I'm a full-time mummy

Despite the many obstacles a mother has to endure to raise her child, it is still one of the most rewarding obligations an adult can have. Being a mother, it’s a natural instinct to keep your child safe from harm, and you’ll go through whatever lengths to teach your children how to be safe. There are many lessons to be taught, but in this article we’ll be discussing some basic home security tips for your little ones.  (Because that’s what they’ll always be to you)

When it comes to being a crime victim, there’s no age limit.  Kids are going back to school, and parents are working longer hours to support their household, leaving more and more children and teens arriving to an empty home after school.

Kids should be taught some basic home security tips, so the chance of your kids becoming a victim is slim to none.  Preparing your child for an emergency can be one of the most important things you can speak to your child about being safe.

Here are 8 basic home security safety tips that you can speak to your child about for keeping them safe at home:

1. In the event of an emergency, make sure your child knows how to call 9-1-1.
2. Make sure your child has a contact phone number where you can be reached.
3. If home alone, it’s good to teach your child to never answer the door or phone unless it’s a family member or close friend.
4. Never let anyone know that you’re home alone.
5. Instruct your child on how to properly arm and disarm the home security systems when coming home.
6. Never leave the house or yard without permission.
7. Make sure all windows and doors are locked, including the garage door that leads into the home.
8. Make sure your child knows their full name, phone number, and address.

It’s imperative to take care of your children.  Mothers need to make sure that their kids recognize basic home security and safety rules, and obey them.  When it comes to protecting your family and home, taking the time to speak with your children about home security is never a waste of time.  With the tips provided above, you’ll have a safer child and well protected in the end.

** This guest post was written by Kevin Raposo, a blogger for SimpliSafe.  Kevin covers issues related to home security, crime, safety, and consumer issues.  Kevin is a dedicated writer and musician, spreading the word through music and blogging.  SimpliSafe is a leader in the wireless home security field.

It has been a while since I reviewed apps from Oceanhouse Media, so when I saw the press release for their latest app, I decided to check it out. Initially I was quite hesitant as being a Malaysian, we don't experience snow (unless we go to theme parks) and the only penguins we can see real life are in the zoos. But after reading further about this app, I decided to go ahead to request for a review. Read my review to find out why...

* Title: Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole
* Price: $2.99
* Category: Books
* Released: Aug 28, 2012
* Version: 1.09
* Size: 29.0 MB
* Language: English
* Seller: Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
* Rated: 4+
* Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Description from the product page:

"When an eager young penguin searches for adventure in the South Pole, he can't seem to find any excitement. No wild animals, no giant snowballs, and no hungry whales. Could it be he's just not looking closely enough? Join him on his journey and see if you can find anything he might be missing!

 This previously unpublished title was written in the 1960s by Stan and Jan Berenstain, but shelved until now due to the overwhelming success of The Berenstain Bears series. Laugh your way through this silly, brilliant, soon-to-be classic, hidden from the public for nearly half a century!"

What's good?

* It is engaging and interactive and I love that we can also touch the objects in each page on the screen and the words pop out to tell you what it is!

* I like the storyline about a penguin that wants to experience something exciting just so he can write into his new book but unknowingly missed some exciting adventures! 

* I like how the story on each page rhymes as I find it appealing to teach to our little ones!

* There are some pages in this book which reminded me of what Ben usually do, such as stepping on our alphabet mat in the playroom pretending like it is a dangerous challenge.

* I also used the opportunity to teach my 3 years old on his number counts. You can see the screenshot below:

Other Things to Note

* My honest opinion on this book, I don't really like the illustrations in the beginning pages as I find the penguin, walrus etc are not that realistic (its beak is crooked - OK, maybe I watched too much Disney)

You can purchase the "Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole " app from the iTunes App Store.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the promo code to redeem the application for free from iTunes Store in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine. And if you'd like to read my previous iPad Apps reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My iPad App Reviews"

A while ago I blogged about our shopping experience in one of the many Skechers outlet and then I blogged about Ben's Skechers Kid's Terminal Radian Z Strap Shoes and Alyson's Skechers Twinkle Toes: Shuffles - Cammie Cow Shoes! This week, I will continue on with our review and this time I'd like to introduce you guys to this awesome shoes that I get to try out!

Ladies and gentlemen, without further delay, let's find out more about the "Skechers GOplay Shoes":

Description from the product page:
"Casual fun and comfort come together in the SKECHERS GOplay shoe. Soft fabric upper in a slip on casual sporty sneaker with GOimpulse sensor sole design.'"

You have no idea how difficult it is for me to finally settle on this shoes! There's just so many choices and colors and designs to go for! I walked around and around, tried and tested quite a number of the shoes in the shop, and finally decided on this one because of the following factors:

- Soft elastic material

- VERY light, almost feel like you are wearing a pair of feather-like shoes!

- Love the colors and cute design

- Strong grip on the shoes' base

Now let's see how this awesome shoes look like.

Here are some pictures of me wearing the shoes! Apologies for most of my pictures showing my legs only ahaha because nobody takes my pictures! Arghhh! I tried bribing my 3 years old boy to take my picture and he ended up fiddling with my camera and takes shaky pictures... sigh...

I'm very happy with this shoes and one thing I want to share, recently during a heavy rain incident, I had to walk back to our car, carrying my daughter while hubby was holding the umbrella covering us from the rain (my boy is in the car already) and I was very worried with my shoes which I thought will easily soak up the rainwater but to my surprise, it remains dry even after I wade through the rainwater on the road! Awesome!

You can check out the designs at http://skechers.com.my/index.php

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the product by Skechers in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine.