[sponsored post] Vaby subscription box is here!

Hi Mummies! You've heard of Bella Box and the like, but what about Vaby Box?

It's the mummy and children version of subscription boxes, and I guarantee you will be delighted with the quality products Vaby packs for you.

It's either they've got really awesome sponsors, or are very generous, or both!

 

Let's take a look at August's Vaby box:

For mummies: Korean Adhesive Labra from La Brassiere. Comes in a nice zip-up storage pouch which is handy for travel as it protects its shape.
I've yet to try it though, due to lack of occasion.

For babies:
Skip Hop zoo bib
Baby Organix natural cotton diaper
Idocare Lavender Fields concentrated laundry detergent (1 box is good for 30 full adult loads or 40-45 full loads of baby clothes).
Nurtureme organic fruit snack
Portable pencil mini fan
Kids Party entertainment voucher
The Playhouse unlimited play pass at Rochester.

Baby Organix natural cotton diapers made in Korea: made with natural cotton, it is soft and comfortable as the inside is made with 0.0163mm fine fibre. Gentle to baby's sensitive skin, it contains mild olive leaf extract that is naturally anti-bacterial, preventing diaper rash.

"It is breathable and comfortable!"
I wore it for Ashton's bedtime to give it a test-drive through the night.
Verdict: even though it is thinner than his normal brand diaper, it didn't leak and could hold all the night's pee.

5 star product!

Each packet is SGD$17.90, comes in sizes S, M, L, XL.
You may purchase full sized item of this Baby Organix cotton diaper at Vaby's website HERE.

Adam and Ashton love this Nurtureme organic dried fruit snack. I took a sample of it before giving the kids and I must say the banana and pineapple are really yums!

Foodie Ashton never gets left out when there is anything to eat.

The Skip Hop zoo bib comes with a pocket for spillage and is water-resistant to keep mealtimes neat and tidy! At only SGD$4.90, it's really quite a steal.

 

 You can join the subscription for monthly Vaby boxes to be delivered to you, or purchase full-sized items you like at: www.vaby.com.sg

 

Have fun shopping!

 

 

 

p.s. I'm delighted by the kind understanding by Vaby for accommodating me on my busy schedule and giving me lots of grace. It's been an honourable experience partnering with you and I look forward to future collaborations. You have been nothing but exceptional in your service and products :)

My last baby, Ashton, turned TWO.

I'm a little sad. Our last baby, Ashton, turned two today.

Oh my, where did all the time go?

This year, no fancy affair, just a simple meal with my family and in-laws at Prima Tower revolving restaurant.

 

My brother's girlfriend is from Japan and my Granny won't stop speaking to her in Cantonese.

 

 

Ashton looked indifferent throughout. This baby is cool as a cucumber, cannot be bothered about the bahooha of everything, even if it's his PARTY!

I'm getting old and have not the energy to conjure up anymore fancy parties for the children.

As a matter of fact, apart from feeling sad, I also feel a huge relief now that he's two. It has been such a roller-coaster year for us, but I can't really put a finger to what it is.

I just feel as if I have been running a marathon for the past year, maybe it's his newfound mobility now that he's running around, maybe it's his ability to fight for attention and toys with his brother.

I don't know exactly.

From now on, they will just have to make do with birthdays in school because their mother is old and perpetually exhausted.

Speaking of school, Ashton is still happy with his status quo as a Stay-at-home-son.

He's not enrolled in any preschool yet, and I'm not even anxious.

I'll just let him enjoy being a SAHS a little bit more.

Really taking my time with this baby.

 

Family affair: Joan's 1st Birthday party.

Andy's cousin's daughter is turning one!

Love attending parties with loads of children. They make every party livelier and happier with all that noise and coordinated mess.

 

While playing in the ball pit, Adam hurt a cousin's eye. Intentional or not (he said it was accidental), I punished him and made him apologise to Donovan. I later on explained to him the reason why I was mad and scolded/ beat him in front of Donovan and his guardian was because I love and care about him that's why I get upset if other children and their parents are angry with him.
I then banned him from playing at the party and we left (thankfully it was time to leave otherwise I would hate to leave the party prematurely).

Adam's at an age which requires lots of reasoning and that is honestly tiring as hell.
I wish children came with instruction manuals. Sigh.

MIL and birthday girl Joan

Outfit of the day:
Quilt grey blouse: Love Bonito
Red shorts: H&M
Bag: Hermes Lindy 34
Shoes: Charlotte Olympia Clever Kitty flats

Adoring my new shoes from www.net-a-porter.com. They were offering free international shipping so I ordered 2 pairs of shoes from them. So comfy too! No blisters for the entire 4 hours of wearing them.

the Ngs! Darren (Andy's cousin) and Suzanne with their three kids.

Blessed birthday Joan!!!
You're gonna grow up to be so spoilt and protected by your brothers I'm sure!

One oil at a time: Abundance from Young Living.

Hello hello~! This is gonna be a fun post about another of Young Living's oils, Abundance.

abundance

əˈbʌnd(ə)ns/

noun

noun: abundance; plural noun: abundance

"a very large quantity of something."

 

 

Now that you've gotten your "wellness" oils, you can direct your energy to something productive, something better.

Abundance is a blend oil which has the 8 powerful oils (8 is the number of wealth for Chinese):

Myrrh: One of the three gifts to infant Jesus, Myrrh has the frequency of wealth, amplifies the law of attraction. It is high in sesquiterpenes which improves oxygenation to the brain.

Frankincense: Also one of the gifts to infant Jesus by the three wise men, Frankincense is, too, high in sesquiterpenes. Like Myrrh, Frankincense are worth their weight in gold, therefore, people who possess these oils are believed to attract the energy of prosperity and abundance. Frankincense has cancer-fighting properties which is widely discussed and researched if you do a search on Google.

Patchouli: Highly regarded in India for attracting wealth (as of clove in South India), Patchouli is high in alpha- pinenes and sesquiterpenes. Alpha-pinenes also have the ability to penetrate the blood-brain-barrier to stimulate the human growth hormone. It has calming and relaxing effects.

Orange: Orange brings peace and happiness to the mind because of its rich, citrusy scent which lifts the spirit. It is rich in the powerful anti-oxidant d-limonene. It is used in Abundance because it creates joy in a person.

Ginger: Ginger has stimulating properties on the gastrointestinal tract. It is commonly used to soothe, comfort and balance digestion. Ginger promotes energy circulation in the body and is widely used in Chinese and Indian medicine to protect the body against a host of diseases. Emotionally, it gives courage.

Clove: Clove has a sweet, spicy aroma that is stimulating and revitalising. Clove oil is highly prized in South India as it is associated with wealth. With its antioxidant properties, it will create abundance in health.

Cinnamon bark: Having a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system, cinnamon bark is a powerful oxygenator, meaning it can improve oxygenation to the brain. It also enhances the activity of other oils.

Spruce: Like Ginger, Spruce was added to Abundance blend for its grounding and balancing effect, giving the user courage.



Photo is for illustration purposes only.

Abundance works with the "law of attraction", which means the things you attract things to yourself.

 

This oil blend is known as "Fengshui in a bottle".
It has the frequency to attract wealth and prosperity to you.

 Each oil has a frequency, as do our bodies have frequencies.
Frequency is the measurable rate of electrical energy.
Higher frequencies can influence substances of lower frequencies. For eg. Sacred Frankincense can destroy cancer cells.
Low frequencies make physical changes in our body.
Middle frequencies make emotional changes in our body, and
High frequencies make spiritual changes in our body.

 



This is my husband's favourite oil. We diffuse Abundance in the bedroom or living room before he has any meeting with clients.
Specifically, I will diffuse it at about 6AM in the mornings, because I wake up earliest in my household on weekdays. Hubby wakes up at 8am. That's effectively 2 hours of inhaling the Abundance molecules.
When you are asleep, your breathing pattern stabilizes, especially during non-REM sleep, therefore oxygenation is optimized.

 

Photo shared by YL member, unfortunately it is not watermarked so if this photo belongs to you, please let me know so I can credit to the rightful person :)
*Edit to add: photo is from Kai, owner of ONE Drop Singapore, and idea taught by Yvonne Zee.
 

Wish I knew about Young Living when we renovated our first home three years back!

Other ways of applying Abundance oil include diffusing it in your room / office, or applying on your wrists and chest before meeting a client.
I even read of some people putting 1 or 2 drops into their wallet!
Of course, this is not rocket science so there is no hard and fast rule to oiling.
Do whatever makes you happy and prosper.
And always keep a bottle of vegetable oil or carrier oil on hand in case the essential oils are too strong for you.
Essential oils are oil-based, not water-based. Water drives them deeper into your skin, making the burning effect more, while oils will dilute the essential oils.





Here's to blessings in abundance after oiling! :)

 

Ashton's cellulitis cured the natural way - we are antibiotic-free.

Just two days ago, Ashton had a couple of mozzie bites which I brushed off.

He started scratching them like crazy and when I got home in the evening, his leg had developed cellulitis (bacterial infection of the skin tissues, NOT cellulite).

 

Clinical signs of Cellulitis include: redness, swelling, warmth at the site compared to the other peripheral limb. In severe cases, fever may develop.

 

 

As you can see from the photo below, his foot and ankle were swollen, the wounds were red and angry. The bigger wound was wet with pus.

Infected ankle was swollen and appeared bigger than his right foot.

 Another photo from Day 1:

Since it was already late evening when I got home, I did not bring him to the doctor's.
Instead, I came up with my own concoction for antibacterial actions.

The oils I used were:
- Lavender (calming, soothing)
- Purification (antibacterial)
- Thieves (antibacterial, boosts immunity, fights infections)
- Lemongrass (powerful antibacterial. Careful it is very HOT. Use in small amounts)
- Frankincense (for skin conditions, infections, healing, anti-scarring)
- Lemon (cleanses skin, anti-bacterial, anti-septic, increases white blood cells to fight infections)

 

The dilution ratio I used was 1:1.

Equal parts of EOs to equal parts of carrier oil (I used grapeseed oil) as I needed something non-stinging to my baby's skin, yet powerful enough to deal with the Cellulitis.

 

After just 1 night of application, this is the result:

No more swelling of his left ankle, redness and swelling GONE totally, and mozzie bite wounds have dried up.
No more pus.

I told my maid to continue applying it a few times throughout the day, and when I got home the next evening, she told me Ashton didn't scratch the entire day!
My mother-in-law asked me, "What oil is that??" and she was so surprised when I said they are essential oils and even her relatives have bought YLEOs for their own kids!

We managed to fight Cellulitis in just ONE night without any steroid creams or antibiotics.
Once again, Young Living works!
.
.
.
Disclaimer: If Cellulitis is left untreated, fever may develop and the condition may require oral antibiotics/ topical creams/ and even Intra-venous antibiotic administration.
I am a nurse working in a women's and children's hospital so I know how to assess my children.
Do seek medical advise if you are unsure.

 

Bringing the kids to a Baby Shower...alone!

Last Sunday, my maid had the day off, and the husband went to Rompin to fish.

The last thing I wanted was to be stuck at home the entire day with two rowdy boys, so I brought them to a friend's baby shower.. all by myself!

At first, Hubby was worried how I was gonna handle the kids by myself since we almost always have my helper or him or my MIL (the village that helps to raise my kids).

 

Anyway, I bit the bullet and went.

Gift favours for the guests - customised hand towels and a box of assorted cakes. So generous!

Baby Hebe. Love the frilly hat! :)

Luckily I had the help of my friend Jan and Ingrid's helper (Hebe's mum's helper) to watch the kids periodically if I needed to change Ashton's diaper or excuse myself for toilet break.

Bubble time!!! My boys' tees are kindly sponsored by Vaby.
Like Vaby on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vabysg

Here are my reflections on bringing the children out alone without any help:

- The tricky parts are gathering them - getting them to put on shoes/ get out of the house in harmony/ getting into the car, and then after the party, herding them together and leaving cooperatively.

- I can handle both kids, no problem. From a scale of 0-10, 0 being easy peasy and 10 being murderous, I rate today's experience 2/10.
2 because I had to feed both kids on my own and then supervise the kids playing at the playground. My friend's daughter, Kate, was younger than Adam and Adam being a boy, isn't very good at playing with girls. Too rough. I had to step in a couple of times to warn him not to be too rough.

- I will not tell my husband how happy I am today with just myself because I can survive. I don't want him to think that he can slack on his fathering duties.

- Lastly and importantly, Young Living oils work. I rubbed the boys with oils right after their baths, about 30min before leaving the house.

I used Valor for Ashton to give him confidence. He's the shy and quiet one among the two, and while there's nothing wrong with that, he tends to cling to me in presence of strangers and want me to carry him. That would make it difficult for me to eat or have my hands free.

For Adam, I applied Peace & Calming because he is the super spirited and hyper type, always raring to go.

So far so good I say!