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Smooth Operator (with help from the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender)

July 25, 2013

No, I’m not referring to Sade’s lover boy with diamond life.

I’m referring to this man who’s been in the kitchen lately, making after-dinner drinks for the kids and winning their hearts:

Smooth(ie) Operator

Thanks to the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender, Fatherkao is now the official Smooth(ie) Operator in our house. With mangoes in season, a 600-W blender with a two-speed pulse setting, a high quality 1.5-litre jar and titanium-coated 5-star serrated blades, he’s been wowing the kids with his smoothie creations effortlessly using this new kitchen tool.

The all new Philips Jamie Oliver Blender

He throws in ripe mangoes with lemon sorbet, some fresh lime and mint leaves, and pulse everything with crushed ice. Some days he adds a dash of milk and some days a splash of orange juice.

The ingredients for a refreshing mango smoothie

And the kids go on an all-time high waiting for their desserts after dinner…

Act 1, Scene 1: Gimme, gimme!

Act 2, Scene 1: Can’t wait! Gimme!

Act 2, Scene 2: Smoothie ready!

And going totally ecstatic to the point of declaring this:

Ben: Mama makes smoothie a little bit nice. But Dada makes the NICEST! Next time, when Mama wants to make smoothie, we’ll call you, ok, Dada?

Yummy yum yum, they say!

Now, that’s how the Smooth Operator stole my thunder and became the latest hero in the kitchen, with an uncomplicated blender who does all the work for him!

Keep life simple with the PHILIPS | Jamie Oliver range which includes a food processor (S$268), handblender (S$128) and blender (S$108). Available at leading electronics and departmental stores.

Disclosure: I received the Philips Jamie Oliver Blender for the purpose of writing this. This post is the second in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Philips Singapore. All opinions are my own. And yes, I am jealous that what I make for the kids is only “a little bit nice” but that’s just because I lent Fatherkao my Philips JO blender.

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Invites & Tryouts Product Reviews The Kao Kids

The sakura blossoms here, too!

July 1, 2013

The heat’s back with such a vengeance the kids are begging to take their clothes off. They are smelly, sweaty and sticky all the time.

I’m not so keen to be blasting the a/c in the house even in this heat. I’d much prefer the kids sit in a tub and cool down with water. So it was timely that Pigeon sent the Kao kids their new Pigeon Sakura Baby Toiletries to keep their skin enriched with natural Sakura extract in this unbearable weather. The cherry blossom, also known as the Sakura flower, is said to bring about a whole host of benefits. The natural Sakura extract helps combat skin roughness, refreshes and moisturises even the most sensitive of skins and contains anti-inflammatory properties.

Bath time is always fun time, and the kids are loving the new Pigeon Sakura Babycare range of products. They are mild and gentle, and smell awesomely refreshing. Best of all, they do not contain harsh chemicals like parabens, sulphates and colouring agents.

I’ve not yet seen the cherry blossom, but if this is how it smells, I am so going to head to Japan sooner than later to see and smell the beautiful Sakura for myself. Till then, I’m going to be stealing these toiletries from the kids to use so I can smell refreshingly good like them in this crazy heat!

To learn more about their products, visit www.pigeon.com.sg.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Rise & Shine. We received the Pigeon Sakura Baby Toiletries Set for the purpose of this review. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

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Invites & Tryouts Milestones and growing up Product Reviews The Kao Kids

Perfectly diapered by Drypers

June 27, 2013

I know exactly what I want in a diaper and what a diaper at each stage of my baby’s growth must do. As a mother who’s birthed three children in four years and changed at least 9657 diapers for all three kids put together (and still counting), I think I qualify somewhat as a diaper expert here.

Here is my very own list of what I think the perfect diaper must possess.

If you asked me if I’ve found the diaper of all diapers that has all of the above 10 qualities, I have.

Before that, I’ve tried diaper brands of almost every kind in the market and requested for samples at every opportunity. In my first stint as a newbie mother, I was perpetually in search of the perfect diaper that would meet the diapering needs of my baby as he grew. When Ben did the explosive poop on me and the diaper leaked, I switched brands in the hope of finding something that’s leak-proof from poop bombs. When he started getting nappy rash, I started searching for something that could keep his skin dry and moisturised at the same time. When my baby started to flip and crawl around like Speedy Gonzales on the loose, I was on the hunt again for comfortable yet absorbent pull-ups. When he finally slept through the night, I needed diapers that could last him through at least 10 hours and not have him waddle in a pool of pee.

The search didn’t stop even when I thought I’ve found a good brand to stick with. I discovered what worked for Ben might not work for Becks, and what works for the either of them might not work for Nat. We’re talking particularly about the way each child’s skin takes to the material of the diaper and the cutting and sizing fit for the shape of his or her bum here. With every new addition to the family, the search for “the one” for each child begins all over again.

Ever since Drypers launched a new and improved Drypers Wee Wee DRY and Drypers DryPantz, the search is officially over. Both the Wee Wee DRY and DryPantz are the variants of the multi-tasking disposable diaper, fully capable of delivering #1 to #9, and also #10, with its value for money in each pack, on my list.

As of now, Ben is fully toilet-trained in the day, so he doesn’t require diapers at all. Becks is toilet-trained (finally). After more misses than hits, we’ve finally gotten off to a good start this year. I still make her wear her Drypers DryPantz when she goes out, simply because I hate having to bring her to public toilets. Even I hold pee in as much as I can when we’re out. I like it that the Drypers DryPantz can hold a lot of her pee and I usually don’t have to change it for many hours.

It also fits her snugly and doesn’t leave ugly elastic band marks on her waist. Best of all, she moves with ease in her Drypers DryPantz. Her fitting pull-ups have never given way even when she rolled and tumbled during gym classes or played wildly at playgrounds.

It comes with a cute kangaroo design too, which is always a welcoming thing to look at when you have to diaper a child. Unlike other brands which says plainly “front” and “back” to indicate how to wear the pull-up (and which requires a child to be able to read), the DryPantz does a no-brainer with this, so Becks can easily put this on on her own:

As for Nat, well, he is just happy to be naked.

I’m kidding. He wears whatever’s available to him most of the the time. Because the Drypers DryPantz costs a little more than the Drypers Wee Wee DRY, his pull-ups are usually reserved for going out.

At night, all three kids wear their disposable diapers to bed. My toilet-training philosophy for the night is simple: Show me the first dry diaper in the morning, and we will begin. Until then, diapers please! It used to be that we were set on a particular brand to be used as night diapers because the whole world said it was the best in the market that keeps baby dry through the night.

Until we put the new improved Drypers Wee Wee DRY to the test.

Along the way, we’ve had a few incidents, and I initially thought that Drypers Wee Wee DRY Zip Dry Core™’s claim to absorb and lock urine doesn’t hold water (couldn’t resist the pun here). I was on the verge of switching back to everybody-says-it’s-best-for-night brand, when I realised that the wet beds usually happen when the kids had a little more milk or water than the usual the night before. So now, I just make all of them empty their bladder after their milk feed before diapering them, and I’m happy to say, Drypers Wee Wee DRY hasn’t failed us one bit as our night diaper.

So yay, I’m breathing easy now that I’ve found what I want in a diaper for ALL three kids. I’m glad Drypers made all the improvements to their diapers cos’ thanks to that, I don’t have to keep switching brands to try and asking for samples everywhere I go. Got better things to do, you know. Like watching my babies walk around in cute diapered bums.

Disclosure: We’ve been regular users of Drypers since June 2012. Becks and Nat received four packs of Drypers DryPantz and four packs of Drypers Wee Wee DRY respectively for the purpose of this review, and Motherkao was compensated to put these diapers on for them. All opinions here are Motherkao’s own.

This is the first in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Drypers Singapore.

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Food, glorious food! Invites & Tryouts Motherkao loves... Product Reviews The Kao Kids

Rockin’ the kitchen with the all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

June 20, 2013

I’m a big fan girl of the Naked Chef, and I’ve been one happy girl these days spending time in the kitchen with him.

Mr Jamie O in da’house!

Well, ok, not exactly him, but close enough.

The all new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor

Ever since the Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor came into my life, it’s found a permanent spot in the kitchen and in my heart. I can’t even start describing how awed I am by this cool kitchen tool. It is truly, in the words of Mark Bittman, a “virtuoso one man band”.

Since it came, it has allowed me to finally chop onions without tearing, dice shallots and garlic like a pro, shred potatoes finely to make rosti, mince pork, shrimps and water chestnuts to make ngoh hiang, juice oranges without my arm muscles getting knotted up, serve homemade sorbet and cake pops for dessert (much to my kids’ delight) and transform egg whites into meringues in seconds.

(clockwise) Diced onions and water chestnut for pork rolls, frozen banana ice cream, balloon beaten eggwhites for meringue, thinly stripped potatoes for rosti, and minced beef and shallots for meatballs

Specially designed by the man himself and developed by Philips, the new range of Jamie Oliver electric kitchen tools ranging from the food processor to the hand blender is meant to be easy to use so food preparation becomes effortless, and to be shown off – yes, you heard that right, shown off! – with its pretty splash of cornflower blue.

When I first got the huge box, I must admit I was a little overwhelmed unpacking the various individual accessories that came with the 3.4L food processor. I’m someone who is easily plagued by the disease called gadget-phobia, but I’m here to tell you this dude is really easy to figure out, easy to clean, and delivers in every aspect. So take my word for it if I say it’s really, really idiot-proof. If I can do it, anyone can too.

Looks daunting but it’s really easy to assemble and figure out!

And the best thing is, the kids are now welcome in the kitchen.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve chased Ben and Becks out when I’m trying to whip up a meal, but these days, I’m roping them to help pulse and throw ingredients in because this food processor is safe even for my little ones to use. Talk about being designed for busy parents!

Ben and Becks helping me shred potatoes and make strawberry & blueberry sorbet

Just how safe is it? For one, the Philips Jamie Oliver food processor has a sturdy base with four very powerful yet easy-to-release suction feet to help keep the tool fixed on the table top.

Very strong suction from these feet, I say!

In addition to that, it also has a safety function that locks the lid in place before it can be turned on to pulse. I found that out when I couldn’t turn it on a couple of times, and realised that it was because I hadn’t secured the cover properly. Same thing happened when I first used the citrus juicer. For a while, I thought my machine went wonky!

Safety lock feature: I’m pretty sure they were designed with busy parents (who would rope in their kids for food prep) in mind!

I also like the fact that it only has two pulse speeds (just 1, and 2!) and that just simplifies everything and keeps the kids out of mischief. Imagine one that has speeds from 1 to 10. I can so imagine my kids trying out every single speed on the dial just to see what it’s like to pulse their Oreos or juice their oranges. I wouldn’t be sending them too near such a machine, that’s for sure!

Juicing their own orange, and having fun!

Juicing oranges, and having fun!

With this new tool in the house, and extra pairs of hands to help, it’s been a breeze churning out tasty treats. Ben and Becks are always asking, “What are we going to have today with the white monster-machine?“, and I find myself looking forward to rummaging the fridge and larder to throw random things in to make snacks and treats of every kind. This is a monster-machine, alright. With it, we could really make almost anything we want – from scratch with little fuss! And we’re having so much fun while at it.

The Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor impresses with its effectiveness, simplicity and affordability. If this is as close to Jamie O as I can get, this fan girl’s definitely not complaining!

Keep life simple with the PHILIPS | Jamie Oliver range which includes a food processor (S$268), handblender (S$128) and blender (S$108). Available at leading electronics and departmental stores.

Disclosure: I received this dude for the purpose of writing this review. This post is the first in a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Philips Singapore. All opinions are my own.

P/S: I say it’s safe but I never let my children go unsupervised in the kitchen. Just so you know. Please do the same!

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Be a breastfeeding dad [A post for fathers]

June 7, 2013

Postpartum. Day 1 to 30.

The hormones are raging and she’s on the verge of slipping into those scarily depressing postnatal blues. A fragile little thing is rooting all the time and suckling at her breast round the clock.

She gets no rest.

Overactive let-down. Engorgement. Blocked ducts. Mastitis. These are the “good” problems if she has more than enough milk.

Poor latch. Nipple pain. Cranky, whiny baby. The problems when she doesn’t have enough.

The first 30 days postpartum, she’s likely to be thinking: How can I ever do this, this thing called breastfeeding?

Enter the valiant knight in shining armour. She calls him the husband. How he supports her during this trying period will be the key to her breastfeeding success.

~~~

Dads, you can be a support to a nursing mother (must be your wife, yes?!) in very practical ways. You can show her you are with her in this, besides saying, “I love you, honey, you can do it” so that she finds the strength to persevere in the days of breastfeeding madness.

Here’s how.

Be a breastfeeding dad in FOUR simple ways:

1. Help with the little things

Sitting close to her while she’s nursing, putting your arms around her just so she knows she can count on you for support, giving her neck and shoulders a good rub, bringing her a glass of water or propping her tired legs up on a footstool are just some of the little acts of love you can do to show that you’re emotionally and mentally with her in this. You can also take over with a bottle feed once or twice a day, so she gets a break, and you get to bond with the baby. And do you know, by being around to massage the baby while she is nursing, you can stimulate the baby’s physical and mental development too?

So dads, jump in when you can. Pays great dividends in the long run.

2. Shoo fly, don’t bother me

Your wife doesn’t need an audience to tell her whether she can or cannot breastfeed. Sometimes, the older folks would come by with their well-meaning advice. And sometimes, you have to play the villain by telling the confinement lady and the aunty-mom folks to shut their nagging up. Most importantly, as a couple, whether you choose to breastfeed or bottlefeed, be at peace with your decision and shut your ears out to the world who may have a hundred and one things to say to you.

I’m very appreciative of the fact that my husband put his foot down and told everyone who had a comment to make (especially my first confinement lady, gawd’ she’s a nagger alright!) during my first few weeks of struggling that he’d appreciate it if they let us handle the challenge by ourselves (nicely, of course). Well meaning or not, it’s our baby, and we certainly don’t need the extra stress from anyone else.

3. Invest in a good breastpump

If you see her having trouble nursing during those first few weeks after giving birth, it pays to get a good electric breastpump for her. Especially if baby isn’t able to nurse enough for her to build up her milk supply. Selecting a good one will help keep her milk flowing and prevent plugged ducts or an infection.

I recommend getting one that is fully automatic, has adjustable suction levels to prevent nipple discomfort and is designed to mimic a baby’s sucking patterns, like the Philips AVENT single (or double) electric Comfort breastpump, which allows her to sit more comfortably with no need to lean forward, gently stimulates natural let down and milk flow, and lets her choose from 3 pumping settings to be at her most comfortable.

The single electric Comfort breastpump

4. Send encouragement her way

Yes, I did say that little kind acts are better than “I love you, hun, you can do it” but it’s nice to hear some positive words from you once in a while. So please, please, go tell your wife, the mother of your child, that she’s still babe in your eyes and oh-so-sexy, cos’ well, it sure feels like crap to be nothing but a 24/7 milk machine and still looking five months preggers.

Most importantly, if you were to show the slightest sign of giving up too, you could be negatively affecting your exhausted postpartum wife to do her best for your baby. Sorry dude, in this mega project called ‘Breastfeeding Baby’, you’d have to be the stable one to encourage her to continue with the gig until everything is established.

I was very blessed to have a breastfeeding dad in the house who would be involved in every possible way so that I always have someone to count on for support, and not feel that I was in this all by myself.

Fatherkao, the breastfeeding dad, with Ben, Becks and Nat (clockwise)

He’s bought me breast shields (first in M size, then L, then XL – imagine his embarrassment when he kept returning to the store), read up and bought me my first breastpump (preloved, from a forum – imagine his embarrassment collecting it), asked female colleagues (who are mothers) how to help boost my milk supply (the Chinese will tell you soup, soup and more soup), made countless trips to the pharmacy to get fenugreek, nipple cream and lanolin ointment, and the market to get green papayas for soup every week during the confinement period.

This breastfeeding dad in our house also bought me a whole array of breastfeeding accessories ranging from the nursing pillow to the nursing poncho and all the different brands of breastpads, in addition to doing the four things mentioned above, three times in a row. Because of him, our three kids have had Mama’s elixir of milky goodness for almost 30 months put together.

Most fathers feel that breastfeeding is between mother and child. It doesn’t have to be so. It can involve you. Yes, dad, you. Together, as a family, you can conquer this and make postpartum days a lot easier to bear. And you don’t even need to wear fake boobs.

This story was brought to you by Philips AVENT. Philips AVENT is committed to helping parents give their babies the best start in life, with breastfeeding accessories that help along the way. Every Philips AVENT product is designed with mom and child in mind, and is intuitive, reponsive and easy to use. Their premium quality products support a mother’s choice to breastfeed, bottle feed or do both, by giving her the assurance that they are flexible and designed to support her and her baby.

To look out for more to come from Philips AVENT: www.philips.com.sg/avent

Disclosure: I reviewed the single electric Comfort breastpump and Natural range feeding bottles in earlier posts. This post is part of a series of sponsored conversations by Philips AVENT.

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Very addictive pork rolls called the Ngoh Hiang

June 2, 2013

I finally made ngoh hiang, and am now proud to call myself a real Hokkien mama! For the uninitiated, ngoh hiang is a delicious fried pork roll dish that is unique to the Hokkien and Teochew dialect, and is essentially a composition of fatty minced pork and prawn, seasoned with five-spice powder (after which the dish is named) rolled in beancurd skin. The dish is usually served with ketchup manis (or sweet sauce) and chilli, and eaten together with other items like the century egg, deep fried beancurd, ginger, cucumber and fried prawn fritters.

Every Hokkien and Teochew mother I know knows how to make this. My grandmother did. My mother and aunts still do. With pride. They’ve all diced and minced and rolled many, many, ngoh hiangs in their lifetime. And it is of utmost urgency I know how to. How else can I join the league of these mothers who churn out such unforgettable, flavourful pork rolls?

As a child (and even now), I could sit at the table all day eating these juicy, chunky meat rolls on end, never finding the will power to stop. It is my desire that this is a dish my children would remember me by, and would remember eating it with so much fondness.

Ngoh Hiang (Recipe makes about 12 six-inch rolls.) I dumped most of the work to my new Philips Jamie Oliver Food Processor – the chestnuts and onion were chopped in seconds. Review coming up soon!

Ingredients:

About 500g minced pork (or get a slab of the shoulder for its higher fat content and make your food processor do the work!)
250g of fresh shrimp, shelled and minced
1 large egg
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp five-spice powder (I got mine from Hock Hua for 80 cents!)
12 water chestnuts, washed, peeled and ground
1 yellow onion, minced
3 tbsp plain flour
Dried beancurd skin, cut into 6×6 inch rectangles)
Corn oil / canola oil / sunflower oil
Sweet sauce (and chilli) for dipping
You can also add finely chopped spring onions or leeks if you prefer

Instructions:

1) Mix the pork and shrimp in a large bowl and add the beaten egg. Stir to mix. In a small bowl, stir together the soya sauce, salt, white pepper, five-spice powder, then add it to the pork and shrimp mix.

2) Stir in the finely chopped water chestnuts, onion (and leeks/ spring onion) and mix to distribute the ingredients evenly.

3) Sift in the flour and mix thoroughly.

4) Lay out the prepared skins on the tabletop with damp palms. Arrange a heaping tablespoon of the pork mix along the longer edge of the skin. Shape the meat as you would a slim sausage.

5) Tuck in the side edges, then roll the skin starting with the edge closest to you. I followed the step-by-step tutorial from Little Teochew. Roll till the meat is fully wrapped, and place it seam down on a plate.

TIP: To reduce the saltiness of the skin, you can try wiping the skin very carefully with a damp clean cloth. Or try asking the Chinese grocery store for a brand of beancurd skin which is not so salty. The folks there oughtta know. (Credits: Motherkao’s Supermom)

6) Steam the rolls for 10 minutes, until the skins are translucent and the rolls are firm. Cool rolls on wire racks.

7) To fry them, cover the surface of a non-stick pan with just enough oil and pan-fry away. Handle about 3 – 5 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Remember not to overcrowd your pan. Fry on medium heat until you see skins turn dark, crisp brown.

TIP: You can wipe down the pan with paper towels after each batch before cooking the next to prevent your rolls from getting burnt. I didn’t bother. Was in a hurry to eat!

8) Leave the rolls to cool on paper towels. Slice them into 1-inch chunks and nomnomnom away with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Also linking up with:

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Human Nature: Tender loving care made so affordable

May 7, 2013

The heat’s been crazy, and the kids’ been taking at least three showers a day.

Anything fewer than this number would usually result in super sticky stinky kids.

Which is why it’s so important that the soap they use during their baths has got to make them smell really nice and not be harsh on their delicate skin.

Thanks to Human Nature who recently sent the Kao kids their premium bath products, we’ve found the best smelling top-to-toe wash ever and some TLC for the baby (more on that later), and the best thing is, I don’t have to worry about it stripping the natural oils off their skin.

I’ve heard and read so much about Human Nature, a brand of natural cosmetics that was established to help provide a livelihood for Gawad Kalinga residents in the Philippines and support Filipino farmers by sourcing natural raw material locally. Human Nature’s products are free from harmful chemicals and do not contain sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate, (an inexpensive but carcinogenic foaming agent), parabens (a commonplace preservative which is becoming increasingly controversial because it’s been found in breast cancer tumours – yikes!), phthalates (mainly used as plasticizers), or mineral oil (clogs pores if it’s not highly refined and purified).

I’m someone who reads the label very closely and try not to buy products with these chemicals since a long time ago; but I tell you, it sure is getting increasingly difficult to buy all these organic, natural stuff without the hefty price tag these days. So imagine my surprise when I found out how affordable Human Nature’s products are.

For less than $25, Human Nature’s three-step Baby Care can cleanse, moisturise and protect the little one with most natural ingredients. To me, that’s cheap – and good!

Baby Wash with Lavender, Rosemary and Chamomile ($7.90), 100% Natural Baby Lotion ($8.90) and 100% Baby Oil ($7.90) made of sunflower oil

And of course, Nat got to try the three-step Baby Care out.

*Warning: pictures of naked baby to follow*

I found the Baby Wash really gentle on the baby’s skin. The liquid hardly lathered, which was a good sign (to me) that no sodium laureth sulfate was used to make this. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about all the foamy bubbles getting into Nat’s eyes while I washed those few strands of hair. The Lavender, Rosemary and Chamomile combo made it sound as if I was washing my kid with all my favourite types of tea – nice!

After the bath, I used the light and refreshing Baby Lotion which contained aloe and avocado. I was expecting a strong scent to overwhelm my senses while I slathered the lotion on the baby, but all I could pick up was the sweet, sweet smell of a baby. The lotion had the scent of baby powder, and I couldn’t help dousing my littlest in it – oh, how I missed him smelling like this!

Now comes the oil. I don’t usually use oil on my kids cos’ it leaves a yucky feeling on them and on my hands. I was assured that the Baby Oil is extremely light and doesn’t clog pores, and most importantly, that studies have shown that massaging babies with sunflower oil lessens the risk of them developing skin infections.

So I used it to massage his scalp and the scabs Nat’s gotten by scratching himself silly, as well as his diaper area like I would a diaper cream.

The oil was indeed so light, I needn’t even wash my hands. The Baby Oil was quickly absorbed by the skin – both mine and Nat’s – and he wasn’t one oily gunk after the massage. I happily went on to do some foot reflexology for the older ones with the Baby Oil too.

Ben and Becks got to try the Kids Natural Shampoo and Body Wash in Tangerine Tarsier ($13.90 for 500ml) and it made them smell so yummilicious I couldn’t stop kissing their cheeks and ruffling their hair after their bath. I make them use the wash generously now on a hot day and whenever they come home perspiring and smelling like a sock that’s not been washed for a decade, and we’re absolutely loving the scent that’s filling the bathroom these days.

Oops sorry, not going to be showing pictures of naked children here.

Oh yes, can I also rave about something? This bottle of Calming Massage Oil, thoughtfully sent just for the tired mother with frazzled nerves (that is me) by Christine, the Director of Human Nature Singapore, really does what it claims to do. Smelling it and rubbing it on my tired shoulders really calms me and helps me unwind.

Made with lavender, orange and lemongrass essential oils, this is not greasy at all and contains no mineral oil with its yucky pore-clogging ability. It comes in a small handy 95ml bottle (and it’s only $4.95 now on their store) that can be so readily tucked into any bag. I actually bring it out now and make the therapist doing my facial use this when she does my hand, neck and head massages.

I’m thinking, this is the perfect gift to pamper any mother this Mother’s Day! Some calming massage oil and a good rub is really what makes any mother happy. For me, it’s this, plus uninterrupted pee time, thank you very much.

The products from Human Nature that we’ve received really impressed, and are indeed value for money. I like the fact that buying from them also means we’re supporting a social cause, and it’s our little way of giving back to society.

More details:

You can shop at the Human Nature Singapore online store and check out their range of products ranging from home care to mineral makeup. Just for readers of this blog, get a 20% off all products (except sale items) from the Human Nature from 7 to 9 May 2013. Use this code HNMK20 to check out.

Methinks there’s still time to get Mom something for Mother’s Day! Happy Shopping!

*Disclosure: We received the mentioned products from Human Nature Singapore for the purpose of this review. All opinions are Motherkao’s own.

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Homelearning fun Product Reviews

Castle painting fun with CraftPlay [+Giveaway]

April 26, 2013

The kids don’t do much art and craft, thanks to their not-so-artsy mother that is me. I know they love to, and want to paint, draw, craft, and make a mess without needing to hear much nagging and screaming from their mother who has some obsessive compulsion to keep everything clean.

So I introduced them to their Art Buddy, whom the affectionately call QX jie jie. She comes occasionally to do art with them, while I hide in a corner and bite my tongue, and refrain from taking out the broom and mop to clean up the mess they are making while they are at it.

Last week, the kids had a CraftPlay date with QX jie jie . The folks at CraftPlay kindly sent over their Out of the Box Castle so the kids can have some painting and decorating fun. It was supposed to be a project with their new BFFs from kindergarten, but the other kids haven’t been feeling too well, so we thought we’d just go ahead on our own.

CraftPlay Out of the Box Castle Instructions

Instructions for Out of the Box Castle

The package came together with packets of paintbrushes and roller sponges, and the kids couldn’t wait to start working on the castle made of recycled box materials. I decided that they should each take individual pieces of the castle tower, walls and gates to paint, instead of assembling the castle first, and paint away they did, with the help of QX jie jie.

Let’s start painting!

And of course, at four and two half (and the baby at 14 months), you wouldn’t expect these kids to stay focused painting nor expect that they decorate the castle with funky designs and patterns. They were up clowning about after five minutes of serious painting, and started rolling paint on each other’s legs, toes and hair. That is the fun of art and craft to them.

Painting legs and toes is fun too!

When the paint dried up, I tried to assemble the castle but to my dismay, it was not as easy as I thought. We probably used the wrong type of paint and some parts of the cardboard were too wet when the paint went on initially, that the corners were torn even when the paint dried.

The paint was initially too watery!

Painting completed!

I spent a good hour trying to put the pieces together but the “tongues” that I inserted into the different slots kept coming out. I got desperate after getting nowhere near to assembling it after half an hour, I started taping the folded parts so they don’t come off. The kids only hung around to watch for a grand total of 7 minutes, and then got very impatient and kept singing me the same refrain,“Why the castle still not ok, huh?

So after one trying hour of putting it together, I gave up and told them, “Nah, this is the castle. It’s supposed to look pretty and all, but well, Mama just can’t assemble it without getting frustrated.” Now you know why art and craft is my least favourite subject in school. I’m totally NOT good at this at all!

Assembled with the help of tape!

This is how it should look! Image from CraftPlay.

Still, the kids were happy and started to find uses for this piece of artwork they’ve created – they started throwing their baby brother’s balls into the castle towers like those Uncle Ringo games they play at pasar malam. And then they went on to spend an evening with the cardboard castle, perfecting their aiming and laughing away.

Ready, aim, throw!

Thank you, CraftPlay, for those few hours of fun. Though it wasn’t too much fun for me putting everything together (ok, it’s me and my fat fingers!), my kids had a good time painting and playing!

Here’s a giveaway, so you can have some painting fun too!

I’m sure you can do a better job than me assembling the castle – how idiot-proof is that, right? – so here’s a chance to win an Out of the Castle (more castle types here) worth $17 for some hours of crafting and painting fun. Simply LIKE CraftPlay’s Facebook Page and leave me a comment with your name and email address. It’s that simple! Giveaway ends 1 May 2013.

UPDATE: Congrats, Chuyan! You won the Out of the Box Castle! Happy painting and crafting! A big thank you to all who took part!

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Product Reviews

Comfortably natural [Product review, Part 2]

April 2, 2013

My boys have always latched on direct and hated to be bottle-fed. Ben only started really drinking from a milk bottle when he was much older at around 18 months, when he was able to hold it himself and had to follow the routines of daycare. Nat still is a suckler; and if you asked him, he would tell you he’d prefer his milk warm, straight from the source, thank you very much. Feeding him milk from the bottle is an epic battle of wills in itself one should avoid at all costs unless one is prepared to be deafened by yelling and injured by scratching.

Who’s the one that loves the bottle? The little girl. Becks has indicated that preference very early in her life, when latching got difficult and she refused to persevere. She’s the best person to review the new Natural feeding bottles Philips AVENT sent us recently.

All along, I’ve never used a milk bottle with a wide neck. I’ve stuck to using those long, thin classic bottles. I was surprised how wideneck bottles made filling milk powder so easy. I didn’t need to aim each scoop of milk powder. With long, thin bottles, your aiming’s gotta be perfect so milk powder wouldn’t scatter, and when it does (as often), I’d always have to wipe so ants wouldn’t come a’marching. Just this alone is reason enough for me to consider changing all the bottles at home to wideneck ones!

No aiming required when filling the milk bottle – I’m snapping a picture with my right hand while filling milk with my left!

The new Natural feeding bottle is designed to make bottle feeding natural for the baby. It features a wide, breast-shaped teat that promises high acceptance and an almost instant latch-on, so the transition between breast and bottle-feeding can be smooth. Technically speaking, the tester for this should be Nat; he’s the one that needs to learn to feed from the bottle. But alas, he is not ready to make the switch yet. I’ll definitely make him try this bottle when he’s a little older.

So Tester Becks used it, and she’s been using it every night. The Natural bottle is easy to hold with its ergonomic shape designed for grip in any direction and maximum comfort. One thing I also noticed about the Philips AVENT Natural bottle is that the teat doesn’t collapse. Its unique comfort petals are flexible yet firm. The three parts of the bottle (teat, ring and bottle) are also easy to clean and assemble.

The Natural teat

The new ergonomic design

I asked Becks which bottle she preferred – the old or the new – and she says she likes to hold her new Natural bottle, though I wished the bottles came more colourfully designed so I can buy a different design to personalise the bottle for each of my children. Some patterns and prints would be nice!

And this is how the little girl drinks her milk every night. Well, if she likes it, she’ll have it!

Becks, the bottle and Avery, the Philips AVENT bear

More details:

The Philips AVENT Natural feeding bottle (BPA-free polypropylene) retails at $20.90 for the Single 260ml pack and $36.90 for the Twin pack. The 125ml Single pack retails at $17.90 and $30.90 for the Twin pack.
The Philips AVENT Natural feeding bottle (BPA-free borosilicate type 1 glass) retails at $18.90 for the 120ml Single pack and $22.90 for the 240ml Single pack.

Disclosure: I received the single electric Comfort breastpump and the 260ml Twin pack Natural range feeding bottles for the purpose of this review. This post is part of a series of sponsored conversations by Philips AVENT.

I reviewed the Philips AVENT Comfort breastpump too. Read about my experience here.

2 Comments

Product Reviews

Comfortably natural [Product review, Part 1]

April 2, 2013

On the first night I brought my first baby home from the hospital, I sat in the living room at 3 in the morning and sobbed as I expressed milk. My husband, who thought it was the baby crying, woke up to see what had happened, only to find me in the dark, crying like a baby.

I borrowed a mini electric breastpump from a friend and had spent the last 45 minutes in the wee hours of the morning trying to express milk. I only managed a pathetic 5ml. I was engorged and clearly in great distress.

As I eased into motherhood and started reading reviews about breastpumps from forums (actually it was the husband that started reading up first), I became very particular about the type of breastpump I used.

For me, a breastpump must be three things – fast, comfortable and light. I’m not going to be wasting 45 minutes expressing so little, I’m not going to be bending forward and breaking my back, I’m not going to be lugging a brick around if I need to bring the pump out.

The one I’ve settled on using after that 3am-sobbing-in-the-night episode is a pretty sturdy one, one in which many mothers swear by. It’s trusty and has served me well since I had Ben. I breastfed Ben for 11 months, Becks for 3 and am still serving Nat as his milk machine at 13 months, and have been using it to express milk when I was away from them at work.

But I’ll be frank. This pump has only fulfilled one out of the three criteria I have. It’s fast because it has one helluva electric motor, but it’s hardly comfortable nor light. So when Philips AVENT sent over their new Comfort range breastpump for a mother who’s still searching for the perfect one that fits all three criteria, I couldn’t wait to review it to see if I’ve finally found ‘the one’.

The single electric Comfort breastpump

So I tried it while the baby was still at infantcare in February and was pleasantly surprised to see how compact it was and how light it felt. I’ll be the first to admit that its weight made me kinda skeptical of the speed of the breastpump motor. After opening it up, I separated and sterilised the parts, which was easy and definitely idiot-proof. The parts, which are few, are intuitively designed for assembly.

I used it in a RECLINING position cos’ it says I can “sit more comfortably with no need to lean forward” when using it. I’ve never done that using a breastpump ever since that one time I tried and the milk flowed backwards and made me very dirty, so I thought for the sake of the review, I’d give it a go.

Yes, so I leaned back on a nice huge pillow to use the Philips AVENT Comfort breastpump.

Nope, I’m sorry you’re not going to get a picture of me. Here’s a prettier model instead.

Comfort – check. Its unique petals were very nice to have against those tired boobs unlike the one I’m used to using, which sucks you very hard, if you know what I mean. This one actually felt soothing and warm.

Comfort, without spillage – check. The pump is indeed designed in a way that you can actually lean back a fair bit. I actually caught a few minutes of shut-eye while expressing, which was a first for me!

As for speed, it did take longer than my usual to express 120ml from one side, even though I opted for the fastest of its pumping settings, after using it in gentle stimulation mode. Comparatively speaking, the one I own is quicker and sucks much harder. Oh well, but for the few minutes of shut-eye I could get, I didn’t mind it actually.

120ml in about 20 minutes, using the fastest mode available

And its weight? The base unit of the Philips AVENT Comfort is so much lighter than what I am used to lugging around. It is easy to keep (the tube simply wraps around the base unit), compact, and has a nice shade of purple. It is also easy to use on the go with batteries.

There you have it, two out of three criteria fulfilled. For its comfort and compactness, I would say the Philips AVENT breastpump is thoughtfully designed for the tired mother who wants to unwind while expressing milk, and worth the investment if you’re looking for comfort spelled with a capital C.

I’ve also had the opportunity to review the new Natural range Philips AVENT milk bottles. More on it in Part Two.

More details:

The single electric Comfort breastpump retails at $309 and the twin electric retails at $779 and are available at leading departmental stores. baby specialty shops and selected hospital pharmacies from January 2013.

Disclosure: I received the single electric Comfort breastpump and Natural range feeding bottles for the purpose of this review. This post is part of a series of sponsored conversations by Philips AVENT.

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