I'm a full-time mummy

Over 3 months ago, I received an invitation to review some baby care and family range of products. I am all for products that are chemical free and suitable for men, women, kids and babies so of course I accepted the invitation! Anyway, let's continue with my review below...

About the products:
"These products are safe, effective, affordable, socially responsible, never tested on animals and environmentally friendly. This brand of products is also available in USA, Philippines, Singapore and Dubai.  We liase with the poorest farmers and buy their crops at a fair price to make our products.  That's how we get them out of poverty so every single product in our range makes a real difference in someone's life. "

I received the following items for my review: 

* Strengthening Shampoo with CreamFoam ALOE

"Scientifically proven to result in 80% less hair fall and 90% thicker hair, compared to other chemical-based shampoos containing SLS/SLES, in as little as 6 weeks. Recommended for those with normal &/or falling hair.  Also great as a gentle, non drying shower gel! Choose between aloe vera or peppermint scent. "

My feedback: The bottle I got was 200ml aloe vera and I first used it on 19th June, of which the day after using, I noticed a lot of baby hair sprouting on top of my head. Amazing! I am still experiencing hair fall due to post-partum (11 months now.... gaaaaaa...) but after using this shampoo for almost 3 months now, I can definitely say this shampoo works! I don't see much hair fall now and guaranteed after each shampoo, the next day I will noticed more baby hairs sprouting on top of my head!

One minor thing that annoys me is the cover tab of the shampoo bottle which is quite hard for me to open as the small indentation near the cover which allows our finger to rest there to flip it open is not quite deep so I have been having problems trying to lift up the tab especially when I do not have long finger nails to help me out. I did highlight this issue to the sponsor and was assured they have not had any complaints about the cover design in all these years. I think this is just a rare occurrence case as it is more of the cover cap production issues.

* Bug Shield Lotion - 50ml

"Just apply on exposed parts of the body such as arms and legs for protection and extra moisture! Made with citronella and lemongrass - proven to keep mosquitoes away! Non-sticky, easy to apply, smells great and totally DEET free... naturally!"

My feedback: I totally love this! I have another similar product of another brand I bought from Groupon but the smell of this Bug Shield Lotion is way nicer and easier on the nose. We recently had a family outing to the zoo and I was so glad I brought this along (I left the other brand in our 5.5 years old school bag). Hubby brought a similar bug repellent spray type but after few minutes the mozzies came right back and bit him. I told him to try using the Bug Shield Lotion and it kept the mozzies away for a long time!

The lotion does not feel sticky or greasy at all, which is what I love and I believed that the fact it is lotion means it lasts longer than the spray one that we have. The bottle is also easy to hold and can be easily stored in your diaper bag or handbag for convenience to carry around everywhere you go! Totally recommended and I feel it is value for money for the size it came with!

* Tangerine Kids Shampoo & Body Wash 200ml

"A 2-in-1 shampoo and body care product made specially for kids... but no doubt mummy will enjoy too! Made with coco nectar (the now-not-so-secret-ingredient) for extra amino acids that protect and nourish skin and hair. Non-drying thanks to avocado oil and aloe vera. And with that zingy tangerine scent, your little one will be eager to jump in the shower! "

My feedback: I am all for 2-in-1 type of bathing products for kids, way way more convenient and fast. As a mum of 3 kiddos, I simply don't have time to waste to separately use shampoo and then soap or body foam products for our kiddos so yes, any type of bathing products that helps to save time and cleans up as much as everything at one go will go high on my list!

I first tried the Tangerine Kids Shampoo & Body Wash on our 2 older kiddos on 18th June and 20th June and our 5.5 years old boy's first reaction when he used it was 'MMmmmmm... it smells like jelly beans! I love it!'. I tried it on our baby on 20th June but she ended up crying as she is not so easy to accept new brands of products unlike her brother and sister. The bottle was gone within 2 months' time and I missed the lovely tangerine smell that lingers on our kiddos' bodies after their bath. Their skin remains supple and smooth after each bath as well. Wonderful product!

* Tough Love Powder Detergent - 1000g

"Our 100% Natural Powder Detergent makes sure your family stays cloaked in clean clothes with a clear conscience. Chemical laundry detergents are notorious for the poisonous effects they have on aquatic life. This doesn't mean you have to go soft on dirty laundry when using a natural alternative. No way!

Tough Love by Human Nature is non-drying on your hands, biodegradable and 100% free from harmful chemicals, keeping you, Mother Earth and her waters happy. It also leaves your clothes smelling clean and fresh with no harsh chemical residue leftover leaving the fabric kinder to your skin. Tough on dirt, gentle on the earth! Suitable for handwashing and machine washing. Each box of 1000g (1kg) can do more than 15 medium loads of laundry."

My feedback: The detergent powder feels sticky upon touch but when you wash off with water, it leaves no sticky greasy slippery feel unlike the current brand of detergent we are using which does not feel sticky upon touch but will remain slippery and greasy for a while even after washing with water. The few loads of laundry we did in which I put a cap of the Tough Love Powder Detergent each time resulted in soft to the touch laundry. I also have a peace of mind knowing that the detergent is free from harmful chemicals and does not leave chemical residue after wash.

* Sunflower Beauty Oil 50ml

"21 beauty miracles in one bottle! Made from only 100% pure premium cosmetic grade sunflower oil. Packed with vitamins A, D and E.  Perfect for getting rid of those dark under-eye circles, or run a drop through your hair for extra shine.  You can even use it as a gentle but effective eye makeup remover, or to erase those stretch marks.  It can soften cuticles or moisturize your soles.  Great for lightening scars or pimple marks.  Yeah, seriously.  And the list goes on.... The finest oil distilled until the molecules cant get any smaller, so they dont clog your pores.  It's almost as light as water!"

My feedback: The Sunflower Beauty Oil has an oily smell, I first applied it on both my dry legs and I also put a drop of the oil on my hair. The skin on my legs feel greasy for a while and my hair seems more manageable (no hair sprouting everywhere) and had the added shine. On some occassions, I also put a drop under both my under-eye to get rid of my panda looking eyes, I seem to feel the skin around my under eyes stretching a wee bit and they do seem to look brighter. It is quite a small nifty bottle and reading it does 21 beauty miracles in 1 bottle made me more conscious and careful not to simply apply the oil everywhere I want hahaha, so I am saving the oil for absolutely needed times and spots.

In summary, a wonderful range of organic products that I have been given the privilege to try out with my family and kiddos. I have peace of mind knowing that the products are safe for use with naturally sourced ingredients (not to forget environmental friendly!) while still nourishing our body. The fact that the brand liaises with the poorest farmers and buys their crops at a fair price to make these products where every single products helps to makes a real difference in someone's life just makes using them more meaningful and worth it. Recommended!

You can browse for more products and shop online (free shipping anywhere in Malaysia, T&C applies!) at www.humannaturemalaysia.com

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.

On 21st August, our 10.5 months old Carolyn started having mild fever, 37C and we just continue monitoring her temperature and do the necessary steps to keep her temperature in check - wet hankerchiefs to wipe her all around, increase breastfeeding sessions, let her wear loose fitting fish-net like clothes and sponge bath her.

On 22nd August, her temperature increase to 38C, maximum was 38.5C and although there is increase in her temperature, she is still active as usual though we noticed she seems to have less appetite and was more sleepy than usual. We continued our fever fight routine, but I gave her paracetamol every 4 hours.

At midnight, I was relieved as I started feeling her sweat on her head. That is a good sign to see and touch sweat as it means the heat is escaping her body now. Her fever was gone the next day and we went for a family outing to our church as they are organizing a charity bazaar.

On 24th August, we started to notice rashes appearing on her body. It was mostly on her face, neck, stomach and inner thighs. The areas that are mostly covered by her clothes and diaper. She didn't seem to be irritated by the rash at all nor was she scratching them or anything. She just seems cranky and sleepy.

On 25th August morning, I googled for images which look similar to Carolyn's rashes and got myself worried as it look like chicken pox! According to this article,

"Symptoms tend to appear 14 to 16 days after the initial exposure but can occur anytime from 10 days up to 21 days after contact with the virus. Chickenpox is characterized by one to two days of mild fever up to 102 F, general weakness, and a rash, often the first sign of the disease. Rarely, a person may have the disease without the rash. The rash of chickenpox develops in crops with raised red spots arriving first, progressing to blisters that burst, forming open sores, before crusting over. This process usually starts on the scalp, then the trunk (its area of greatest concentration), and finally the arms and legs. Any area of skin that is irritated (by diaper rash, poison ivy, eczema, sunburn, etc.) is likely to be hard hit by the rash. The rash is typically very itchy (pruritic)."

I immediately gave a call to our pead and set an appointment to bring in our girl for a check. Once there she got her weight and height checked and recorded and upon checking by our 70+ years old pead, we were that it is in fact roseola. These were concluded due to her having high fever and immediately develops the rashes when the fever goes off. According to this article,

"The signs and symptoms of infection vary depending upon the age of the patient. Infants and toddlers routinely will develop sudden symptoms with a sudden onset of a high fever that lasts for three to five days. The child may also develop irritability, bulging "soft spot" on the head (fontanel), swollen glands in the front or back of the neck, runny nose, puffy eyelids (due to swelling with fluid), and mild diarrhea. Within 12-24 hours of the fever breaking, a rash rapidly appears. Older children who develop HHV-6 (or HHV-7) infection are more likely to have an illness characterized by several days of high fever and possibly a runny nose and/or diarrhea. Older children less commonly develop a rash as the fever abates."

In general, chicken pox rashes will have blisters when fever and rashes start. If it is hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), the blisters will have yellow center while chicken pox will have clear or white center in the blisters.

I am thankful it is just roseola and that it goes away in time.

** 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.

Just found out that LIFETIME channel will be debuting its new family reality series "Mom’s Time Out" on August 28 which will be featuring 3 families from Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines as they undertake a role reversal social experiment. 

The three moms will take a 5-day holiday in Vietnam together, leaving the dads to manage their kids and household during that period. The 5 series (half hour each episodes) will showcase the interesting and sometimes funny results when these typically hands-off dads are left in charge of their kids and household.

What is also cool is that "Mom’s Time Out" will bring to viewers an interactive second screen experience through a weekly parenting discussion. Viewers can also stand to win a 3D2N stay for 2 at Angsana Lăng Cô, Central Vietnam when they download the ScanAd app on their Apple and Android devices as well as participating in discussions such as managing a child’s social habits to handling a child’s tantrums.

I am blessed as my wonderful hubby is capable of taking care of our kiddos when I am not available (busy, fall sick, etc), he can cook awesome dishes for the family as well as bringing the kiddos out for outing or appointments etc. But back to the TV series, I think this might be interesting, hehehe... I mean, as a stay-at-home mum of 3 kiddos, I would be interested to know how mothers in other countries manage their kiddos and household as well as how their partners would take up the challenge when these mothers are not around for a duration of period.

So, if you want to know more about this series, do visit www.lifetimeasia.com/MomsTimeOut. You can also catch the trailer of the series here:

** 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.