Confessions of a Mumzilla.

Hi all, I wanna say a BIG THANK YOU for reading my blog. I've just changed my blog banner too, to something which reflects my feelings as a Mom!

I first started this blog to chronicle my experiences as a mommy and wife when I got pregnant and when Adam was born.
I wanted to reminisce those times when I am old one day.
Four years and 2 kids later, I am still writing about my (boring) life.
The difference is, today, I have made many new Mommy-friends over the course of my blogging.
Moms who don't know me at all who are bothered enough to read about us and drop me invaluable suggestions and advice.
Thank you for walking this scary journey called Motherhood with me. I am grateful for your friendship!

 

Here are my Confessions, true blue Mumzilla style. No holds barred. No pretense that it's all a walk in the park. Just sheer, brutal honesty:

1) I fed my kids cold milk at some points of their lives because I was too tired to warm it up at night.

2) I scream & shout at the top of my lungs at my kids. Occasionally.

3) When Adam is out the door on his way to school on a Monday, I do cartwheels and shout Hallelujah.

4) I let Adam eat junk once in a while just to shut him up.

5) I nearly lost Adam at the mall when I was too engrossed checking out sales items. Once. Worst fright of my life. Never went sales with him alone again. Ever.

6) I'm guilty of surfing Facebook and Instagram on my mobile when Adam is at the playground. Nevermind the dirty looks from other parents. Some me-time is better than none.

7) I sometimes pretend to be unwell so the husband will take over the parenting and I can hide under the covers.

8) Sometimes when Adam wants me to look at him build Lego, I pretend to be amused but the fact is I'd much rather look at the back of my eyelids.

9) I can't stand parents who preach about eating right all the time, total breastfeeding, positive discipline and all of that. It's so holier-than-thou and nobody gives a shit what you do with your kids. Really.

10) At the end of the day, I do love my kids dearly. And my kids love me back too. Whenever I'm home, it's always Mummy Mummy MUMMYYYY! They have powerful in-built GPS that can detect me no matter where I hide.

 

 

Cheers to Motherhood ladies! It's a rough ride, thanks once again for sharing my pains and joys, and for all the advise when I needed them.

I love ya all!

 

P.S. If you have any confessions of your own, I would love to hear them too! :)

Melissa & Doug Write-a-mat and Mothercare SALES

Have you come across Melissa & Doug reusable learning mats called Write-a-mat?

I bought them for Adam to practice writing his Letters and Numbers.

They are better than textbooks because writings can be erased and the mats can then be re-written on over and over.

 

These retractable washable crayons are from Melissa & Doug, and complement the learning mats. However, I find them to be brittle and break easily so we ended up using Crayola washable crayons instead.

Write-a-mat retails for $4.90 per piece, and the crayons at $4.50 per packet of 5 colors.

 

Mothercare SALES is starting tomorrow. Yep. 31st May to 31st July.

During the Mothercare sales last year, I bought loads of Leapfrog toys and Leapfrog Tag reading system at heavily discounted prices, so this sales is not to be missed!

 

 

 

Now how's that to kickstart your GSS :)

 

[Sponsored reviews] Mummytoon organic baby products - Part I

Happy Mid-week mommies!! How is the week treating you so far?
I have been so busy ever since I came back from Rompin. Back to work, back to my kids and family, back to reality!
I have some sponsored goodies that I reviewed over the past week and finally have time tonight to share with all of you :)

Friends and family know I'm quite the organic freak. My children and I are large consumers of organic stuff, from food produce to milk and right down to shampoo and body wash.
Why choose organic, you ask??
I've actually written a post HERE explaining why I choose organic and why I feel it benefits our children.

As you might already know, organic stuff in Singapore do not come cheap. Therefore, I am constantly on the quest for affordable yet convenient organic retailers.
I first came across Mummytoon website about a year ago when I was pregnant with Ashton and sourcing for lowest-priced California Baby products and have been buying my organic supplies from them since. Not only do they have the full California Baby range, they also have Bellamy organic milk and cereal which Ashton is consuming at the moment.
Their doorstep courier service (FREE for orders $100 and above) saves me a lot of hassle.

Recently, Maria and Eileen from Mummytoon sponsored me several items for review on my blog and I must say I am very honoured!

Let's have a look at what the items are that came in our delivery!

Organic snacks, pureed juice, skincare, California Baby bubble bath, and SgBum cloth nappy.
We are stoked!

California Baby bubble bath:

I think this brand needs no introduction as it has been around for very long and remains popular with Mommies here and here's what we think:

Our skin, being the largest organ of our bodies, deserves to be treated kindly, more so for our children.
Babies usually have sensitive skin and are susceptible to rashes (heat rash, nappy rash, pimply bumps), therefore I chose California Baby due to its wide range (from shampoo to body wash to powder and creams), and being organic and sulphate-free (sulphate is the foam-causing agent in most soaps).
California Baby is kind on nature and even kinder to my family.

Verdict: It is very mild and suitable for the most sensitive of skins, and non-drying as well. Although the smell is rather subtle and doesn't last long (compared to brands like Johnson & Johnson), I will still buy it because sometimes my babies are prone to redness and rash on their skin due to our humid weather. Other commercial brands of baby wash leave their skin slightly dry and flaky on their limbs, but I've never experienced this with California Baby. Worth the money.
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Next up: organic treats!

 

Happy Baby organic fruit puree pouches. (pictured first 3 from left)

Verdict: Available in different flavours, I brought these Puree Pouches out with us last Sunday when we had to be out the entire day (swimming lesson for Adam, lunch, going back to my Mum's, we were practically out the whole day). I mixed these into Ashton's organic cereal and it served as a complete meal for an 8-mth old with grains, greens and fruits. The puree is of smooth consistency and just like what you would expect out of puree jars.
Disposable and comes in just right serving sizes mean no wastage and no washing up.
Brilliant, me thinks!
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Organix Goodies organic raisins and chopped apples snacks. Packaged in convenient, individual packs for travelling with your tods:

Verdict: I like these small individual packs for the added freshness and convenience because it just means I don't have to pour them into snack holders. This shaves a lot of weight and bulk from my diaper bag which is so important. Plus, raisin and apple snack - something you cannot go wrong with especially on your little tikes!
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Happy Baby organic fruit puffs - in banana flavour:



Certified USDA organic and melts in baby's mouth. Which means, they are good for toothless eaters just like my Ashton!

Verdict: Good thing they come in BPA free bottles, which goes to show no expense is spared in ensuring the best for your baby. No harmful plastic, no harmful chemicals in the treats that go directly into their mouths and gastro-intestinal tracts.

The only downside I can find probably is, due to the large bottle size (as tall and wide as a 1L water bottle), and the lid not being air-tight, the puffs start losing crispness quicker than my kids can consume them. If you're thinking of buying this product, I suggest you pour them into airtight storage containers, or they simply make an ideal shared snack for playdates or parties.

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That's not all. Our reviews of Mummytoon's SgBum cloth nappy will be up in the next post.

And by the way, have you checked out Mummytoon for the wide array of products they carry? 

Plus.....Discounts for all Mumzilla readers!

Details up next :)

 

Thanks for swinging by and see you soon! 

What we did over the long weekend: Rompin fishing trip

What did you do on the Vesak Day weekend?
For me, I joined Hubby, my gal friend Clare, and her dad along with some of hubby's friends on a fishing trip to Rompin.

 

 

Drove up in the wee hours in the darkness until day break!

We are finally here!

Open-air toilet. So close to nature.

See what is on my hubby's shirt.. Bueh tahan...

Clare is the yellow-tail expert! She caught so many of those until can open market already.

Uncle Roland got a catch!

What is my husband fighting??

Hubby's monster catch

Baracuda!

Uncle Roland so cute and comical, he says everything also need to take photo

As close to a Sailfish as we can get

One month no need to buy fish already

We ended the trip having dinner at the Kelong with our catches.

Barakuda claypot curry. Sedap!

Clare's yellow-tails.

I was a bit disappointed because I had solely wanted to catch Sailfish! But looks like the drizzly weather and season just weren't right. Thank goodness for the great company which more than made up for the bad weather.

And I missed my boys dearly! My 2, who when apart, want to be together, but when they are together, 1 of them ends up crying.

Which is exactly like me yesterday - when I'm away from them, I pine for them. But when I'm around them, 1 of us (me) ends up crumbling to the ground crying.

 

Oh my dear boys! Can't wait for you both to be big enough to join your Dad on fishing trips!

 

 

[Review] VMV Hypoallergenic skincare from Luxola.

Hi all! I won a set of VMV Hypoallergnic skincare courtesy of Luxola in their Facebook giveaway. Lucky or what!!

 

  

Nice little brown box with ribbon and additional samples. Happyyy :)
Can't wait to check out what are the goodies inside!

From left to right: Creammmy rich intensive moisture milk; Subtle shine lipstick; Re-everything face-hand-body lotion; Sweat acne and overall anti-bacterial Monolaurin gel; Sport full-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen SPF 70; ThisWorks perfect hands intense moisture cream.

 

Thank you Luxola for this generous gift, I'm gonna use the Sweat acne and overall anti-bacterial Monolaurin gel, and the Sport sunscreen for my fishing trip this long weekend!

I'm sure it'll protect my skin from the harmful rays when I'm out at sea with my Hubby.

If you haven't heard of Luxola, they are an online shop selling a wide range of skincare and makeup.

My favourite buys from them are their Dr Jart+ range. They also have SK-II and many other brands.

Do check them out!

The thing I like most about Luxola is their excellent service and FREE next-day doorstep courier service, regardless of your order amount, (YES you heard right) which is purrfect for impatient shoppers like myself :)

 

Join their Facebook page for giveaways and promotions.

Join their Facebook page for giveaways and promotions.

Join their Facebook page for giveaways and promotions.

 

 

[Contest win] California Baby and Silly Souls from Shopping Paradise.

Hi Mommies, if you're on my Facebook friend list, you'd known I won some prizes on Mother's Day just a week ago :)

 

 

The contest was held by Shopping Paradise, and the details were:

 

“Motherhood is a wonderful, rewarding, messy, noisy and sometimes crazy ride – but it’s all worth it.” – sittercity.com

In less than 50 words, share with us what’s the greatest difficulty that you have faced as a mother.

The most inspiring story will win a California Baby bubble bath set (8 different flavours) retailing at $59 and a pair of Silly Souls USA baby shoes retailing at $28 from us. ONE Winner will be announced on Mother’s day, 12 May 2013.

 

My entry was: As a mother, I am committed to love and protect my children. My greatest difficulty was when my child was born with complications and had to undergo surgery at six months old. I was helpless, petrified, guilty, hopeful, overwhelmed, all at once. Being a mother cannot get any crazier.

 

And so I was that lucky winner! I LOVE organic products, and we're HUGE fans of California Baby since Adam was born 4 years ago. The boys use their Shampoo & Body wash, and Bubble Bath range.

 

Here are my lovely prizes:

 

All 8 different flavours of Bubble Bath for the kids, plus a pair of Silly Souls shoes for Ashton. *Swoon*
Flavours: Overtired & cranky, Camomile & herbs, Super sensitive, Colds & flu, Light & happy, I love you, Party!, Calming.

Review time!

Soft PU leather shoes for early-stage walkers, Silly Souls shoes DO NOT support animal testing, and that's not all. A portion of your purchase goes to "Feed the Children". helping reduce hunger so the world's children can laugh and learn. Original: www.SillySouls.com
www.ShoppingParadise.com.sg is an authorised retailer of Silly Souls in Singapore so do check them out!

Non-skid rubber soles.

About Shopping Paradise:
"Shopping Paradise started with a passion to provide a one stop service for parents. It is not only a place for you to shop in Paradise, it is also a place that we want to care and share. "CARE" for the needs of your children and "SHARE" on information or articles that we come across which we think that it might be useful to YOU!

We will continue to source for more products at an affordable price JUST FOR YOU and your PRECIOUS LITTLE TOTS."
Like them on their Facebook page.
Like them on their Facebook page.
Like them on their Facebook page.

 Read more about Jen at Mums at Work :)
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Thank you Jen from Shopping Paradise for choosing me and for the thoughtful gifts.

This year, I'm officially a Mom-of-two with the arrival of Ashton and with his need for surgery, we faced tremendous difficulties and challenges as a family, and I emerged stronger as a Mom. 

I found out firsthand that a mother's heart knows no boundaries for her kids.

Once again, thanks Shopping Paradise. It is a pleasure writing this review for you :)