I'm a full-time mummy

The first time I look twice at semi trucks is after I watched Sylvester Stallone's "Over the Top" movie.

In this 1987 drama and action film, Lincoln Hawk (Sylvester Stallone), a truck driver who is also a famed arm wrestler walked out on his wife and son years ago, and is asked by his wife now in the hospital to take his son Michael home to see her before her surgery. Initially, both father and son are like oil and water. Lincoln makes an honest attempt to bond with his son who eventually softens, until he gets home to learn that his mom died from complications and custody is being fought over by his rich grandfather, who hates Lincoln's guts. Lincoln decides to put all his money on the line in a Vegas arm wrestling showdown to start his life over again. At some point Michael realizes that Lincoln truly does love him and supported his father.

I feel sad watching the part where Lincoln had to sell off his truck at the place where commercial trucks are for sale in order to raise enough money to go to Vegas and bet on himself for the arm wrestling showdown. Such a sacrifice to give up his beloved truck which he used to earn his living so that he could have a chance to win and gain back his precious son.

It is such as inspiring and meaningful movie where a father struggles to make ends meet and to be able to start his life anew with his estranged son. The songs in this movie is also very uplifting, particularly the "Meet Me Halfway". The lyrics are just so meaningful and the song just hits your emotions!

Now every time I see a truck or hear this song, I'll be reminded of this movie.

** I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

I stumbled upon this tweet message by Baby Keba looking for bloggers to review their products and as usual, I replied to ask whether they are OK with international bloggers, and my oh my, they are happy to provide me a product of my choice from their website for my review! At first, I choose one of the lower price items because:

a) I don't want (and never did) to come across as a greedy blogger who just want freebies

b) I totally understand the cost of shipping them all the way to Malaysia (so, the fact that I get to review something is very good already!)

Anyway, long story short, not only I get to review the first item I ask for, I also get to review their own products line with a free baby bodysuit as well!

About the company:
"Baby Keba is the manifestation of  Makeba Gies’ dream to design infant clothing and accessories that are durable yet incredibly ultra soft to the touch. She set out to create a collection of year-round baby essentials that is both healthy for infants as well as the environment. Years of dedication and research within the manufacturing and garment industry helped Makeba turn this fusion of ‘Environmentally Green’ and ‘Luxurious Comfort’ into a reality. Her vision of luxury in simplicity will touch the soul of people all over the world. Her "Baby Keba Kollection" couples timeless detail with practicality of modern construction.

Today, Baby Keba by Makeba Gies provides adorable layettes and accessories which provide elegant & classic style for her youngest, fashionable clients, which stands as a symbol of what results when luxurious taste is paired with a good conscience for the benefit of future generations. Baby Keba is committed to cradling delicate babies everywhere with style and comfort in the safest, softest 100% Peruvian organic Pima cotton fabric available today. Organic Pima Cotton is simply the world's best! Baby Keba babies… born to hug!"

The products are wrapped so neatly that I felt bad opening it! If you noticed the wrapped item on the top right picture is crumpled this is because Makeba, the owner of Baby Keba had to take out the box at the last minute and rewrapped with the paper wrap (seriously I do no mind at all!) as the staff at the post office told her that it costs cheaper without the box.

So anyway, I received a total of 3 products for my review, therefore I'll break them down by each product:

1) Apple Park Lamby Soft Teething Rattle

This is the first item I asked for my review is this teether rattle toy. Alyson has been stuffing whatever she can grab hold off into her mouth and my MIL has been hinting that Alyson should chomp on a pacifier, so I think this is a good choice for my review!

I soaked the teether in normal water with mild soap and then I let it dry before I let my girl attacks it. Hahahah! The teether maintains its size after wash and dry and currently still survived my girl's saliva!

Just look at the pictures below how Alyson admires and plays with the toy!

FYI, this product is under the Apple Park brand and is also sold by Baby Keba. Apple Park products are hypoallergenic, handmade with love and is eco-friendly too. The materials include 100% organic cotton, natural silk, and sustainable corn, soy and hemp. They are also free from toxins and harmful chemicals. Wonderful, eh?

2) Baby Keba Butterfly Blanket

I got this item for my review as well as Makeba wanted a feedback on her own line of products. I thought of how I had to often use my nursing cover to cover Alyson up when we go out somewhere and I thought of the many times she yanked away the blanket I put for her at night because it's too hot for her and so, this is another great product that is really useful for us!

I put the blanket on Alyson while she slept and the moment she wakes up, you can see how cheeky my girl looks as she caressed the oh-so-silky-smooth blanket!

Seriously folks, it's like silk and satin but a bit heavier which is just nice as my girl can't yank it away with her tiny feet hehehe... And it really does its job, by providing warmth and yet you still feel cool when you touch the surface of the blanket so it's just nice! Ehem, so nice that I sometimes kidnap Alyson's blanket and use it myself heheheh...

3) Baby Keba Short Sleeve Baby Bodysuit

I never expected to get this item for my review! Makeba has so kindly included the bodysuit as a gift to Alyson! How totally sweet and thoughtful! I initially thought I won't be able to get Alyson to wear it as her current onesies are for 9 and 12 months old but I thought of just giving it a try since I can't resist the silky smooth material and really want to see my girl wearing it!

I hand wash the bodysuit to check whether the material still maintain its size and color or not. And yes it is! Plus the silky smooth feel is not compromised at all with the washing and drying. Good stuff! Alyson looks so comfortable in this bodysuit.

If you look closely, you can actually see there's space left even when Alyson wears the bodysuit! Yay! Even my MIL commented the material is unique and very nice!

You can check out the many products from Baby Keba's website

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the product by Baby Keba 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 received a pitch about this book and decided to request for a review copy. Being a SAHM doesn't mean I won't have chance or opportunity (in future?) to run my own business, plus I'm helping my hubby in the admin side of his business, so I thought I'd give this book a try and see what's in it for us. So here goes my review for the "The Barefoot Executive " book:

Title: The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom
Author: Carrie Wilkerson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (August 23, 2011)
ISBN-13/-10: 978-1595553690 / 159555369X 
Paperback:  256 pages
Dimension:  9.1 x 5.8 x 1 inches

Description from the product page:
"For the person who longs to run their business from home, author and highly successful entrepreneur Carrie Wilkerson says it is possible (she doesn't just say it though, she shows you how). In her new book, The Barefoot Executive, Carrie helps readers of all types understand the necessary ingredients in starting and running a lucrative home-based business. You’ll learn how to reclaim your time, determine your income, and change your lifestyle-all while keeping personal priorities intact.

Successful at running her own seven-figure business from home and being an active speaker on the subject, Carrie demonstrates business models with tables and charts in an easy-to-understand format. Chapters within the book include such subjects as finding a target markets, developing marketing strategies, and brand development. Especially important are the common pitfalls listed to avoid in starting a business from home.

The Barefoot Executive offers the opportunity to live life on your terms with the financial freedom to do it. Want to start your workday with e-mail and coffee on the back patio? Want the flexibility of joining your fourth grader on an all-day field trip? Are you ready to take that vacation you’ve been planning for years? Then you have a choice to make, and The Barefoot Executive will help jumpstart your transition.

You’ll learn:
    * Your “why.” The most important question. Why do you want to work for yourself?
    * What type of business best suits your experience and talents.
    * How to stay focused on your goal and avoid distractions.
    * Where to find the support that will accelerate your success.
    * How to link your business to the right market.

Whether it’s a service, a product, or your insight or expertise, you already have the raw materials necessary to transform your life. Carrie will walk you through the process of building the business you need to achieve the life you want. Her guidance is practical. No philosophical silliness, no theoretical abstractions—just concrete action steps alongside insights from fellow entrepreneurs, interactive exercises, and links to Carrie’s online video coaching segments. It’s the next best thing to working one-on-one with her. The Barefoot Executive will have you energized by the possibilities and embracing the extraordinary life that is well within your reach. "

I like the statement on one of the intro pages where it says "Get passionate about getting to the place of profitability."

I find the first chapter itself inspiring as it is an eye opener on the myths about being successful in starting your own business. There are quite a number of inspiring quotes to be found in this book such as:

"Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.
—Nido Qubein"

The point to be taken into consideration is never to compare ourself with others. You may find others achieving success easily but the important thing is not to use that as an excuse or discouragement but more to use it as a push to move on, move forward in order to be successful ourself.

Under chapter 2, we find the 3 common mistakes that people make when starting their own business. These 3 mistakes are  further explained in their own subchapters.

I like the way this book presents some real life example in the form of "Barefoot Case Study" - shows to us how other individuals face their own challenges and overcome them.

The rest of the chapters are quite informational as it touches on the topics of the methids to apply, on what type of models should your business be based on, and venturing into the marketplace.

You can get this book from Amazon or http://barefootexecutivebook.com/.

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a PDF copy of the book by Living Your Moment 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 book reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My Book Reviews"