Ointment for Babies and Toddlers

  

 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

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

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

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

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

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!