I'm a full-time mummy

Just sharing my personal tips on how to remove batteries as I was struggling with one few days back. After I did this, it makes my life sooo much easier! Just a tiny piece of ribbon and everything is fine and dandy!

What you need is just a piece of ribbon or flat string/cloth - of course ribbon is the best choice as it is flat and thin. I don't suggest using rubber band as after some time, the rubber band might dry up and stick to the batteries or the battery compartment.

• Cut the ribbon long enough to have extra about half inch on both sides of the battery compartment.
  
• Just before placing in the batteries, gently put the ribbon in place of the batteries.
  
• You will see the extra bits of the ribbon jutting out on both sides after you put in the batteries.
  
• To remove batteries, what I did was hold one side of the ribbon end while I gently yanked up the other end of the ribbon. Tadaaaaahhh!!!
  

Do you have any other tips to share?

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.

Almost 2 months ago, I received an email on the possibility to review some baby products. I was excited of course, who would turn down baby products?! I got even more excited after browsing through the websites and seeing tons of gorgeous baby clothing and accessories! Without further ado, check out my review below...

About the company:

"We are a Malaysia online baby clothing store launched on 16 September 2012 (Malaysia Day!). We carry hand-picked products from reliable manufacturers and distributors for newborn baby and up to 2 years old toddler. We work hard to provide you the best of the products or brands at the most affordable prices with great online shopping experience and efficient customer service."

Before I begin with my feedback on the products, I would like to share my thoughts on the experience of 'buying' products from the website. What I like about the website:

- Adequate product information and clear pictures

- More options for payment gateway (PayPal - good for international customers, MOLPay (for local credit/debit card and online bank transfer))

- Ease of use and friendly user-interface

- Ability to track order history, detailed order status with prompt emails on the status updates on the order tracking updates

Anyway, I browsed through the website and finally decided on the following items:

Augelute Damask Print Tutu Bodysuit Dress, Pink

I ran some tests on this dress which was pre-washing it, drying and letting our kiddo wears it. The colors and size remain as it is after washing and drying which is great as I have some not so good experience with other clothing which bleeds after soaking. There are some snap buttons at the bottom of the dress for easy diaper changing (similar to rompers or onesies) and also a button at the back for easy over-the-head dressing.

I like this dress as it looks glam and girly at the same time with the black and pink theme. I love the comfortable cotton material and the layers of yarn at the bottom of the dress are soft and do not irritate the skin at the touch. You may notice the dress is a wee bit too big for my girl as I requested for a bigger size for her so that we can prolong the use of this dress.

Augelute Elegant Chiffon Flower Pre-Walker Shoe, Pink

Our 7 months old girl is not in the walking stage yet but that doesn't mean we should not get ready a pair of pre-walker shoes for her right?

I chose the smallest size available, which is the 11.5cm in length and I love the vibrant pink color of the shoes. The shoes has a Velcro stick on straps, anti-slips material at the base and the material of the shoes are soft and comfy, I also like the cute little chiffon flower at the end of the shoe straps.

Augelute Hooded Polka Dots 2-Piece Set, Plum Red

I totally love this hooded 2 piece set! You know why? The colors are adorable and I love to mix and match clothing (better versatility and prolong usage) and to find out that you can wear BOTH sides of this 2 piece set is just awesome-tastic! To be honest, I was not paying attention to the product description when I chose this set and hence did not realised that this 2-piece set is a stylish double-side wear, one side in plum red color and the other side with black polka dots in pink. You can go crazy mix and matching just this 2 piece set by itself! Love love love it!

The long pant comes with an elastic waistband and snap buttons (deco only), material wise this 2 piece set is made of 25% cotton and 75% Polyester, it feels soft and yet keeps you warm. This set passed my prewash and drying test, colors remain vivid and no shrinking at all.

The moment I took out the 2 piece set, our 2.5 years old Alyson set her eyes on it and she insisted to try it on. I let her try out both sides. I would say the polka dot side gives a cheeky adventurous feel while the plum red side retains the girlish feel on the wearer.

This 2 piece set is originally intended for our 7 months old girl to wear but since our 2.5 years old girl can still fit into the hooded top, I let our baby wears the pants. Definitely worth to buy this set and due to its versatility which allows both sides to be worn, I totally think this is value for money!

MomsCare Triangular Rose Floral Series Teething Bibs  

Our final product for this review, this 3-in-1 set cotton teething bibs, it comes with a white floral bib, a lovely rose floral bib, and a pink love heart bib. The bibs come with double snaps adjustable neckline specifically designed for drooling and teething as well as baby who having a messy day. When you put the bib on, it makes our kiddo looks like as if she is a cowgirl. Cute cute!

I like the bibs as they are easy to wear on our girl, small and very light, doesn't take up much space at all. I like that it is small but yet does its job perfectly well and looks different from normal bibs in the market. Definitely worth buying!

You can browse for more products at http://www.babyland.my/

** Do note that the product quantity is very limited, so some sizes will be out of stock very quick.

Do note that I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the products 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.

I've been reading a lot of articles of issues happening in my beloved country, Malaysia. Racial issues, religion issues, laws, amongst many. Saddens me to read all these. When I was young, I remembered reciting our Rukun Negara everytime we have our morning school assemblies.

** Image credit: Google

I would strongly urged my fellow Malaysians to read and remember back these philosophies, the following which contains excerpt (in italized paragraphs) taken from Dept. of National Unity & Integration website:

Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan (Belief in God)

In Bahasa: "Bangsa dan Negara ini telah diwujudkan atas kepercayaan yang kukuh kepada Tuhan. Sesungguhnya dengan nama Tuhanlah, Bangsa dan Negara ini diwujudkan sebagai sebuah Bangsa dan Negara yang berdaulat. Islam adalah agama rasmi Persekutuan. Agama-agama dan kepercayaan-kepercayaan lain boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan tenteram dan tindakan membeza-bezakan terhadap seseorang warganegara atasalas an agama adalah dilarang."

In English: "The People and Nation were established based on our strong faith in God. It is indeed in the name of God that the People and Nation were established as a sovereign People and Nation. Islam is the official religion of the Federation. Other religions and faiths can be practised in peace and harmony and the act of discriminating a citizen in the name of a religion is forbidden."

 

Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara (Loyalty to King & Country)

In Bahasa: "Malaysia adalah sebuah Negara yang mengamalkan pemerintahan beraja yang berpelembagaan dan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong ialah Ketua Negara yang Berdaulat. Selaras dengan kedudukan Yang di-Pertuan Agong sebagai seorang Raja di bawah Perlembagaan, maka demikianlah juga sisitem beraja akan berlangsung dengan Baginda Raja-Raja sebagai ketua Negeri masing-masing. Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Raja-Raja dan Gabenor-gabenor merupakan lambang perpaduan oleh itu, Baginda berada di luar politik. Kesetiaan yang dikehendaki daripada setiap warganegara adalah menumpukan sepenuh taat setia yang bener-benar jujur. Selain itu mereka yang menjadi rakyat Raja-Raja hendaklah juga menumpukan taat setia setia kepada Raja masing-masing tetapi dengan tidak mengurangkan taat setia mereka kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Persekutuan. Kesetiaan ialah jiwa bangsa kita. Kesetiaan dari hati sanubari kepada Raja dan tanahair inilah yang menyatukan kita semua daripada pelbagai kaum menjadi satu Bangsa yang bersatupadu. Kesetiaan kepada Negara-negara lain adalah bertentangan dengan kesetiaan yang tidak berbelahbagi kepada Negara ini."

In English: "Malaysia is a Country which practises constitutional monarchy and His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Head of a Sovereign Country. The monarchy system is in line with the status of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as a Constitutional Ruler, whereby Their Royal Highnesses the Kings are the heads of their respective states. His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Kings and Governors are symbols of unity therefore, His Majesty is not involved in politics. Loyalty is demanded from the citizens through sincere devotion. In addition, the Kings' people must also be devoted to their respective Kings and not compromising their devotion towards the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Federal Government. Loyalty is the soul of the nation. Sincere loyalty towards the Rulers and the nation is that which unites various races into an integrated Nation. Loyalty towards other Countries is contrary to the undivided loyalty towards our Nation."

 

Keluhuran Perlembagaan (Supremacy of the Constitution)

In Bahasa: "Kewarganegaraan member seseorang itu taraf keanggootaan sebuah negara. Perlembagaan member kepada seseorang warganegara hak-hak dan keistimewaan tertentu; Perlembagaan juga meletakkan padanya tanggungjawab dan kewajipan-kewajipan tertentu terhadap Bangsa da Negara. Setiap warganegara wajib menghormati dan menghargai kandungan, maksud dan latar sejarah Perlembagaan. Latar sejarah inilah yang telah menyebabkan termaktubnya beberapa fasal dalam Perlembagaan seperti yang berkaitan dengan kedudukan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Raja-Raja, kedudukan Agama Islam sebagai agama rasmi, kedudukan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan dan bahasa rasmi, kedudukan istimewa orang-orang Melayu dan kaum-kaum asal yang lain, hak-hak yang adil bagi kaum-kaum lain dan soal pemberian taraf kewarganegaraan. Tanggungjawab mulia dan suci seseorang warganegara ialah mempertahankan dan menjunjung Perlembagaan."

In English: "Citizenship endows one a sense of belonging to the country. The Constitution grants certain rights and privileges to a citizen; the Constitution also places certain responsibilities and obligations toward the Nation and Country. Every citizen is required to respect and appreciate the content, meaning and history of the Constitution. It is the history which has enshrined a number of clauses in the Constitution such as those pertaining to the status of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Kings, Islam as the official religion, Bahasa Melayu as the national and official language, the privileges of the Malays and other native communities as well as the granting of citizenship. It is a noble and solemn responsibility for a citizen to preserve and uphold the Constitution."

 

Kedaulatan Undang-undang (The Rule of Law)

In Bahasa: "Keadilan diasaskan atas kedaulatan undan-undang. Setiap rakyat tarafnya sama di sisi undang-undang. Kebebasan asasi terjamin bagi semua warganegara. Kebebasan ini termasuklah kebebasan seseorang, perlindungan sama di sisi undang-undang, kebebasan beragam, kebebasan memiliki harta benda dan perlindungan daripada dibuang negeri. Perlembagaan member kepada seseorang rakyat hak mengeluarkan fikiran, hak berhimpun dan hak menubuhkan persatuan. Hak-hak ini boleh digunakan dengan bebas asalkan tidak melanggar sekatan-sekatan yang dikenakan oleh undang-undang. Hak-hak dan kebebasan yang dijamin oleh Perlembagaan itu tidaklah termasuk hak menggulingkan Kerajaan sama ada dengan kekerasan atau dengan cara-cara yang tidak menurut Perlembagaan. Kedaulatan undang-undang terjamin denga adanya sebuah badan kehakiman yang bebas serta mempunyai kuasa bagi memutuskan sama ada sesuatu perbuatan pemerintah itu sah atau tidak dari segi Perlembagaan undang-undang."

In English: "Justice is based on the sovereignty of the law. All citizens are equal in the eyes of law. freedom is guaranteed for all. This includes individual freedom, equal legal protection, freedom of religion, freedom to own assets and protection against banishment. The Constitution provides the right for a citizen to speak up, the right to assemble and the right to form associations. These rights can be exercised freely provided that it does not contravene the restrictions imposed by the law. The rights and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution exclude the right to topple the Government either forcibly or by unconstitutional means. Sovereignty of the law is guaranteed with the existence of an independent judiciary body and the power to decide whether the conduct of a ruler is legal or otherwise in accordance with the Constitution."

 

Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan (Mutual Respect & Good Social Behaviour)

In Bahasa: "Setiap orang dan setiap golongan hendaklah menguruskan hal masing-masing dengan cara yang tidak melanggar tatasusila. Tatasusila ini membenci dan mengutuk tingkah laku atau perbuatan yang angkuh atau yang menyinggung perasaan sesuatu golongan. Seseorang warganegara tidak boleh menyoal kesetiaan seorang warganegara yang lain dengan alasan bahawa ianya berasal dari keturunan tertentu. Tingkah laku sopan juga mengandungi suatu darjah kesusilaan yang tinggi dalam kedua-dua kehidupan persendirian dan kehidupan awam kita."
 

In English: "Each person or group of people is required to handle their own affairs by ways which do not contravene morality. Morality condemns arrogance or conducts which offend others. A citizen is not supposed to question the loyalty of another citizen based on his/her ancestry. Being courteous also carries a high degree of morality in our individual and public lives."

Growing up, I don't remember my parents teaching me to differentiate one another by their race, religion, skin color and so on. Everyone is the same. You are born into this world, make sure you make the best of it and give your best for it. No discrimination, no self pity, no intolerance, no comparison.

As a parent now, I am doing the same to our kiddos as what my parents have done for me. Even though our kiddos are still young, never have I once uttered anything about race, skin colors or religions to our kiddos. To them, everyone is the same. Nurture humility, no one is more superior than the others.

Oh parents, do not complicate a child's innocent and pure mind.

Look above our differences as underneath we are all the same, just plain simple human being.

Skin color different? My blood is red, how about yours?

Religion different? I belief in God. And my God teach us to be good to one another, to love one another. How about yours?

Race different? I'm of human race, how about you?

** Image credit: Google

** Note: I have disabled the commenting feature on my blog engine thanks to all the spammers who happily spam my blog every day. If you wish to ask me any questions, you can find me at my Facebook page (I'm there almost everyday) or just drop me an email if you wish to maintain some anonymity.