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!

Uninterrupted time with the husband - our Friday date nights.

For a couple of months now, Adam has been requesting to have sleepovers at my in-laws' on Friday nights.

My condition is that he finishes his homework, and in exchange he gets to sleepover and play on my brother-in-law's iPad for a while before bed. (We did away with the iPad at home. Like totally.)

Andy & I get to go on dates on Friday evenings for a couple of hours before fetching Ashton home.

It is a dream arrangement for everybody.

I don't know how other couples do it, but even though it is only for a few hours on every Friday, this alone-time with the husband is much needed and works great for us.

Some time to ourselves without the kids getting into our hair. 

 

Tonight, we were at Akashi Japanese Restaurant for dinner.



Otoro (fatty tuna belly) and Uni (sea urchin).

The uni is sweet and delish!

 

Sukiyaki beef noodle set.

I'm in a white-tee-and-ripped-jeans phase right now.
White tee: Gap kids (it has a breast pocket which is so cute)
Ripped jeans: Mango
Orange beaded necklace: eBay
Shoes: Tory Burch wedges
Bag: Hermes Birkin 30

 

 When I got to my in-laws' after dinner, Adam was finishing the last two questions of his abacus homework without my prompting, both kids had been fed and bathed.

This is one of the better nights where everything is falling in place. Stellar moment when I walked through the door to see Adam beading his abacus. 

I swear, some days are so dark I don't even know how I made it out alive.

 

When I was little, or maybe in my teenage years, my Mum used to exclaim in exasperation "Wait till you become a mother!"

That was probably the most profound advice she's given me in all her life, and mine.

Wait till I become a mother. That's it.

I am a mum of two boys today, and have been mummy status for slightly over 5 years now.

Nobody has given me any advice about being a good mum.

Well, I know anyone can be a mother. But a good, terrific, nurturing and loving mum, now that's seriously tough shit.

 

I would think I'm faring OK on some days - the kids hardly get sick, I try to provide them the best nutrition I can afford, I am selective (fussy) about the toys I buy for them (safety first and reputable brands only please), and they don't watch DVDs other than those from Leap Frog.

I must be raising prodigies!

 

The not-so-ok days are those where I receive feedback from the teacher/ helper/ family member/ part of the village who's helping me raise my kids.

Feedback about how I'm not reading enough to Adam/ Ashton climbed on and flew off the coffee table and hurt himself/ both boys fighting/ child so-and-so did this and that, blah blah blah.

Feedback that make you worry about what you're doing wrongly or inadequately.

Feedback that make you cringe and wonder how your own offspring can be like that.

 

 

 Parenting is like taking two baby steps forward, and one step back.

You keep going and going and hopefully one day you look back at your grown-up kids and think you did an OK job after all.

Five years into this mothering job, I'm still absolutely clueless.

 

49th National Day celebration in Adam's kindergarten.

 Celebrated National Day in Adam's kindy yesterday.

I woke up at 5:30AM to boil eggs and make sandwiches.

 

Kids arrived super early to get ready for a small performance for the parents.

Ah Beng Ashton Tan.

Adam's art work got displayed in front of the Principal's office :P

Their breakfast menu (just for my own reference).

 

 

It was an entire day of ferrying the kids around for me.
Driving up and down to my Mum's, to Andy's office, then to dinner and finally back home.
Super exhausted until we just all collapsed after bath-time and Andy and I missed our midnight Marvels movie!

But on the good side, this year is the first time I attended his National Day school party.
Last year, Adam asked me why other kids' mummies attended but not me?
I felt super guilty because I am a FTWM, but to a child, that 2 hours of your presence in a school event makes a world of difference because you are his world!
Therefore, I made the effort to take leave this year, plus I promised him I will make sandwiches for his friends (as his teacher called me up and requested me to bring some finger food, I gladly agreed).

 It's a tough job being a Mum, juggling so many different roles and tasks, making sure everybody is reasonably happy.
For my kids, I promise to try my best.

 



How I did a Medicine Makeover for my children and family.

One evening, I was feeling nesty (I'm not pregnant, thanks) and decided to empty and re-arrange the drawers in my kitchen as they were in need of de-cluttering.

I found many ziplock packets of pills of all shapes and sizes - painkillers, anti-pyretic, anti-spasmodic, you name it.

The thing with medications is, you never really need any just ONE. They always come in a combination. Need to take Ponstan or Synflex for your menses cramps? Sure, then you will need Antacids to protect your stomach. Taking Piriton for your flu? Then you can experience drowsiness.
Taking Accutane or Retin-A for your acne? Then you cannot conceive within 6 months of use as they are teratogenic (can cause birth defects or harm the foetus). So on and so forth.
 

 Plus, there's also this problem with feeding young children medication - the struggles, the resistance from them, fighting with them to make them swallow the colourful syrups and have them cry so hard and vomit everything out again. Not funny!

 

 

 

 

And then I found these oils:

Just basic handy oils to have in your home. You don't even need a whole range, but mind you, once you start your oiling journey, you'll love these oils so much that you just keep wanting more.
Don't say I didn't warn you!

 

Peppermint uses: Fever, headache, tummy aches, indigestion, heartburn, flatulence. For fever in children, rub 1-2 drops on each sole of their feet. Repeat or increase frequency if needed.

If using on body or head, dilution with carrier oil is recommended as this is a hot oil.

 

Purification uses: A blend oil containing Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Maleleuca (tea tree), Lavandin, and Mrytle.

Good for : Insect bites, insect repellent, sore throat, runny nose, cleanse cuts and scrapes, purify and cleanse air in the house. Combine a few drops with a 20-cent portion of carrier oil and rub on chest and back at the first sign of sore throat or flu. Can diffuse in the house for purifying and improving air quality.

 

 

R.C. uses: A blend oil of 3 different types of Eucalyptus species, RC is also known as the "Respiratory oil". It contains Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptus citriodora, Majoram, Spruce, Lavender, Pine, Peppermint, Myrtle.

It supports respiratory function, and fights off coughs and flu. Eucalyptus also have ability to dissolve mucus (mucolytic) and helps expel the mucus (expectorant). Myrtle helps to fight infections.

 

 

Thieves uses: A blend oil consisting of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus radiata, and Rosemary.

 

The origin of Thieves date back to hundred of years ago in France where four robbers covered themselves in these spices when robbing plague victims. When they were caught, the magistrate took note that they were not affected by the plague and asked them to reveal their secret recipe in exchange for their freedom, otherwise a crime punishable by death back then. 

A herby, spicy blend which is my personal favourite and my go-to oil at any sign of strep throat and cough. For myself and Andy, I rub 2 drops directly onto throat, behind ears and chest. For the kids, I rub them onto their soles neat (undiluted). It is highly efficient in building up the immune system to prevent falling sick so easily.

 

 

The results of using these oils are amazing. At the first signs of any illness, I diligently oil the sick party at bedtime and by the next morning, we are all fit as a fiddle again.

It's not to say that you will be invincible if you use essential oils, but they can improve your immune system and make you more resilient.

 

I made the liberating decision to throw all the medications away. This shows how much faith and trust I have in the oils.

Some people I encountered have no qualms spending a bomb on antibiotics and doctors' consults, but need to do a lot of research about essential oils.
I don't blame them - it's not an easy decision to make! But once you do, you know how liberating and in-control of your family's health you are!

No more forcing medications down the children's throats. Everybody's happy :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. This post is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition. If you have any pressing medical issues, please consult a medical doctor and discuss your intention to use complementary or alternative therapy (eg. TCM, essential oils, acupuncture). More importantly, know your own body.