I'm a full-time mummy

The recent economic crisis has meant we’ve all had to tighten our purse strings. Shopping in charity shops is a brilliant solution to saving pennies when you need to update your wardrobe. The work of second-hand shops raises millions of pounds for good causes each year not only providing much needed funds for not-for-profits but also playing a major role in recycling of second-hand goods.

Today almost anything can be bought in charity shops, from clothes to old computers, DVDs to home furnishings. Donating old belongings to these shops is a really simple way to get rid of unwanted clutter that may be of use to others, helping them make cash for clothing and other goods and continue their charitable work.

Unlike purchasing from a high street store, charity shop prices vary from day-to-day, garment-to-garment. The pricing is based on many things. Firstly the location of the charity shop will play an important part. A pair of branded jeans for sale in Oxfam in London will be more expensive than a pair of jeans in an Oxfam in a small Northern town. The condition is the next important factor, along with the price of the item when it was sold new. You can expect to find bargains in charity shops, but volunteers are well aware of the value of designer and top-quality brand goods, so you will still have to pay a good price to get your hands on these items.

The internet has made it easier for charity shop volunteers to get prices more accurate too, as a quick web search will bring up new prices or the typical bids for similar second-hand items on auction sites. You used to be able to hunt down extremely cheap but valuable antiques in charity shops, however charity shop workers are now able to find out exactly how much an old vase or teapot be worth to a collector.

When you buy second-hand items from a charity shop, you have certain different rights to when you buy new. Goods are usually sold ‘as seen’ so you have a responsibility to check products carefully for any damage or imperfections that you are not happy with. You may not be able to return goods, but if you do you are likely to be given a credit note from the shop rather a cash refund. Always keep the receipt and return the items as soon as possible.

If you do buy brand new goods from a charity-shop, then you have the same rights as if you were to buy new from another shop which is run for profit. If the item is faulty or damaged you are entitled to a cash refund.

When you wish to donate your own second-hand items, each shop will have its own donation process. Many will accept boxes and bags of goods at the counter, or enable you to leave goods outside the premises overnight, and some may also provide free collection of large, heavy items of furniture like sofas or appliances such as fridges.

It is still the school holidays season here in Malaysia, and yes, even though I'm a stay-at-home mum and our 2 kiddos are not at the school-going age at the moment, I do feel the need to go for a short getaway, a trip for the family you know?

As a stay-at-home mum, one of the things I look forward to is taking a short break from home, to be away with my family on a holiday, just relaxing and not being cooped up in the house. And what more now that I've started teaching my 4 years old boy and we are pretty much at home most of the time. All the more reasons we should pack up and go for a nice little getaway!

And because of the school holidays season, I've been seeing posts shared by friends and ex-colleagues about them enjoying some family fun on summer holidays, with pictures posted on Facebook, Seoul, UK, United States, Bali, Hong Kong, and many many more! Arghh.. total envy, envy!

Just in case you are wondering why don't I do something about this since I badly wanted a holiday, well, I did purchased some travel vouchers few months back with the intention to have my small family of four enjoying a weekend breaks for everyone at a historical town about few hours traveling distance by car.

We normally go to family-friendly and near to the places of interests particularly beach area and with lots of good places with delicious food to eat but this time, I decided on going to a historical city with tons of delicious foods to try out and there is a nice little swimming pool in the hotel that our kids can go to with their daddy to have some kiddy-fun time, but as for this going to be heavily pregnant mummy, I am very much looking forward to eat all the yummy foods I can find!

Sadly, I have yet to be able to find the right weekend to redeem the travel vouchers as of now. It's either hubby's schedule is too packed, or we have church classes and doctor's appointment for the kids and myself (for my preggy bump!). I do hope to be able to redeem the vouchers by July this year, since I'm due to deliver our third child in September 2013!

What about you? Do you have any family holiday trip?

** Disclosure: All thoughts, opinions and words in this post are 100 % my own. This is a sponsored post: 

Mother's Day has just passed not too long ago... It has now been 6 years since my mum passed away but not a single day goes by without me reminiscing of the good ol' days when she was still alive and I'm still her little girl.

Now that I am a mother and have my own children, I truly understand how deep and far a mother's love can go. Every single act and decision we made has definitely gone through considerations of the impacts to our children and family. From the moment our baby is formed in our body, throughout the pregnancy months, birth and thereon, a mother's love and sacrifices never ends.

Just the other day I was peeling mangoes for my kiddos' snacks at night. Just a little act of peeling mangoes and I was brought back to my childhood time... I remembered how my mum used to save the fleshy part of the mangoes for my brother and I to eat while she just eats the leftover fleshy part on the core seed.

And that's what I'm doing NOW for my family and kiddos! You have no idea how many times I was so tempted to eat the fleshy parts of the mangoes! I remembered when I was young, so many times I asked my mum to let me have the seed part as I find it nice to chew and gobble on the seed part and she happily gave them to me! Now I realised that, if my own children do the same to me, I would willingly gave them too, just like what my mum did!

Anyway, although I'm sad I can no longer see my mum, at least I treasured and cherished the wonderful memories I had with her. Of course I always wish my parents could still be around today, to see me get married and settled down and having my own children...

That got me to thinking how about the poor children who never get to see their mothers and fathers or those who have to be separated from their parents? Those children abandoned or orphaned... sigh...

Which brings us to this post today... Now, I came across this wonderful contest called 'Comfort Ultra Pure – Mother’s Pure Love'.

In this contest, all you need to do is create beautiful Facebook cover pictures for FREE to display moments of pure love with your precious baby and to celebrate the love of motherhood.

Now before you start panicking how the heck are you going to be creating a Facebook cover if you are not a fancy-smancy techno-mechno person (sorry for the made-up words!), fret not! Just follow these few easy steps:

1. Select your preferred template and upload 3 photos of mother and your child.

2. Customize the image and leave a caption. You can then share the Facebook cover image that you have just created with your friends!

3. Now here's the charity part which you can definitely help out with: Just invite your friends to use the Facebook app! For every 10 invited friends who use the 'Mum's Pure Love' Facebook app, Comfort will donate RM5 to Rumah Kanak-kanak Ini Di Sayangi (K.I.D.S.) In case you don't know, Rumah K.I.D.S. provides a home, love and care to orphans and children who are abandoned, abused and neglected.

4. Do note that participants who are mums with children younger than 5 years old and had the most invited friends using the app will also stand to become the charity champion and receive attractive rewards!

What a nice way to join a contest and still contribute something right? Do go to Comfort's Facebook app to find out more info NOW!