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Getting matched in matchy ways this CNY

January 20, 2015

My husband and I have NEVER worn anything matching. Ever.

Too corny. Too cheesy. Too gaudy. Too attention seeking. Is what we say to ourselves.

Until this year. Where we did this.

Yes, go matchy matchy on ourselves, together with the kids. We decided we only live once, our children are only young once, and soon enough they are going to be declaring their own fashion manifesto which we probably have no control over. So we modelled for MidouCeur, just for the fun of it.

Ok, now you know what we’ll probably be turning up in at visitations during Chinese New Year. If we catch your attention, remember to say hi!

Photo Source: Midouceur

You can see the entire collection we modelled for, here at MidouCeur’s website.

From now till 22 January 2015, enter the promo code CNY8off to get 8% discount off at MidouCeur for purchases above SGD100 net. If sizing and fit is always a big question mark for you, MidouCeur will be having a pop-up stall for 2 days on 24 & 25 January 2015 from 10am to 9pm at Chinatown Bazaar. Connect with them on their Facebook page or IG account to get updated details of the location and other collections.

Disclosure: We received 2 family sets of 2 designs from MidouCeur for helping them out in this modelling shoot. For details of sizing, please contact MidouCeur direct. All opinions here are our own, and are not in any way representative of anyone else. We’ve changed our mind about wearing couple / family / matching clothes. You’ll see us turn up all matched this CNY, yes, you will!

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Happy days Invites & Tryouts Reviews

De-Auntify Me: Eyelash Extensions at Browtisan [Review]

January 13, 2015

Notice any difference between these two pictures?

Besides having nicely shaped brows to frame my face, thanks to Browtisan, those eyes on the right now look bigger.

And hopefully, you would also say Motherkao looks a little prettier in the picture on the right. Hurhurhur.

When I went to Browtisan to have my eyebrows embroidered, I also had my eyelashes extended. I’ve lived with zero knowledge and experience of putting eye make-up because of severe myopia that plagued the earlier years of my existence until LASIK five years ago, so I was never really acquainted with the mascara. The only time I used a mascara and had my eyelashes permed (yes, those were the rage back in 2004) was during my wedding, so it was a nice thought indeed to be able to have eyelashes looking ‘mascara-ed‘ for a change now.

At Browtisan, the eyelash extension is done lash by lash by a professional therapist, with each fibre lash attached to the end of your natural lash to achieve an effect that’s as natural as possible. It’s a very meticulous and somewhat tedious process, one that requires you to lie still without opening your eyes and letting the very expert hands do the extension work.

Coco first curls my natural lashes and tapes the lower lashes

Then with her precision magnifying glasses, she attaches each fibre lash extension…

…strand by strand

Until they look like this

And this!

I don’t have naturally long lashes; and what I have in the natural makes my eyes look, erm, well, rather small. And what do you know, after having gone for eyelash extensions, a whole new world has opened. I think my eyes are more accentuated now, and look a little bigger.

It feels like I’m waking up a little more to the world.

It did take me a while to get used to the idea that these extensions are here to stay for 2-4 weeks. For a moment there, I sometimes forget that I’ve got extensions. I’ve to be careful – and mindful – not to rub my eyes (a habit every night, a ritual every morning) and put in a little more concerted gentleness when I wash and tone that area of my face.

Other than that, I like it that I can just wake up and face the world with these eyes, and these eyelash extensions have made me a little more “made up” and awake everyday.

How’s that for de-auntifying?

Happy now, with eyelash extensions!

~~~

Eyelash Extension at Browtisan starts at SGD98. The price increases accordingly should you require more fibre lashes for a fuller look. Quote [Elizabeth from Motherkao Blog] to get a 10% off this service, valid till June 2015. Eyelash extensions last 2-4 weeks depending on the individual.

Browtisan by Coco is at 402, Orchard Road, #03-17 Delfi Orchard, Singapore 238876 | Tel: 6235 2355

~~~

Disclosure: As part of de-auntifying myself I went for eyebrow embroidery and eyelash extension at Browtisan. I was invited by ATMC to experience these 2 services, and the opinions here reflect my experiences at the place and is in no part representative of anyone else’s except my own.

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Happy days Invites & Tryouts Reviews The real supermom

De-Auntify Me: From flat to wavy chic at Mosche [Review]

January 12, 2015

The hair’s flat out and the highlights are getting lighter by the day. Almost three inches of my hair from the roots is black while the rest languish in a pallid ghastly blonde-ness which makes me look, erm…

Terrible.

As part of de-auntifying myself, I headed down to Royal Plaza on Scotts to review the hair services at Mosche Hair Salon. I was really blessed to have scored an invitation to try out the services at one of the oldest and more established hair salons in Singapore. Mosche Hair Salon has been around since 1979 and has had generations of loyal customers who would faithfully travel whenever they moved to locate them. The salon’s made yet another move to Royal Plaza on Scotts just a year ago, and is boasting of a bigger space and better façade.

The posh entrance of Mosche Hair Salon at Royal Plaza on Scotts

At Mosche, I was introduced to the most dynamic duo I’ve ever met all my years visiting hair salons – paid or sponsored. There was so much synergy between my hairstylist, Leslie, and his partner, Annie. I actually had my hair checked and my appointment with Leslie booked a week before my first appointment (Leslie is a busy man!), to see if it was suitable to be permed. I told them I badly needed to get out of this flat hair and Leslie said he must have Annie to do a hair check-up for me before he would go ahead. The hair assessment was quick and after some tugging and routine questions, Annie said I could return another day to get it all done.

My first appointment

Upon my arrival, Leslie, together with Annie, conceptualised the look they wanted for me. They agreed the flatness of the hair needed to go, and a sassy digital perm was in order. Leslie was in charge of the cut and Annie was in charge of the perm. And I could see how important their individual roles were because Leslie’s experienced scissorhands were extremely crucial to give the hair its correct shape. He had to visualise how it would look permed while cutting. For the first time, my front was kept longer than my back – and it was most interesting to hear that this was to facilitate a soft look and not have the perm turn me into an auntie with a typical one-length cut.

This, I didn’t know. This kind of attentiveness, I never had. Ever.

Before: the ghastly pallid blonde-ness

One more ‘Before’ shot before the transformation

Leslie Scissorhands

And after the cut, Leslie had to pass me to Annie, because we’re talking about the most experienced woman to handle hair perms, ever. Her experience and professionalism was seen with her checking meticulously every segment of hair for porosity and density, things that many a salon have skipped just to get business from me and to get things done quick. At one point, I felt Annie was almost looking at my hair strand by strand! She was that thorough in making sure that my perm would turn out all right. She would fit the curlers in, take them out, try different sizes of curlers until she was satisfied. She was giving me a digital perm which she promised would make me look like Korean chic and not Singaporean auntie.

Annie applies a serum to protect my hair and scalp before the perm

And then, curling in progress!

Very meticulously and properly…

Hooked up, and “digitised”!

A thorough check before leaving everything in to settle

And she made good her word.

Because after almost 3 hours of sitting and waiting, this was the result:

Leslie checking…

…and styling…

Ta da!

Side profile

Now I know why the front hair needs to be longer than the back – it’s to get this soft effect of flow!

This is an example of synergistic teamwork, by this dynamic duo, I tell you. I’ve never been to any salon (and this, I am being honest) where the communication happens so seamlessly. Usually the stylist tells their subordinates and the latter gets going, just following instructions. But here were two stylists, both in their professional capacity conceptualising from start to finish, and I hear that’s the norm here at Mosche.

So the final product was this but Leslie and Annie didn’t look like they were ready to let me go. They told me I needed to come back after a week (we need to wait for the perm to settle), because to leave my hair in this colour was not what they wanted this look to be.

Not completed yet, but a photo with the people who made this first happened!

Not completed yet, but a photo with the people who made this happen first!

My second appointment

Five days later, I returned to Mosche all ready for my colour. I was half expecting Leslie to do up some dark maroon which I liked, but he didn’t. He told me he was going to mix a dark mocha brown for me. Reasons being, one, he was going for a mature, sophisticated look, not K-pop idol look; and two, given my busy schedule for the months to come, I probably wouldn’t have the time to upkeep a brighter colour and it is best I stuck with something as close to my natural hair colour.

I don’t know about you but this is the first time I’ve met a hair stylist so considerate. It’s like a friend saying, yes, you can be adventurous, but can I help you be a little practical so you can still look sassy chic everyday?

I like.

So I had my hair colour done. First near the roots which sat in for a little longer than the ends due to the already uneven colouring.

Leslie checking and showing his assistant, Bell, what he wants for my hair colour

Before the colouring I told Bell my scalp gets really irritated and itchy whenever I colour it, and she applies a protective cream on my scalp. Am pleased to announce this was the best hair colouring session ever, because I didn't feel itch and irritation at all. No other salons have applied this pre-colour on me except Mosche.

Before the colouring I told Bell my scalp gets really irritated and itchy whenever the colour gets on, and she applied a protective cream on my scalp. Am pleased to announce this was the best hair colouring session ever, because I didn’t feel itch and irritation at all. No other salons have applied this pre-colour protection on me before, except Mosche.

Meanwhile, there was free flow coffee and tea.

The final result? This.

The final mocha dark brown

Looking a little more sophisticated, I would say

Gorgeousness.

I really like this look and although it may not have been brightly coloured as I wanted, I think this muted stylish-ness is going to be serving me in good stead for the new year and in my new job.

So considerately thought out and thought through by this dynamic pair. So easy to tousle and go in the morning. So ready to start a brand new year with a brand new look! Thank you, Leslie and Annie, and Mosche Hair Salon, for making this happen and for this wonderful opportunity to be acquainted with you!

With Annie, the woman who transformed me from flat to wavy

With Leslie, the one who conceptualised the style from start to end, and gave me the haircut to the colour

Good things must share, and thanks to Leslie and Mosche Hair Salon, here’s a promotion you can enjoy at Mosche ALL YEAR LONG (yes, the whole of 2015) just for Motherkao readers:

1. Cut & Colour – SGD 280 nett

2. Cut & Perm – SGD 450 nett

3. Cut, Perm & Colour – SGD 580 nett

4. All other a la carte hair services – 25% discount

Simply quote [Elizabeth from Motherkao Blog] to enjoy these offers for the whole year long!

Mosche Hair Salon is located at Royal Plaza on Scotts Level 2, 25 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228220. The number to call is 6734 0923 or 9628 8312. (Remember to ask for Leslie or Annie!)

Post-Script

You know I’m going to make this disclosure, as I always do: Motherkao was invited by Mosche Hair Salon for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions here are her own.

I’ve said that BUT I’m also going to add this, not just because it was a complimentary hair service:

I’ve really had one of the best customer service of all the hair salons I’ve been to – whether paid or sponsored – at Mosche, simply because of the un-pretentiousness that I experienced from meeting Leslie and Annie. They are not people who would pull a fast one on you; they come across as professional yet sincere and they get a damn good job done.

The prices at this place reflect their impeccable service here, and I’d be forthright here and now to say they are on the steeper end compared to most of the others their league.

But here, satisfaction is guaranteed and if you’re really game to try a new look here, they hardly disappoint, as seen by the happy transformations on their Facebook page and heard by their loyal customers’ reviews. I’ve a friend who’s been with Leslie for 23 years and still counting, and will never ask for anyone else other than Leslie. Her mother, her friends and relatives count among his scores of loyal followers. That, to me, is the true test of a really solid hair stylist.

That he’s got followers for more than TWO decades.

~~~

Heck, after this, I’m going to have to start saving money, because it sure looks like I’m going to be a follower too.

Read the other posts in this series of De-Auntify Me here and here too.

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Happy days Invites & Tryouts Reviews

De-Auntify Me: Eyebrow Embroidery at Browtisan [Review]

January 5, 2015

The past two years of staying home have been disastrous to my eyebrows. They’ve been an unkempt mess for the longest time because I don’t even have the time to shape them with my tweezers. It’s always difficult for me to figure out the arch they are supposed to have and if I don’t find the time to regularly shape them, I lose touch with how I am supposed to look with properly defined brows.

I’ve heard a little about eyebrow embroidery and read many good reviews from fellow mom bloggers about their eyebrow embroidery experience at Browtisan here, here, here and here, so when I received an invitation to experience eyebrow embroidery for myself, I was pretty stoked. Ok, truth be told, I was half stoked and half hesitant. I needed to know what exactly is “embroidery” for the eyebrows in beautyspeak, what I would be in for, and what it could do for me to help de-auntify myself (read about my quest to do that this year here).

Eyebrow embroidery is an aesthetic cosmetic procedure of adding coloured pigment to the skin by filling in empty spots on your brows to give them a fuller and more flawless look. Using pigment matched to the actual brow colour, eyebrow embroidery produces a semi-permanent, natural look as the eyebrow hairline stroke is done by a professional stroke by stroke with precision and care. It is NOT a tattoo procedure (which is permanent, by the way) in which ink pentrates deep into the dermis. Eyebrow embroidery introduces pigment to the epidermis – the superficial layer of the skin – with minimal intrusion.

I was also told that at Browtisan, I would be in the good hands of Coco, Browtisan’s Chief Creative Officer, who has over two decades of experience in the brow and grooming industry. She also recently sat on the Annual Asia Panel of Experts for Asia Art of Eyebrow Embroidery Competition, and appointed Chairman of the Singapore (Regional Asia) 2014 Annual Asia Panel of Experts for Asia Art of Eyebrow Embroidery.

I was impressed, but nonetheless still hesitant. Afterall, it was a semi-permanent procedure which would last 2-3 years. I decided to bring my questions personally to Coco. I needed her to allay my fears and clarify my doubts, which include:

1) Will I end up looking perpetually shocked, fierce or like Crayon Shinchan?

2) Will this help make my grooming routine of tweezing my brows easier or more difficult?

3) Will I feel pain?

4) Will I regret? Can she reverse everything if I did? (Someone did tell me it is reversible, but I needed to check!)

When I arrived at Browtisan, I was immediately introduced to Coco who wasted no time in scrutinising my face and my brows. I probably would never know this if I didn’t step foot into Browtisan – but I found out I had a perpetually arched right brow because of a slightly bigger brow ridge, and that I had always had a little “hole” on my left and brows will likely not grow there anymore.

Browtisan is located at Delphi Orchard #03-17. Browtisan stems from the word Brow and Artisan. It is a name coined to reflect the skills and artistry of their ultra-specialised subset of aestheticians.

Can you spot the seemingly insignificant: the right arch on the right brow and a little “hole” where there’s no hair on the left?

After applying some numbing cream and letting it numb the area around the eyebrows, Coco started working on tweezing away the strays and finding a natural shape of brows for my face. She also took the time to take the questions I was ceaselessly fielding and kept assuring me that it would look very natural.

While the numbing cream took effect, I fielded questions!

Basically, she answered Questions 1 -3 (more on whether I would regret later!) by doing just ONE thing: tirelessly assuring me that the shape she was designing for me was going to follow the most natural arch for my face as much as possible.

In other words, this was what she was going to do: define my brows to make it full (there were too many gaps) and lower the right arch created by the bigger brow ridge to create balance for both sides. And she says that when the entire process is done, all I have to do is to tweeze away the strays by following the shape she’s created. It’s going to make life soooo easy!

All that she subsequently explained could be summed up in three words: painless, effortless, natural. Once again, she assured me that the whole process was going to be painless; it’s not going to take any effort on my part (so I just need to relax); and I that I needed to trust that she will give me a look that is as natural as possible.

Coco first painstakingly shapes and reshapes with an eyebrow pencil

And will only proceed with the embroidery process when the customer is completely satisfied with the shape

Convinced at last, I let her get to work after I ok-ed the eyebrow design…

First, Coco puts on her microscopic amplification glasses to magnify whatever she’s looking at

And then she “embroiders” every single eyebrow, stroke by stroke. This is also when the epidermis feels some tugging, and if you have a lower threshold of pain, you can ask for more numbing cream NOW.

It’s only professional to check you while you sit up because the world doesn’t look at you lying down. Here Coco adds finishing touches because the face is different when I lie down and when I sit up!

The whole process took a while (about an hour or so) because the professional in her checks, and checks and checks till she is satisfied!

At last, eyebrow embroidery COMPLETED!

Embroided brows, stroke by stroke. Done by Coco!

The full face

A picture with the woman who made it all happen

So I started asking, why is it so thick? so brown? so full? so erm… unnatural? And I was told that it will all be OK after 5 days. I did like this “new” look actually, but I figured I needed to be putting on makeup when I headed out those 5 days. If not, I might actually look very fierce.

Before I left I was given a serum to apply daily for 5 days, and some 3M Tegaderm Film to protect my eyebrows from water.

~~~

My brows DID really start looking more and more natural as days passed but I have to say the 5 days that they were not allowed any contact with water was a bit of a hassle. I take at least two baths a day, and had to go to a pharmacy to hunt for more 3M Tegaderm films to cover those brows for those 5 days. But this senseless grumble aside, the incovenience was totally worth it. The entire experience at Browtisan and the result after 5 days was, well, let’s just say I am not regretting anything at all (Question 4 answered).

After embroidery, Day 1

After embroidery, Day 2

After embroidery, Day 3

After embroidery, Day 4 – you can see it’s lightening a lot

After embroidery, Day 5

The above pictures were taken with as natural a lighting as possible, and not edited.

And this was the 6th day. And I was feeling all too happy to finally not have to tape my brows up when I shower!

After embroidery, Day 6

And here are the brows again, at Week 3, taken just yesterday!

This is how natural looking it is, and I am really loving these brows.

I’m really liking the fact that the brows are now fuller and cleanly defined. I like it too that my eyebrows now frame my face instead of just being a shabby patch of mess before they were embroidered. It’s like, before Browtisan, they just existed. Now, after Browtisan, they’ve come alive and are making me look a lot more well-groomed than I used to look.

First step in de-auntifying self: SUCCESS!

Thank you, Coco and Browtisan, for demonstrating your artistry on my face!

~~~

More details:

Browtisan is the latest Clinical Standard Brow Salon located at Delphi Orchard (402 Orchard Road #03-17, Singapore 238876). It specialises in painless, non-invasive, highly-customised Creative Eyebrow Embroidery. Other services include eyebrow shaping and design, eyeliner definition, lips embroidery, eyelash enhancement, eyelash perming and facial treatments.

The price for Eyebrow Embroidery starts from SGD1380.

And here’s a discount code just for Motherkao readers:

Quote [Motherkao blog] or [Elizabeth from Motherkao] to enjoy a 10% discount off Creative Eyebrow Embroidery at Browtisan. Valid till June 2015.

~~~

P/S: I had my eyelashes extended too, but more on it in another post!

Disclosure: Motherkao received a sponsored Eyebrow Embroidery Session at Browtisan for the purpose of this review, thanks to an invitation of AT Marketing Consultancy. The opinions here are in no way representative of Browtisan, and are solely mine.

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(Self) Examination The real supermom

2015’s first project: De-Auntify Me

January 5, 2015

It’s a new year and a new beginning once again. It’s certainly an exciting thought to be able to rewrite the next 365 pages of our lives with renewed hope and vision.

To kickstart the year, I’ve embarked on a project makeover to de–auntify myself. Yep, you heard that right. Since I’m returning to work after staying home for two years, I thought the start of this year would be the best time to dust the dust off those shoes, bags and dresses languishing in the wardrobe, throw out the probably expired make-up and start sorting accessories by colour and clothes type.

It’s time to get brows shaped, hair done and blackheads exterminated. It’s time to get physically fit and more sleep in. It’s time to take the clutter away and out, dump the frumpy frazzled and embrace the sassy chic.

Goodbye, SAHM. For now. Hello, ???-M. I don’t know what to call myself anymore (???)

Aunty at 33 – no more!

I’ll be working every day but doing full-time mothering duties every day too, so I don’t know what ‘M’ that makes me. But one thing I do know for sure, I am saying goodbye to the aunty aunty gig, the one where the eyebags are black and deep, the hair ends are split and the face is scrubbed with soap in less than a minute. Yes, the one that features only t-shirt and shorts seven days a week. I’ve made enough sacrifices for the kids so now it’s time to bring back ME.

Watch this space for the ‘De-Auntify Me’ Series.

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(Self) Examination Getting all sentimental now

Last post of the year

December 31, 2014

In 2014, I embraced the challenge of starting a business on top of juggling the demands of full-time motherhood.

In 2014, I had the privilege of being the mother to a 5-year-old, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old and being in a marriage of 10 years.

In 2014, the blog turned 2. This post marks the 430th piece of writing I have done on this space. This space has grown to be a place of meaning and purpose – at least for me; a platform in which I could breathe in and reflect – and reconnect with life, living and motherhood.

It was a busy, glorious year.

And part of the glorious busy would not have happened if not for you. Thank you for being a part of this gloriously busy, but fulfilling year, because this blog would not exist if not for you.

Happy New Year!

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(Self) Examination Getting all sentimental now Nat Kao Parenting 101 What to Expect... As a Mother

The last feed ever

December 20, 2014

Nat turning three in Feb

Warning: this is a post about boobs and breastfeeding

About a month ago, I stopped nursing Nat. He turns 3 years old in two months, so I guess I breastfed my youngest on demand, water-cooler style, for two years and ten months.

It didn’t happen just like that. I have been struggling to stop. I have been hoping to nurse him for a long while more. Yes, you heard that right. I was the one who couldn’t let go.

After he turned two, I have been repeatedly telling him that he’s now a big boy and he should start drinking from the bottle. He’s been extremely dependent on those boobies (mine, of course) to calm him, soothe him and help him fall asleep. I also have been repeatedly chided by the older folks in my life who would give me the biggest scrunch on their faces when they heard he was still nursing. They would warn me to stop and put images of a six-year-old Nat walking up to me demanding to be nursed in my head and instill the fear in me that if I didn’t try to stop him from latching, I never will.

And so I did. Believe me, I tried staying away and not tucking him in, applying essential oils on his milk source and putting a huge bolster in between us. And every time he cried my heart would shatter into a million pieces.

And every time he said “Mama Milk so spicy, GO AWAY MAMA”, I would burst into tears and feel the wrench in my heart that gave me even greater resolve NOT to stop breastfeeding.

He is my last baby, you know. And the miracle of motherhood is that first feeling of exhilaration of being able to produce milk for the child born of your loins. And continue doing so as often as he wants or as much as you can. I liked that feeling very much, and the thought that he’s the last one makes me want to savour every minute of the exhilaration for as long as possible.

So Nat and I. We constantly did the “Ok, you’re a big boy now so no more Mama Milk” thing and the “Mama missed you so bad, come let me feed you some milk” dance on alternate days for another ten months from the time he turned two, and whilst it was fun, he was going to be turning three.

And the images of a six-year-old Nat walking up to me demanding to be nursed started to frighten me more often than usual, and I thought I’d better have a talk with Nat before he turned three.

So for many nights in November, we started dreaming up his third birthday party and singing songs, and that was how I put him to bed nightly – yes, without the boobs. He would tell me he wants a Ninja Turtle cake one night, and then a triceratops on another, a Diego cake on another, and yak about his favourite things, and then sing himself birthday songs in English and Mandarin.

I guess doing this every night for a while made him realise he was a big boy. He didn’t even noticed he didn’t need to nurse to fall asleep.

And just like that, I didn’t even know when that was, I did my last feed on my last feed.

And just like that, this boy just hugs Mama after his Milo in a bottle, says his prayer and falls asleep.

And just like that, the boobies stopped milk production and there was no more supply.

Last afternoon, feeling a little sentimental, I offered Nat my boobs instead of his bottle.

Me: You want Mama Milk? (he fondly says this when he wants to be nursed)

Nat: Em, nope!

Me: Why? Come la, try!

Nat: Mama has no more milk. Last time I try. No more.

Me: Oh no. Mama has no more milk. Mama’s so sad. Mama has no more baby.

Nat: You lend other people’s baby la, Mama. (He meant borrow people’s baby to drink my milk!)

Me: Other people’s babies drink their own mother’s milk, dear. Where’s my baby?

Nat: No more baby.

Me: Then what are you? You’re Mama’s what?

Nat: I’m a boy.

Yep, my last feed was really my last feed ever. And just like that, this boy is sure he doesn’t want Mama Milk anymore.

Nat, my big boy

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Happy days The Kao Kids The real supermom

The 4th Baby

December 8, 2014

Finally, after many months of gestation, the 4th baby is finally born.

I’ve shared in previous posts about going back to work, making the work-from-home gig work out, and being a better mom for the kids because it’s back to work for me after staying home with them for 2 years.

I was at work making this baby.

If you’re curious why BlueTree – blue is the colour of wisdom, and we believe in growing every child

With mom blogger friends who write at Mum Craft, Mummy Ed, Xavy-licious, Evespiration, RayConnieBaby and Amazingly Still

And their kids!

We always knew that staying home with the kids was never the final destination of anything. It was to be the start of a journey to ideate and conceive the impossible.

I started this because I believe in education. I really do. I worked as an educator for 7 years and still miss every single day being in a classroom.

I’m not one of those crazy parents that hothouses her children but judging by how the education landscape is changing and how increasingly populated we are as a country, I am beginning to think it is a little myopic to reject supplementary education totally and to dismiss it. Having been in classrooms at all levels from primary, secondary and pre-university, I see that there’s a lot that can be done with supplementary education that mass education cannot do. Mass education – and the quality of it – can kill the love for learning and the true motivations for thinking. Mass education can only do what it does best – to mass produce.

And hence, my little own “school”.

And so if this blog is becoming silent for a while, please forgive me. I’ve got a whole lot of nursing to do with this new baby. This space will still be what it was meant to be – a chronicling of my journey as a mother of the Kao kids whom I had back to back (and how time flies; they are 5,4 and 2 now!) which would be my gift for these precious babies who have taught me much about life. This blog will not become a business platform, I assure you. It will remain a sacred space where you will commiserate with me the woes of raising children (hurhurhur), as well as share vicariously the joys of happy moments and beautiful times.

I may be wrapped up with the new baby for now but my heart will always belong to the three babies at home who have so much love in their hearts to give. This space will always be for them, and about them.

Picture by Orange Studios

P/S: For the record, this baby isn’t all mine. I’ve got support and help coming from everywhere. I’ve always believed in angels.

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Becks Kao Family life as we know it Happy days Motherkao loves...

This Thing About Essential Oils, Part 2: All about the Zyto Scan

November 29, 2014

I shared in an earlier post about how we’ve grown to love the therapeutic essential oils from Young Living.

I don’t earn any commission (I have no downlines, by the way) for sharing this but as a mom, I just want to shout it out loud on my blog that MY KIDS HAVE BEEN MEDICATION-FREE for the longest time, and it’s worth doing a thousand happy dances for!

And if they ever do start sniffling or coughing, with these unadulterated, pure goodness from plants, they recover very, very fast. What usually takes them five days at least with medication now takes them two to three days with regular oiling on their soles and lots of TLC massages on their backs and chest.

I recently met a mom blogger friend, who also loves her essential oils. So much that she bought a Zyto Scan.

Say what?

Apparently, this healthcare device in something that healthcare professionals use all over the world. It’s a simple and painless process of putting your hand on the hand cradle and have subtle energetic impulses go into your body. The software records the responses and in as fast as 3 minutes churn out a biosurvey which records the change in the electrical properties of your skin.

And the Zyto Scan that Mom Blogger Serene from Xavvylicious brought to show me, was linked to the Young Living Essential Oils software (Zyto Compass), whereby the scan would address 76 biomarkers (a biomarker is a naturally occurring molecule, gene, or characteristic by which a particular pathological or physiological process, disease, etc. can be identified) in the body through the hand and tell you how many biomarkers are out of range and what are the oils that can benefit your body to adjust the biomarkers back accordingly.

Besides the whole process being so cool and state-of-the-art, the best thing about the scan is that it takes the guesswork out of supplements and essential oils.

In other words, you don’t anyhow anyhow buy essential oils. There are things you know you can fix with the choices of essential oils we have just by using this scan.

So I made everyone – big and small – in the family go through it. And yep, the adults have tense muscles, no doubt about it.

And I’m sure you can tell my husband’s default way to soothe those tense muscles is always through a glass of wine.

What was surprisingly spot-on accurate was the bio-survey for Becks. She had the most out of range markers in the family, and her greatest need could be fixed by this essential oil blend called Gentle Baby. It’s been formulated with rosewood, geranium, palmarosa, lavender, Roman chamomile, ylang ylang, lemon, jasmine, bergamot and rose to calm emotions. Becks out of range markers all pointed to how unsettled and unrested she was. And it was so, so true. She had been stirring and waking from bad dreams almost every night, and I was reminded that I needed to apply some essential oils behind her earlobes and give her some tender strokes on her hair and scalp to help her relax before bed. Gentle Baby is out of stock in Singapore, so I am now diligently using Peace & Calming, lavender and Citrus Fresh.

And thank God for the Zyto Compass that reminded me this little baby needs a lot more TLC.

We’re still oiling, oiling away, but this time round, we’re getting oily more accurately, thanks to the Zyto Compass!

~~~

If you’d like Serene from Xavvylicious to bring the Zyto Scan to you, you can contact her at 9652 9653 or serene_seah@hotmail.com. For a token sum of SGD10 per scan (valid till 31 Dec 2014), she would get the scan performed at the place of your convenience and let you have the full bio-report for your reference.

Read about Part 1 here.

Disclosure: I believe good things must share, so here it is! Motherkao received no monetary compensation for writing this post and neither is she getting any commission for writing about Young Living Essential Oils. Her family is very happy to be oily, and she hopes yours would be too!

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Family life as we know it Getting all sentimental now Nat Kao The Kao Kids

Letters sealed with love and just a little more

November 26, 2014

I wrote these to my children tonight.

Because?

Because one is learning to read, one is learning to identify simple sight words and one is learning to identify the letters of the alphabet and his favourite things.

Because they never fail to show me how disappointed they are whenever we open the mailbox and nothing is for them.

Because we just read Colin McNaughton’s S.W.A.L.K (Sealed With A Loving Kiss) at bedtime.

Because I know Nat would love to have me draw him a million green triceratops; Becks would love to colour some pretty flowers and Ben would love to be affirmed by my words.

And…

Because Mama has been missing in action this whole week being at work, and she badly needs to tell them how much she loves them.

In a way that means most to them.

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