamant to change my skincare range. I was using a range of French products from BodyPerfect but did not find any good in it, as you can see I can't even remember the name. One of the reason why I was unhappy with Body Perfect is because they did not have a proper support information for expecting mothers. All explanations are based on what trainers tell their sales personnel. There is no literature to support their claims and no educational information on how mothers can upkeep their beauty regime without harming that little growing human in them.

I must say that I was happy with the service at Clarins and how they promoted good diet and health maintenance for mothers. They also have a special facial programme for expecting mothers and even new mothers. There are also a number of literature on pregnancy and how Clarins products go hand in hand with this beautiful journey. My first few products that I bought from Clarins was their treatment oil. Many mothers have raved about Clarins Body Treatment Oil. I used it during my pregnancy and there is not a single stretch mark on my belly, but I must warn that stretch marks are hereditary and no amount of oil or lotion is going to help if you are bound to have them but prevention is certainly a better shot than just taking your fate hands down. Just to note that Clarins toning oil best sellers for pregnant mothers all around the world. For me I just love the beautiful scent and texture that this oil provides me before before a warm shower. Best to massage it in 1 hour before you step into the shower.

I then moved on to other products like cleansers, scrubs, toner, masks and other treatment serum to help boost my skincare regime. Discipline is ultimately crucial for you to see results. I am guilty of not keeping to that rule but I must say on the weeks and months where my spirits are high, I do see a huge difference in skin quality compared to the times where I just hit the pillows sans products. If my skin could protest it will be BERSIH 5! The only person that is really happy about no skin care on is my husband, he just labels everything as harmful chemical can't expect much from a person who washes his face with only plain water.

Since being a Clarins user, I have been stocking up products especially on my birthday month so that I can earn double cash rebate points, Oh did I tell you about this wonderful system that gives you some money back for purchasing their products, well Clarins rewards their customers through a cash rebate system, for every ringgit spent 10 point is earned I spent about RM1000 during my birthday month and earned RM300 in rebate cash point which I find very reasonable, any better you will have to resort to MLM products.

Since my skin is pretty oily with open pores, I find the Truly Matte Pore Minimising Serum to be really effective in regulating sebum level and leaving your skin looking matt and clean. I have at least 2 bottle of this in my drawers in fear of running out and not having the time to buy. Throughout my pregnancy I have used Clarins, even my Obgy gave me a thumbs up, which is good because all expecting mothers should have a peace of mind and confidence in their choice of skin care during those delicate months, however I stopped using the pore minimising serum while I was pregnant because it contains salicylic acid, Clarins told me to listen to my Obgy and was not pushy at all in defending their products which I truly appreciate, other than that all products were used in great confidence. I also attended a workshop by Clarins for expecting mummies, Yes that's how concerned they are about mother's confidence in their products.

So for mummies out there, expecting or not and is on a quest for good skin care for you and your little one perhaps you can give Clarins a go.

Happy trying

Travelling with a Toddler

2012-09-05T01:06:00.000+08:00

Road trips are fun minus the tiring bit, but travelling with a toddler brings on a new ball game. We have been making few road trips up and down our Malaysian highways with my little tot and with each trip I seem to be packing more and more. Since my little princess is now a toddler and has 3 square meals besides her finger food, I find myself packing in carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, leafy vegetable, pasta and the list goes on and on besides the basic clothes and milk.

There is a whole box dedicated to her organic produce. It is certainly a feat packing for road trips with a toddler in mind. Below is my checklist for a 4 day 3 nights away from home

Food and Supplements
1. Bread
2. Probiotics
3. Yogurt
4. Cheese
5. Fruits
6. Box Organic vegetables
7. Baby pasta and rice
8. Cereal
9. Puffs and snacks from IHerb

I keep the probiotics and yogurt in my used to be breast milk insulated bag, stashed up with ice packs. This bag must be kept in the car where it can stay cool from the air condition. Yogurt is for breakfast and it saves me time from preparing another set of meal in the morning.

Medication and First Aid ((just incase we need them)
1. Paracetamol
2. Terumo thermometer
3. Dentinox
4. Iliadin for nasal congestion
5. Smecta for runny stools

Feeding
1. Steriliser
2. Feeding bottles and teats
3. Milk powder

Others
1. Cloth diapers
2. Disposable diapers
3. Clothes and PJs for 4 days
4. Soothers
5. Bumbo seat (for feeding)
6. Soap nuts
7. A small basket of toys and books
8. Burts Bee shower Gel and Shampoo

In total there were 25 items on my checklist...pheww all that into the car with our own luggage and stroller. Packing it up in the first place is already a challenge.I know some mothers who have double of my list and that is certainly scary.

Travelling with a toddler needs a lot of planning and skills in manoeuvring tasks in a moving car. I get motion sickness when I have to look down and rummage through things when the car is on the go, however I survived this trip having served lunch, breakfast and dinner in the car to her royal highness.

Tips for mothers who are travelling, do keep a goodie bag of food in the car so your child is entertained besides playing with toys. For this road trip, I prepared a bag of cut apples, baked some cheese muffins (recipe from my bread story board ) and packed in some finger food. Have too, lots of tissue papers, small hankies and wet tissues near you as it can be get messy when eating is purely for fun. Don't forget plain water, long distance travelling can dehydrate young children easily so do keep the fluids up. For me, my little munchkin always ends up constipated from the excitement, long hours of travelling and the just the sheer joy of refusing water.

Pit stops are needed so that your little fella gets to air their bum bum, stretch a little, touch some flowers at the R&R areas, wave at strangers, run about and perhaps have a snack or a change of diaper under a nice shady tree. Mummy and Daddy too can get a run for the toilets. Isn't that just lovely?

Entertainment is important and crucial for your sanity, so do pack in books and toys, I tried Violet this trip and it seems to work, as my little tot was occupied off and on with this travel companion of hers. Press its paws and Violent responds with a list of songs, nursery rhyme and catchy phrases but most of the time, mummy is the CLOWN. I wish I was the one behind the wheels.

As you can see, I only had one bag cramped between my legs which carried my important items, even that is shared with some other things not belonging to me. Motherhood certainly shakes, rocks, turns your world upside down and inside out, but good things never come easy. Raising a child is never easy, I keep telling myself that when things do go downhill at times, looking around I see so many courages mothers raising children and special angels and I know their shoulders must be heavier. These mothers inspire me and I look to them for strength. I thank god everyday for the blessings he has given us and honestly every night my simple prayer is to thank him for bringing us all back safely as a family amen!

Reaching your destination brings great relief that you have survived the drive without a melt-down. The next trip I swear, we need to install a bracket so the iPad can be fixed for some in-car entertainment. To be honest, I was exhausted to the bone but there was still the unpacking and preparing stock for next day's meals...oh the joys of motherhood.

Breakfast the next day was splendid. Basking in the morning ray, my little girl had her yogurt and cereal. I would say if my 15month old could articulate her thoughts, she would be telling her friends at the nanny what an adventure she had over the week, the driving on long long roads, the yummy yums she had in the car, the extra attention from mummy, the exploring of these strange stop places where people zoom in and out, not eating in her feeding chair, breaking all table mannerism, exploring a strange kitchen and house, plucking flowers and leaves....if only I could get in her mind and see how happy it is.

Happy travelling mamas!

Cloth Diapers and Soap Nuts

2012-08-17T16:26:00.000+08:00

I honestly would say that I am a new user to these wonderful nuts! Soapnuts Why? It is because I started to cloth diaper my kiddo at about 8 months when the storm settled down. Yes I know a lot of people settled down within 4 months but with my strong willed baby it took us longer. Since I am a full time working mother, my plan of cloth diapering is only materialised on weekends, but I have a great nanny who uses napkin folds as well as disposable diapers so my girl is not exclusively on disposable diapers. Hopefully toilet training will be easy on us so we can kiss the whole diapering business good bye..soon.

Why cloth diapers? To some people it is a hassle because you have more in your laundry basket. Some of my friends think I am crazy to go through such trouble so that my kiddo's bum bum is healthy. Well it is not just about butt health but general wellness as well. Our clean sterile looking diapers and pads are all bleached and the by-product is Dioxin which is the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. Certain dioxins have been shown to be a carcinogen and to affect the reproductive and immune systems, cause skin disease, birth defects and liver damage. In response to scares over dioxin exposure, several disposable diaper manufacturers have started to product diapers that are unbleached or bleached without chlorine. Have you tried smelling a fresh disposable diaper? The better the claims of absorbency the stronger the chemical smell. If you have not, just pick up one today and take a deep breath I sure you will be surprised.

Let's start with soap nuts, these are nature's cleaning gift to us sans nasty chemical and residues. I started using soap nuts because my cloth diapers needed a gentle cleaning agent that won't leave any traces on my precious soakers and inserts. Residues will affect absorbency and in the long run lower the performance of cloth diapers. I got my first package of soap nuts from another mom that I befriended online. She has been my helpline for my list of questions. So far I have been using the nuts to not just wash my cloth diapers but for all my kiddo's clothes.

Just drop 5 to 8 nuts in a muslin,cotton or organza bag if you run out of bags an old cotton sock will do the trick as well. Some people drop few drops of essential oil on the bag before starting the wash cycle. Soap nuts are washing machine friendly as long they don't run astray in the load. It won't do any harm to the machine, just that you will need to comb through your wet laundry to pick them up. We mothers have no time so let's get it right from the beginning.

Once you are done with the wash cycle, dry the nuts and reuse them for your next washing load. From my experience, the nuts can be stretched up to 3 washes before they come to pieces but don't throw them away, boil these bits and you will have liquid soap for your dishes and other utilities. Isn't this just cool. Savings for our pockets and the environment too. Soap nuts can be used for cleaning for the whole family from clothes, furniture and jewellery. For stubborn stains you might have to use oxygen bleach which is a stronger version of hydrogen peroxide or just look up these kitchen remedies of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate. Just be careful with sodium bicarbonate as it can strip of colours from clothing.

Once i left my nutties in the socks and forgot to dry them out, resulting in my whole load smelling funny, the type that you get when your laundry did not get enough sunlight so lesson learnt, please hang your soap nuts to air dry before using them again. Soap nuts react to moisture quickly if you run water through it fine bubbles form easily, so do keep them in an air tight container so that they don't turn mouldy from air moist.

Cloth diapers are lovely, the yummy colours make you want to add more to your collection. I love my stash and all mummies who cloth diaper their little munckin will know how addictive it can be. Of course being new to cloth diapering can be confusing, I too walked down that road of blurriness reading post and forums on the types of diapers out there. From AIO, AI2, AI3, Pocket Diapers and the myriad of brands out there. Really there is no one ultimate brand that is the best so mummies will need to experiment and discover which is the best for your little angels. My simple definition of the types of cloth diapers

AIO
All in One cloth diapers have inserts sewn onto the diaper cover/shell. You will have to change everything when it is wet or soiled

AI2
For this type, there is a cover/shell and the soakers. You can change up to 2 soakers using the same shell but of course it is a personal choice if shells are changed too.

Pocket Diapers
The diaper comes with a small opening where you can insert the soakers/micro fibre, hence the name pocket diaper. You will have to change everything when it is wet or soiled.

There are also sizes from newborn to one size fits all. I personally prefer the One Size Fits all because it grows with the baby. Do use a suitable diaper/barrier cream to avoid residue accumulation on your cloth diaper. I love Grovia Magic Stick, the scent is lovely as you can smell the soft notes of essential oil, grape seed and jojoba oil. By now I am sure you can pick up that I am a fan of Grovia cloth diapers and anything that says GROVIA. The price range is between RM60 to RM65 for shells and sets will be going for about RM90 to RM95. The soakers are organic cotton and it feels smooth and lovely, just right for my baby's delicate bum bum.

Cloth Diapering is therapeutic and I know my baby is getting the best out of her diapering experience. Happy diapering and nut washing mama!

P/S: Next I will be adding more info about managing your diaper pail..so watch this space.

Healthy Snacks for Toddlers

2012-08-15T17:21:00.003+08:00

What do you feed your little ones when it is not breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner? We all love our snacks , cookies and chips for the in betweens and I am sure our kiddos would like to have some nibbles in and out of their main meals as well. These lovely coloured containers surely comes handy when you are travelling with your little tots because a busy munching mouth is distracted, therefore lowering the opportunity to whine, tho I can testify to whiners who can really perform the whole drama with their mouth stuffed with food.

For me greased chips and fries are not an option so I either prepare my snacks myself or buy healthy organic snacks off the shelves. Can't imagine how some people can feed their child with msg laded chips and fries, still figuring that out...
If you look down the aisle of our finger food counters, the price tags will set you back, judging from the fact that most of us mummies would pick up more than one variety of snacks for our munckins. At the moment my little monster loves her Happy Family Banana and Plum Organics Sweet Potato Puffs. The Broccoli, Kale and Cheddar Cheese strips is also a favourite with her but her all time favourite will be the sweet potato puffs because it has a nice cane syrup fragrance to it, even we like the taste as well. The cheddar strips are yummy too with a slight taste of cheese and it is not salty at all which is good because we all know that salt should be kept at a minimum for children because of their developing kidney functions.

The last time I checked, our retailers were selling them between RM20 to RM25. If I have bought them here it will cost me close to RM100, so I browsed through iHerb and guess what I found, my ever reliably site does carry them for a fraction of what we need to pay here. The puffs and strips are going for about RM10 to RM12, what a steal! Even when delivery is added it is still cheaper. Now it is even better with the discount code of OFA675, first time buyers can save up to USD10 when you purchase up to $40.

So for mummies, you can give these a try and do let me know if your LO (Little One, Loved One) likes it. Happy munching!

These are the ingredients of the my ordered puffs. They have iron in it so do top up the liquids.

Banana Puffs Ingredients

Organic rice, organic whole oats, organic wheat, organic apple juice concentrate, organic whole grain brown rice, organic wheat starch and organic banana. Vitamins and minerals such as ascorbic acid, calcium, E, iron, D3, Niacin, B3, B5, B2, B1,B6,B12 and Folic Acid.

Allergen info: No corn, soy, dairy but contains wheat

Plum Organic Super Puffs Ingredients

Organic rice flour, organic whole oat flour,organic dried cane syrup, organic brown rice, organic blueberry powder, natural flavour, organic dried purple sweet potato, citric acid . Vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, C, iron, zinc, E and D3

Allergen info : May contain soy and wheat

Broccoli, kale and cheddar munchies Ingredients

Organic whole grain yellow corn, organic canola oil, organic cheddar cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes, sodium phosphate), organic broccoli and organic kale. Vitamins & minerals such as iron, sea salt, D3, niacin,zinc, B5, B6, B2, B1, B12 and Folic Acid

Allergen info: No soy, wheat and nuts but contains corn and dairy

Tooth Cleaning for Toddlers

2012-08-08T00:35:00.002+08:00

How many of you are a fan of MY MILK TOOF? For those who are in the dark, MMT is about 2 adorable "milk toofs". They are ickle who is smart, curious and loves reading, likes cutting coupons, nibbling on furniture and interestingly adores David Bowie. Lardee on the other hand is loveable and follows ickle around the house. Lardee has a magical red bag with an endless supply of things. These cute creations are of Inhae Lee, a Korean artist living in the States now.

Every time I look at my baby's teeth ickle and lardee comes up to me. One day my baby's teeth will fall and run off to an adventure just like lardee and ickle and I hope they have a good time exploring the world after being in a cave for far too long.

Since we are on the topic of "toofs" we all know how important it is to take care of our pearly, with that said mouth hygiene starts young, but try telling that to a toddler. Good luck!

From many parenting books that I have read, authors have recommended that we can start the trip to the dentist as young as 12months. I have brought this up with others and was shot down saying that it is far too early. Some people will say 2 some say 2 plus and it just varies. Oh well I guess the cue would be when parents are ready, comfortable and confident about handling their kiddo at the doctor's office.

I was looking around for ways of cleaning my little babe mouth and stumble upon Tooth Tissues . Tooth Tissues are disposable textured dental wipes specially designed to help remove plaque from your baby and toddler's teeth and gums. Tooth Tissues are natural, fluoride-free, paraben-free and contain xylitol. They were created by two dentist for their own kids and now it is quite a hit. The tissues are soft and nice and has a oatmeal colour contrasting to the white bleached tissue papers. There is a slight scent that might be unpleasant for some nostrils but it's manageable. My fussy pot is not protesting so I assume it is ok.

They are easy to use and acts like an introduction to brushing for your little one. Just slip one finger into the tissue and swipe them across those little toofs. Becareful, if your little one likes to bite, this will be a good opportunity to try out their grips. Very good clean up after a meal of fish porridge of pie. These Tooth Tissues are not just for little toofs but works well for adults. I have tried it myself and I have to admit that my enamels were glowing clean. Some mothers that I know also use these on their furry pets too, tho i think it is a tad too expensive to be used on my fur ball.

I ordered mine from iHerb for RM18.37, seen it around in our Klang Valley baby stores retailing for RM20 to RM25 so it is good savings if you buy from iherbs. For first time buyers, you can use OFA675 as the discount code on your first purchase and get 10UDS off for orders more than $40. My package came within 10 days but at times it can take up to 2 weeks. This is my first packet and I will be stocking up soon when mine runs out. Best to keep one packet near your baby so that you can remember to use it after the last bottle. Milk in the mouth without rinsing is bad news for us and a great space for tooth decaying bacteria to thrive. According to the creators, these tissue can be used from birth, I think it will be best to use when your baby starts solids.

So for those who are looking for that something extra either it is your teeth cleaning or little kiddo's, you might want to give this a shot.

Happy toofing!

CaYg..Clean as You Go

2012-08-02T11:37:00.000+08:00

Good morning dear readers welcome to Burps!

Being a new mom, I get paranoid with germs. From toys, table surfaces and especially cutting boards....Yes yes I know not to be too clean because the baby needs to build her immune system...heard that over a million times but hey don't we need to clean eventually!

Well I am sure most of you have heard of Hydrogen Peroxide....I have but it never came across to me that it can be used for cleaning up household stuff like tooth brush to cutting board!...All I know that it bleaches hair..ignoramus me!

I ordered my first bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide for RM14 from Newlife and my husband laughed at me..why? Coz I sound like i just discovered gold. Oh well...Newlife throws in a bottle spray as well ...so this is how it goes

Wound Dressing
1. Spray 2(HO) on to the wound
2. Splash off with clean water
3. Apply tea tree oil on gauze and dab...OLA!

Cleaning
1. Spray 2(HO) on the targeted surface
2. Wipe off with clean water.

Your surfaces will be looking and smelling sparkling clean ...I heart!

The same method goes to tooth brush and cutting board.. once 2(HO) is sprayed on you will see foaming which is the extra molecule of O2 that carries off the germs and dirt hence why you need to splash it off with water.

My 2(HO) sitting on the kitchen table

I find it very useful as this bottle comes in with the 3% dilution so it takes off the headache of measurements and worrying whether you got it right especially for Dyscalculia mothers like me.

I was given a long usage list by the distributor which in one of them stated usage as a gargle as well! but honestly I don't think I have the guts to try it so I am happy with the clean and go option that 2(HO) gives me and the entire family.

So do give it try, and let me know whether it works for you.

Happy Cleaning!