I'm a full-time mummy

I was offered this awesome maternity product for my review and I'm so glad to be given the opportunity to try it out! As I read through the product description, I thought to myself, "Wow! This product seems cool, I mean, I could use it throughout my pregnancy and after!"

Description from the product page:

"* Useful at every stage of your pregnancy:
1. First trimester-Continue wearing your skin-tight jeans by wearing them unbuttoned and held up by the Bella Band.
2. Second trimester-Bella Band holds up too-loose maternity bottoms till you grow into them.
3. Third trimester-Bella Band prevents your belly from pushing pants down.
4. Post-pregnancy-Bella Bands hold up loose maternity jeans as your body shrinks back into shape. They also do great to hide that postpartum tummy when you lift up your shirt to nurse!
5. Fold into two to use band as a tube bra.

* The Bella Bands are worn over the unzipped/unbuttoned area, on the outside. Wear over your belly or fold into two for a more snug fit.
* One size lasts throughout your pregnancy.
* Made of nylon spandex."

A bit of info about Maternity Exchange, the wonderful sponsor for the Bella Band:

"Maternity Exchange™ seeks to make maternity wear shopping a guilt-free, liberating and fun experience. We are the first maternity rental store in Singapore that carries luxe international maternity labels like Liz Lange, Japanese Weekend, Belly Basics, Duet Designs, Arabella B and Belly Button. And the best part? You won't have to pay through-the-roof prices for them. We know you want to look fab, not fat, during this fashion-challenged time, but stylish and affordable maternity styles are sadly lacking.

Add to that the fact that your body is constantly changing, and you're probably even more unwilling to pay top dollar for clothes that will only fit you a couple of months. With the flexibility of renting, or buying in our store, you can have that expansive (and not expensive!) maternity wardrobe filled with luxurious designer and high-quality maternity wear."

The packaging of the Bella Band that I received...

Bella Band sizing chart, I requested the size 2 for myself.

There are 9 colors to choose from and in the end, I opted for the White one as I think it would be easier for me to match it with my clothing. Now a couple more pictures on the Bella Band for you to look at...

That's my toddler's hand touching the Bella Band's soft materials...

The printed details and washing instructions in the inner layer of the Bella Band.

REVIEW #1: OVER TIGHT PRE-PREGNANCY JEANS

Yikes!! I can't even zip my jeans!

Wearing Bella Band over my tight jeans...

Can you tell my jeans are unzipped?

I tried out the Bella Band on Sunday, attended church service and my toddler's Sunday school and have no problems whatsoever with it. It feels great knowing I can still wear my beloved pre-pregnancy jeans (which I always wear to church on Sundays) and to think that I'm actually walking around with my jeans unzipped (gasp!) and yet looking normal and oh-so-chic with the maternity band... AWESOME!!

REVIEW #2: OVER LOOSE PRE-PREGNANCY SHORTS

I have to tell you firsthand... I love, love, love this short pants of mine!

I bought it 10 years ago, wore it throughout my 1st pregnancy, and even had to take out the string at the waist as my belly expands. And now, with my 2nd pregnancy, I find that the pants are a bit too loose for me. I have kept it in my closet for a few months ever since I got pregnant and with Bella Band to review, I decided to give it a try over my loose short pants. And what I think of it? It wraps and grips the loose part nicely and hooray!!! I can wear my short pants again!!!!

REVIEW #3: AFTER MACHINE WASH

Of course after trying out the Bella Band over tight and loose clothing, I have to test it after machine wash. I was wearing the Bella Band for about a week and finally decided to part with it so that I could throw it along with my other laundry into the washing machine to test out the material after machine wash. During then, I had to sulk be content with doing without the Bella Band while waiting for it to dry.

The moment it was dry and ready for use, I immediately wore it over my short pants (again!) and ahhhhhh.... nice... love, love, love the soft materials over my preggy bump! Oh, of course, after machine wash, Bella Band's material remains the same, the width and length are not affected in anyway and the colors remains the same. Wonderful!

I also want to mention that thanks to Bella Band, when I comfort nurse Ben at night, I am very satisfied as it keeps my belly warm and protected. Before this, I had to use the blanket to cover up my tummy when I nursed Ben.

My Verdict? I love this product! I can use it over loose clothing, tight clothing and even at night when I'm comfort nursing my toddler (yes, I may be in my 2nd trimester but I'm still nursing my toddler!)

The only thing that I don't like about the Bella Band is the edges of the label which was sewn on the outside layer which at times scratches my skin. I feel it'll be better if they just print the label like how they did for the details and washing instructions on the inner layer.

You can purchase Bella Band from Maternity Exchange website.

As a bonus, Maternity Exchange is offering a 10% off online purchases of Bella Bands for my blog readers. What you guys need to do to redeem this 10% discount is just simply quote my blog name (I'm a full-time mummy) under the "Remarks" entry during check out and pay via credit card or Paypal. The relevant discounted amount will be credited back accordingly. Please note that only payments via credit card or Paypal can enjoy this discount.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a free product by the sponsor 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.

What a cute name for a functional and yet awesome product! I came across Lovable Labels website and was instantly attracted to one of their products, Wire Tags which I could already imagined gracing through all my electronic and electrical gadgets in our house. I immediately wrote in to request for a review opportunity and got a prompt reply from them and I received my review pack very fast!

Description from the Wire Tags page:

"Wire Tags contains over 100 pre-printed labels and is the perfect solution to label and keep your cords and wires organized for your home and office. Simpy wrap the label around the wire, press and presto - no more wondering what cord belongs to what gadget! Makes a great gift for Dad. Dimensions: 6.3 cm x 1.1 cm (2½” x 7/16”)"

My first experiment of course is the place where there are the most electrical and electronic stuff... aka my hubby's office. He has like few notebooks and desktops in his office (some are development machines, some are spares in case his clients needed it for backup or something) and the wires and cables... I get totally lost in his office if you ask me to turn off a particular switch. I have to start tracing each plug and cable right up to the source in order to ensure I turned off the right thing.

BEFORE: I have no idea which plug goes to what...

AFTER: There, there... all sorted out real nice!

Pictures above taken before and after using the Lovable Labels Wire Tags. Now isn't it so much nicer and organized? I love these wire tags! Saves me the trouble of locating each plugs and cables and at one glance you can tell which plug is for which equipment/gadget.

My next place of experiment, of course is my own bedroom. The plugs are all nicely arranged but still I have to spend some time figuring out which plugs goes to where/what.

BEFORE: All plugs nicely arranged but which is which?

AFTER: Ahhh... now I know which plugs is for what gadget!

So yes, Lovable Labels Wire Tags saves the day again! What a cool and handy product!

You can purchase the Lovable Labels Wire Tags from their website directly. Do check out their website as they have lots of other products available!

But wait a minute, Lovable Labels has generously supplied me with a "Wire Tag Label Pack" for one lucky winner!  Thanks, Lovable Labels! 

* Eligibility: OPEN TO US AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY! (and must be above 18 years old)

* Giveaway expires on 21st June 2011 (Malaysia time)

* You must fulfil the mandatory entry 1st (which is to provide your valid email address & answering the question), else you will be disqualified.

* Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my email notification or a new winner will be drawn.

* Winner will receive their prize sent directly by Lovable Labels.

To enter the giveaway, kindly click at the link shown below and the entry form will appear in a new window:

* Lovable Labels Wire Tag Label Pack Giveaway Entry Form *

(Link has been disabled when entry closes at 12midnight past 21st June 2011)

It'd be great if you could leave me a comment once you have submitted your entry so that I can check and ensure it's safely tracked into my database.

So what are you waiting for?!! Hurry up! You have 1 month time from now to join in the fun and try your luck!

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a free product by Lovable Labels 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.

(*Article first published as Product Review: BubCap Home Button Covers on Blogcritics.)

I  came across this wonderful discovery while I was browsing through the Internet one fine day (was looking for iPad apps to try out with Ben) and when I saw this BubCap Home Button Covers, I just went "Wow! What a genius! I've gotta try that!" And so here we are, after a few email exchanges with the wonderful people at Bubcap who generously offered to send me their products to try out!

Description from the product page:

"BubCap home button covers are just rigid enough to deter toddlers from pressing the home button, yet they are flexible enough that adults can activate the home button with a firm press. It's a similar concept to many child-proof caps for medicine bottles. BubCap is our less rigid model, which is great for most toddlers, particularly toddlers using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for the first time. BubCap Ultra is more difficult to press through, and is better suited to stronger toddlers or youngsters who have a stubborn desire to press the home button. It is also preferred more often on the iPad (due to the iPad's shallower home button activation depth)."

The letter that came with the BubCap for my review

4 BubCaps provided for my review

And this is my product tester, Mr. Benjamin. He's VERY experienced in pressing the Home button on my iPad, so much that it annoys me as I had to navigate back to the app that was running earlier:

Now in case you are wondering how do we apply on the BubCap to the iPad... look at the pictures below...

Ensure the Home button is clean & dry. Gently peel the BubCap off...

Carefully align the BubCap on top of the Home button. Gently press on the BubCap for about 10 seconds.

I love this product! It really works and deters my toddler from happily pressing the Home button and ending the app which is running on my iPad!

It takes a little bit of getting used to the new layer on top of the Home button but after seeing how difficult it is now for your toddler to press the Home button, I'm glad I got the chance to try out this awesome product! You can see the 2 videos below to confirm with your own eyes how my toddler likes to press the Home button and then see his reactions after I stick on a BubCap!

BEFORE BUBCAP:

AFTER BUBCAP:

You can purchase the BubCap Home Button Covers from http://bubcap.com/purchase.html.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a free product by the sponsor 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.