mellomouse* » Reviews

Easiyo Yogurt Maker and Mix.

mellomouse — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:08:14 +0000

Easiyo Yogurt Maker
NP: RM99, Buy 1 Free 1: RM129

Easy as 1-2-3
And a little patience

Sinfully Healthy Snack
Rich in Protein & Calcium in every spoonful

Our Verdicts:

After leaving for 8hrs in the maker and into the fridge for a day, I present to you our very own homemade fresh strawberry yogurt. It’s yummy yummy! says Natey *licks*

As you can read from the instructions above, this is really a no fuss “cooking” delight. The fuss only comes later if we want to be adventurous by using our ready made yogurt for dips, smoothies, ice lollies, sauce, soup, etc. For the time being, eating on its own is good enough an indulgence for us

I bought our Easiyo Maker and the mixes at Vitacare Pharmacy. It is also available at Caring Pharmacy. You can find the mixed yogurt packs — Standard Yogurt, Lower Fat Yogurt, Specialty Yogurt, Biolife Yogurt, Premium Yogurt — in assorted flavours at Cold Storage, Village Grocer and Jaya Grocer. Price starts from RM15.50. The ones I bought above are RM16.30 per packet.

Each mix makes 1kg of delicious yogurt and keeps for 2 weeks. But I doubt it would last even a week in anyone’s fridge

This is definitely an investment I would recommend. And it makes an excellent gift too!

You Might Also Be Interested:
Why Not? Organic Cereal.
Bellamy’s Organic Toothie Pegs.
Rafferty’s Garden Banana Milk Rusks.
Dutch Lady Kid, 1-6 years: Chocolate.
Dutch Lady Kid, 1-6 years: Full Cream.

BabyPlus, pt 1 – Educating LBT.

mellomouse — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:55:41 +0000

This thingamajig was handed down to us from a good friend. Thank you, Mayyee! She swears by it since all her sisters used it for their pregnancies and herself for both babies. So here it is now with me, after many testimonials

What is it?

The BabyPlus curriculum is a series of 16 naturally derived sounds that resemble a mother’s heartbeat.

The rhythm of the sounds increases incrementally as the pregnancy progresses.

The BabyPlus sonic pattern introduces your child to a sequential learning process, built upon the natural rhythms of their own environment.

What are the Benefits?

BabyPlus parents report babies at birth and infancy:
#More readily nurse
#Display an increased ability to self-soothe
#Are more interactive & responsive
#Are more relaxed & alert at birth

And later in life demonstrate:
#Earlier developmental milestones
#Enhanced intellectual abilities
#Longer attention spans
#Improved school readiness
#Greater creativity & independence

I started using this on 2 Dec 2011. In the beginning, LBT did protest with tiny kicks when it was turned on. I would worry that it might be too loud or disturbing, but she’ll soon quiet down after a minute or two. I wonder if she’s asleep listening to the repetitive drumbeats. Now almost a month later, I could feel her humming — or I’d like to think she is swaying and enjoying her Mommy’s makeshift heartbeat ♥

The instruction says to use this 2x a day for 1 hour each time, at the same time. When you have a cheeky hyper toddler running about, it is a priceless luxury to find some quiet time alone*. So in order to pinch an hour twice daily, I had to cheat a little *guilty*

What I do is use the BabyPlus an hour before I get out of bed, and an hour during Natey’s nap time while I steal one for myself. This way I won’t miss the daily routine between me and my girl. Does that sound bad? I hope LBT won’t mind Mommy cheating on our bonding time this way

Whether this miracle worker works for us or not — as did for many, worldwide since 1989 — I’ll revisit this post next May for a Part 2. Fingers crossed for a good report!

*Psst… If you’re wondering how I find time to blog but claimed none for myself? Well I do it here and there on my forbidden fruit — even in the loo

You Might Also Be Interested:
Pureen Hypo Allergenic Detergent.
Little Bean Sterilizer.
BabyNatey 47: Brushing Teeth.
BabyNatey 48: Childproofing.
Lindam Easy Fit Plus Baby Gate.

Universal Gyro Bowl.

mellomouse — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:30:43 +0000

What is it?
Watch this video and be inspired!

Super Snack Contraption
Is it really 100% child proof?

My Verdict:

Were you wow-ed by the advertisement above? I certainly was and immediately purchased — not 1 but 2 Gyro Bowls! It’s definitely an “Aunty” trap and I fell right in

When I shared this video with the husband later that night, he was quick to insist that it won’t work and teased my naivety. He didn’t believe that it could be 100% child proof.

True to his disbelief, when I gave Nate his cereal snack the next day, his tiny fingers turned the inner bowl upside down and poured everything in between. Although Nate did not spill his cornflakes all over the floor, he definitely challenged Gyro’s claim to be 100% child proof. So yes, Daddy was real proud of his Tiger boy *blek*

As I watch the video again, I am still hopeful. But then again, kids these days are too intelligent to be outsmarted by our idealistic inventions. Gyro just looked good as an idea with a clever name, in a stylish design

Good thing I only got it for RM19.90 and not USD19.99 *phew*

You Might Also Be Interested:
Baby Sign Language, pt 2 – Signing Time!
Dunstan Baby Language, pt 1 – Research.
Baby Wearing, pt 6 – Baby Carrier vs Baby Sling.
My Brest Friend, Nursing Pillow.
BabyNatey 48: Childproofing.

Dunstan Baby Language, pt 1 – Research.

mellomouse — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:34:47 +0000

I nearly overlooked this gem — the Youtube below — while browsing through my Facebook’s news feed yesterday. It’s a good thing that I left it opened in another window, else I wouldn’t have remembered to watch it earlier. And if it wasn’t for that little bit of fate, I wouldn’t be able to share this with you today

What Is It?

All newborn babies produce 5 distinct “pre-cry” sounds that signal their 5 most important needs. By listening for these subtle cries, you are able to prevent the crying from even starting.

Dunstan Baby Language System will teach you to identify exactly what sounds to listen for, so you know precisely what your newborn needs.

Find Out More!

What are the Benefits?

Correctly identify and address the basic needs of your baby.

Your infant will cry less, settle more easily, and have more uninterrupted sleep.

Experience an increase in satisfaction, self-esteem, and ability to care for your baby.

Feel less stress as your child becomes happier and more content.

And as your baby sleeps, so can you!

Now watch this
Even Oprah says It’s Amazing!

This truly sounds Amazing to me too! I wish I can try this out immediately and be wow-ed by it as well. I wouldn’t know if this will work for us and LBT, but if you have a newborn, please do give it a go and share with me ok. Do it after you had your 4 hour nap

I really look forward to sharing my own testimony of this system next May 2012. Will definitely keep everyone posted! Till then, I hope you will benefit from it first *yay*

You Might Also Be Interested:
Baby Sign Language, pt 2 – Signing Time!
Baby Wearing, pt 1 – The Research.
Baby Sign Language, pt 1 – Book.
Baby Wearing, pt 6 – Baby Carrier vs Baby Sling.
Lindam Easy Fit Plus Baby Gate.

Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 2 – Quotes.

mellomouse — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:16:46 +0000

I really enjoyed reading this book and was thoroughly inspired by it. It was an enlightenment to finally be out of the dark, clouded by many misconceptions and stereotypes of natural birth as seen on tv.

Here are some of my favourite quotes and awareness excerpted from the book, with links for further reading and references to find out more about what Mongan shared (I will add more links as I go). I hope you will also be inspired as I did and find these helpful

Hypnosis

A very natural state that most of us exist in during a large part of the day. When we become engrossed with our work and lose track of time or of what is going on around us, that is Hypnosis (pg 77)

What I Learned

When fear is not present, pain is not present (pg 3)

If the mind is dwelling on fearful, negative images of birth, the body is thrown unintentionally into a defense mode (pg 67)

Your baby knows when it’s time to be born. Trust him or her (pg 191)

Baby will descend when he and the birth path are ready. There is no need to rush (pg 129)

Inspiring Quotes

Birth was looked upon as a beautifully orchestrated natural function, designed to ensure the survival of the human race (pg 22)

Your uterus is perfectly designed to assist you to birth your baby (pg 49)

Preparing for your baby’s birth is far more important than any other major decision you have ever made. You simply can’t “Settle” (pg 93) – Note: If we didn’t just settle on our wedding plans, our child’s future education, or everything important in life, how can we settle on this?

The birthing environment should have the same respect and calm as a place of worship (pg 206)

Birthing is not an athletic event (pg 248)

During & After Birthing

The lower jaw area directly affects the vaginal opening (pg 122) — Note: Must remember not to clench your jaw! I had mine shut so tight that my lower lips was bruised blue black

“Pushing your baby out” is a rude concept that has no place in gentle birthing (pg 246)

Putting your child to the breast immediately has physical, as well as psychological benefits. This contact and stimulation at the breast causes your uterus to begin to contract, helps to expel the placenta and appropriately closes blood vessels to avoid any possible excessive bleeding (pg 267) Read this

Have skin-to-skin contact with your baby, rather than have your baby wrapped in a receiving blanket (pg268)

The umbilical cord is cut after it stops pulsating (pg 269) Read this & watch the clips!

When the cord is prematurely cut, it abruptly cuts off the flow of blood to the baby, depriving him of that source of oxygen and of the many nutrients that will affect his health for a lifetime (pg 269) Read this

Allowing the baby to take his first breaths with the continued benefit of oxygen from the placenta eases the task of taking air into his lungs once outside the womb (pg 269)

The expulsion of the placenta should be allowed to occur naturally (pg 269) Read this

Newborns not medicated during labor [can] crawl to the mother’s breast, just as other mammals do, and suckle (pg 270) Must watch!

You Might Also Be Interested:
Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 1 – The Book.
Pregnancy Sucks.
Leap Frog Tag Junior.
The Murder of Jesus.
Vanishing to America.

Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 1 – The Book.

mellomouse — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:10:31 +0000

I came across the term Hypnobirthing when I was 5 months pregnant with Nate. Unfortunately I stopped there and did not explore further. If this is your first pregnancy, I hope you will find out more and not just rely on your Obgyn like I did.

With the word Hypno being short for hypnosis, you may agree with me that the name paints an immediate misconception. As a lay person, hypnosis is what I see on tv: Lost of consciousness and lost of control to someone else. If I read this book 3 years ago, I would have cleared that misconception and my birth story could have been very different.

My Verdict:

Movies and tv shows often portray birth with so much trauma. The poor Mommy would be screaming and cursing away at the husband. It’s no wonder I grew up with the idea that childbirth is a very painful and fearful experience.

Reading this book was an eye opener. Mongan shared about the history of birthing; how it was a joyful celebration of new life and all birthing were done at home before the second A.D. It was only in the 1800s that birthing moved from home to the hospital when drugs were involved. Birthing was never a medical emergency unless diagnosed as high risk.

As the book cover reads: Hypnobirthing is a breakthrough approach to safer, easier, more comfortable birthing. Mongan proved that without fear, we will experience Gentle Birth. She teaches us how to relax our mind with positive thinking, relaxation, visualisation, breathing and physical preparation for a comfortable birthing experience.

Do I believe her? Statistic showed that more than 10,000 happy couples have had their lives changed. But nothing beats knowing someone personally who experienced a hypnobirthing birth to further affirms this philosophy. And this is Joanne’s testimony to inspire us all

Now that I am much more informed of my choices as a birthing mother, I want my coming delivery to be as calm and as gentle — without all the drama that our tv portrays — to welcome my darling daughter. Preferably in a pool *winks* I owe it to Nate, to have things done “right” this time

With the help of Mongan’s book, I’ve already drafted my birth plan and gotten the green light from Dr Tan. Once it is ready ready, I will share it here

You Might Also Be Interested:
Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 2 – Quotes.
Keepsake Book: Cute Baby Boy, pt 1 – The Purchase.
Keepsake Book: Cute Baby Boy, pt 2 – Filling the Pages.
Baby Sign Language, pt 1 – Book.
Pregnancy Sucks.

Pregnancy Sucks.

mellomouse — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:18:09 +0000

My Verdict:

I think I was around 6 months pregnant with Natey, when I saw this book on Dr Tan’s book shelf. The title immediately caught my attention. I thought to myself, finally someone have the courage to say it out loud and even published a book!

Not all pregnancies are a bed of roses. And not everyone — even loved ones, friends or strangers — have the empathy to understand the challenges. It’s like a taboo that no one speaks about because it’s not good to complain about life’s miracle.

It was really assuring reading this book that there are plenty of other women out there that shared my sentiments. Especially when 99% of the people I know, had their pregnancies on a bed of roses.

I loved how Kimes mixed humour and sarcasm in her book. She shared her experiences and some, month by month where each discussed a new pregnancy woe. I could totally relate to her and felt a huge load off my chest everytime I read the book at Dr Tan’s clinic.

Now 2 years later, I still choose to read this book while waiting for our turn. And once again reassured that it is ok to say the “S” word, because not everyone have it easy and some even tougher.

You Might Also Be Interested:
Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 1 – The Book.
Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, pt 2 – Quotes.
Baby Einstein Lullabies.
Parentcraft – 2 of 3.
The Murder of Jesus.

Style Essentials, Visit #2.

mellomouse — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:38:27 +0000

Scruffy Furball
I know I look awful, and smelly too

Short Short Short
I am au naturale the skirt up

My Verdict:

I’m going to start by saying: Finally I am 100% happy with the outcome!

What was different from this visit compared to the first and the rest was that, I knew exactly what I wanted and the groomer obliged. I spent about 20 minutes telling Adrian how short I wanted the cut — upper body and tail — and he clipped Scubby on the spot to show me

The entire session took almost 3.5 hours. When I went to collect Scubby, he was still not done and after I asked Adrian to give his head an even shorter finish. So voila below!

Style Essentials will be moving out of Pet Safari soon to their own shoplot at Damansara Perdana this coming month. And another groomer will be taking over their current spot.

We are loving this short do — less shedding = less winterfur floor — and will definitely book Adrian again for Scubby’s next appointment *yay*

More photos of the day’s adventure here.

You Might Also Be Interested:
Style Essentials, Visit #1 – My Verdict.
Style Essentials, Visit #1.
House of Groomers, Visit #1.
House of Groomers, Visit #2.
House of Groomers, Visit #5.

Apple Composite AV Cable.

mellomouse — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 16:25:36 +0000

My Verdict:

Since using the iPhone last December, I rarely spend much time on my Dell these days. Except for those 1-2 hours updating the blog and editing photos. Other than that, I basically use the phone for every other thing — chatting on WhatsApp, surfing the internet, taking pictures/videos, listening to music, playing games and the list goes on.

My all time fave would be using the phone to catch up on all my tv series and movies — while breastfeeding! — anywhere anytime. All I have to do is load the files into my phone using iTunes and I’m good to go. I have no complains of the tiny screen as the Retina display is super clear

We bought this accessory about 2 months ago when I decided to teach Natey sign language with the help of the Signing Time! program. I already have all the volumes in my phone. So with this cable, I can connect my phone to the tv and we can all enjoy learning together on the bigger screen. Who needs a DVD player when they have an Apple

You can buy this at any Apple store or online for RM139. It is a bit pricey but worth it. Bring it along for travels and you can plug your iPhone/iPod/iPad to any available tv to enjoy all the movies you can load into your device

You Might Also Be Interested:
An Apple Anniversary.
iPhone 3G S.
Angry Birds.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

mellomouse — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:16:40 +0000

My Verdict:

This is what I’ve been missing sleep over the past week. It didn’t really start off with a full star verdict, but as I continued with the episodes to seasons, I got addicted.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl — definitely a mouth full title — is a British tv drama started back in 2007, based on the book below. There are 4 seasons in total, and in each there are only 8 episodes 22min each. So it’s no surprise that I finished all within a week

I wouldn’t say that this is similar to Sex in the City — critics had compared them — but definitely just as risque! As the seasons changed, the directors were also changed. Hence I reckon the improvement. I enjoyed the last season’s best!

Watching this has definitely picked my interest to read the original book. I wonder if I could get this in our bookstore since it being the true story of a whore — Belle calls herself that many many times in the drama, and prostitute.

There has been talks about a movie, so I can’t wait. And of course it WILL NOT be available in our cinemas. If it did, I wonder what would be left after the censorship board had butchered it *bah*

Watch the trailer and you’ll know what I mean

Did I pick your interest too?

You Might Also Be Interested:
Gossip Girl: Goodbye, S2 Finale.
Vanishing to America.
Meteor Garden, Hana Yori Dango & Boys Before Flowers.
Corner with Love.
Baby Sign Language, pt 2 – Signing Time!