Finally, it’s the last Friday of Year 2011! While my 2 boys are soundly asleep, here’s a quick post on Mummy’s Reviews™ TOP 10 Favourites of the year:

For Pregnant Mummies

• Belly Armor The Belly Band: To protect foetus from radiation, especially for the techie Mum

For Mummies

• Advante Blackhole Mosquito Trap: Must-have if your home is infested with mosquitoes!
• LadyCup Menstrual Cup: If you’d like to ditch pads for good
• The Butterfly Pillow: Beautiful multi-purpose pillow. Babies and pregnant Mummies can use it too.
• weehuggers Wet Bag – Hobo Bag: As a small and stylish diaper bag

For Babies & Toddlers

• Four Cow Farm Baby Wash: Great for those with eczema and sensitive skin
• KidzGrow Online: Innovative child development tracking programme
• Lego Duplo: We love playing with these!
• Loopy Loo’s Snap & Scoop Bibs: Finally found my dream bibs
• Love to Swaddle UP: Unique easy-to-use swaddle that helps baby sleep well

Hope you’d find the list helpful in your shopping.
May you and your family enjoy good health and happiness in Year 2012!

Cheers,
MieVee

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To view all our favourites since Year 2009, click below:

• Pregnant Mummy’s Favourites
• Mummy’s Favourites
• Baby & Toddler’s Favourites

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P.S. What are your favourite buys this year? Feel free to share in the comments box.

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Related posts:

1. Year 2010 TOP 10 Favourite Items
2. Year 2009 Favourite Items
3. Thank You For Reading Mummy’s Reviews™! Need Your Feedback…

The winners of Giveaway #21 sponsored by Mummy Knows Best Shop are out!

Here are the lucky winners (first 3 names generated by Random.org) who win a GroVia Diaper Shell Set worth SGD45.90 each:

Doreen who would like it in Blue Birds (Aplix).

Chong Mui Ling who would like it in Blackberry.

Carol Lim Mei Mei who would like it in Blue Birds (Aplix).

Timestamp: 2011-12-17 05:03:33 UTC

Congratulations to you! To claim your prize, please contact me within 7 days of this post with your mailing address (Singapore only) and contact number.

Note: For future giveaways, I’d email winners directly instead of publishing a separate blog post.

Updated GroVia AI2 Cloth Diaper Review

Baby Jae has been trying out GroVia AI2 over the past 1+ month.

• The trim cutting fits him very well.
• Aplix tabs give a good fit for newborns and are WAY easier than snaps to put on a screamy newborn.
• The washable soaker is able to catch runny breastfed poo. Sometimes, the diaper shell may get dirty, which means it can’t be reused. Overall, no leak for pee and poo.
• The disposable GroBaby and GroVia Biosoakers only worked well for us in the first 3 to 4 weeks. Like his brother, Baby Jae’s also a heavy wetter. When he reached 4 weeks old, the biosoakers leak after 2 hours (about 2 pees). Once saturated, the sides tear and gel escaped.

For the full and updated review, click here.

There are several upcoming reviews on interesting baby products that we’ve been using on Jae. And of course, Giveaways too. So stay tuned!

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After a long journey, baby #2 (a.k.a Baby Jae) finally arrived last Monday, on 7 November 2011! This day happens to be my lunar birthday, my mum’s birthday AND the eve of my birthday. This boy certainly knows how to choose a good date for himself. It’s wonderful that we’d be celebrating birthdays together every year.

Jae was delivered naturally and quickly within 1.5 hours of reaching the hospital. I’d share his birth story when there’s more time on hand.

In the meantime, we’ve established breastfeeding rather well and his jaundice level seems under control.

Vee’s still adjusting to his baby brother’s arrival and I’m trying my best to give him lots of hugs, kisses and assurance. He has been running a fever for the past 3 days, and is now down with a runny nose and cough. So he’s being kept a good distance away from Jae.

I’m grateful to hubby, my parents and the confinement lady for taking good care of the 2 boys while I rest as much as possible. In 3 weeks, I’d have to cope on my own during the day. Wish me luck!

“See” you again and take care too…

P.S. I’d be resting a lot until December, so replies to emails and comments would take much longer than usual. Thank you very much for your patience.

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Winners of Giveaway #20: Four Cow Farm Baby Kit

The winners of Giveaway #20 sponsored by Four Cow Farm are out!

Here are the lucky winners (first 10 names generated by Random.org) who win a Four Cow Farm Baby Kit worth SGD49.90 each:

kwong man wah who “would like to try the best natural skincare for my baby.”

Celine Khoo who says “My baby has eczema too and I would love to see if this works!”

Ching Ching who says “To try it out.”

Pinky Koh who says “because [it] is an organic product and i like my baby to try it.”

Ng Lay Cheng who says “The products sound great on our skin since my kid has baby eczema and I’ve been having dry skin since given birth.”

wing choong who says “My baby is going to be due in december & is in the mist of finding a good skin care product. I am a first time mum & has no clue [on] what to get. If i win, then i can try on my baby to see if it’s right so i can save the hassle of looking around again.”

Jialing li who says “It’s natural and fantastic for my baby.”

Zarita who says “I love anything natural. That’s why starting with cloth diaper, cloth pad etc. We need to go back to basics.”

Tee Sue Yee who says “Only the best natural skincare for my girl.”

Ee Jia who says “Safe product for my baby!”

Timestamp: 2011-11-03 17:31:23 UTC

Congratulations to you!

To claim your prize, please contact me within 7 days of this post with your mailing address (Singapore or Malaysia) and contact number. Because Baby #2 is arriving anytime, I’m likely to take a longer time to coordinate your prize delivery.

Get Your Own (Discount code is still on)

In case you’re a new reader, the previous review is at: Review: Four Cow Farm Baby Wash & Calendula Remedy.

If you’re from Singapore:

• Special Treat: 10% discount AND free delivery for purchase over SGD35
• Discount Code: MUMMYSFARM
• Validity Period: Until 17 November 2011
• How to Order: Visit Four Cow Farm Singapore Online Store (indicate discount code upon check-out)

Baby Fairs Update

There’re 3 upcoming baby fairs in Singapore and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) added to my compilation list:

(a) Singapore

Happy shopping!

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Related posts:

1. Winners of Giveaway #11: Bouncy Baby One Size Cloth Diapers & Wet Bags
2. Baby Fairs & Kids’ Education Fairs in 2012
3. Winners of Giveaway #3: Naforye Bibs by PrettyMums.com

Pregnancy Updates

I’ve been “missing” over the past week because our home Internet connection has been down. Finally got it fixed!

Also, it’s only less than a month to baby #2′s EDD on 10 Nov 2011. Gosh, time flies! Baby’s super-duper active and growing well, just a little smaller than Vee was, so we’re hoping that he’d stay inside me a little longer. Besides, I’m anaemic again and need to take iron supplements, which is important since I lost almost 1 litre of blood when delivering Vee. (Read his birth story here.)

Time’s feeling really tight right now. I’ve started washing, cleaning and scrubbing the newborn items plus organising the room. Really tough work but we’re almost done. Phew!

If you suddenly don’t hear from me for weeks, then it’s likely that baby has popped and I’m diligently doing confinement, handling Vee’s expected clinginess, and breastfeeding round the clock.

Alright, enough of me… The winners of Giveaway #18 sponsored by baby-mel.com and  Giveaway #19 sponsored by SgBum are out!

Winners of Giveaway #18: Angel Mel Collections Mama Wonder Bag

Here are the lucky winners (first 4 names generated by Random.org):

Prize: 1 x Mama Wonder Bag (Small, Double Zippers) worth RM63.90 each

Pauline who would like the wet bag in Trillbrook Pink.

Chin Mei who would like the wet bag in Trillbrook Pink.

Prize: 1 x Mama Wonder Bag (Small, Single Zipper) worth RM49.90 each

Susanne Wong who would like the wet bag in RK Night Owl.

Soo Li who would like the wet bag in Peaches.

Timestamp: 2011-10-11 16:18:40 UTC

Winners of Giveaway #19: SgBum Grande Suede Cloth Diaper

Here are the lucky winners (first 3 names generated by Random.org):

June Lim who would like the diaper in Aplix Lemon Grass.

mary lam who would like the diaper in Snap Red.

Joey How who would like the diaper in Aplix Red.

Timestamp: 2011-10-11 17:38:24 UTC

Congratulations to you!

To claim your prize (design depends on stock availability), please contact me within 7 days of this post with your mailing address and contact number.

Thank You for Your Feedback

Many of you have given me constructive feedback and kind words of encouragement. Thank you very much! I’ve been looking into them and using some of your suggestions. If you still have an urgent question that needs to be addressed, do drop me an email.

Stay tuned for the next Review-cum-Giveaway —  a luxurious range of skincare items for your precious baby!

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P.S. If you’re a new reader, catch the previous reviews here:

• Angel Mel Collections Mama Wonder Wet Bag
• SgBum Cloth Diaper

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Related posts:

1. New Winners of Giveaway #3: Naforye Bibs by PrettyMums.com
2. Winners of Giveaway #4: Moms & Tots Cloth Diapers
3. Winners of BellyFit Class (Giveaway #15)

Whether you’ve been reading Mummy’s Reviews for only 2 days or 2 years, I’d like to give you a BIG “thank you” for accompanying me through this parenting journey.

Being a full-time mother away from family and friends in Singapore started out rather rough and challenging. Through writing here and reading other Mummy’s blogs, I’ve known many like-minded mothers to discuss topics close to our hearts — cloth diapering, breastfeeding, homeschooling, etc.

And it’s amazing that Mummy’s Reviews Parents Club now has 1,163 members and our Facebook page has 1,121 fans! If all of us get together, we’d have a HUGE party of Mums plus kids!

Many of you have given me encouraging feedback and this really keeps me going. Thank you again for reading my articles. I’d definitely continue to write and share.

Have a splendid week!

Cheers,
MieVee

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My article “How to Choose Safe Toys for Your Baby or Toddler” was published in Today’s Motherhood Apr/May 2011 issue, pages 16-17. You may also grab the tips below…

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Introduction

Last September, there was a massive Fisher Price recall involving more than 10 million toys. My son’s Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium was affected. The valve on the inflatable ball could come off and there were three children reported to have begun choking on the valve. Needless to say, I have thrown the ball away.

Since toys are such an integral part of our baby’s or toddler’s playtime, this article shall share with you important tips on choosing safe toys.

Choosing Safe Toys

1. Read packaging label and instructions: Select toys that are of the appropriate age group for your child. Read the instructions carefully, focusing on warning statements. If you are confident that your child is no longer mouthing things, and choose to offer him a toy labelled as unsuitable for age 0 to 3 years old, supervise him closely during play.

2. Check manufacturer’s safety standards and policies: Both large and small brand names may produce toys subject to recall. Take some time to read the manufacturer’s safety policies on its website. Sometimes, you would be able to find safety tests certifications.

3. Use the toilet roll tube test: If the toy can fit into a toilet roll tube, it is too small and poses a choking hazard for young children.

4. Beware of small parts: Ideally, the toy should not have any detachable small parts such as the eyes, nose, buttons of a teddy bear. Stuffed toys should also not contain beans and pellets, which are hazardous when the toy is torn. The wheels of some toy cars may also come off during play, posing a choking risk.

5. Avoid small magnetic parts: U.S. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) warns that when two small magnets (or a small magnet and a metal item) are swallowed, they can attract each other through the intestinal walls, leading to intestinal damage and even death. For this reason, avoid getting toys with small magnets that could fall out. Any magnets in the house should also be out of young children’s reach. One such hazard is fridge magnets, which are popular in many homes.

6. Avoid toys with cords and strings: Cords and strings pose a strangulation hazard, especially when many children love to wrap them around their necks. For pull-string toys, you may choose to tie a dead-knot to significantly shorten the strings, or cut them off.

7. Avoid toys that produce loud / sharp noises: These could cause permanent hearing damage. A young child may put the noisy toy next to her ears or her peer’s ears, so it is better to steer clear of these toys.

8. Choose toys made of wood or cloth: To avoid potentially harmful chemicals such as PVC, phthalates and BPA, some parents opt for wooden or cloth toys, especially for their children who are still mouthing items. When getting wooden toys, choose those with lead-free paint.

9. Check the quality of the toy: This is a checklist of other areas to watch out for:

• Not easily breakable or chipped, especially thin plastic parts
• No sharp corners
• Nothing to catch small fingers
• No wooden splinters
• No opened seams for soft toys
• No metal rust
• No peeling paint
• Battery case is screwed tight (Without a screw, a child may remove the cover and ingest the battery, which is very dangerous.)

These Toys Aren’t Mine

10. Check hand-me-down toys carefully: When you receive a bag of handed down toys, check every item for its suitability and quality according to the other tips mentioned above. After that, clean and sanitise the toys before giving them to your child. However, there is always the risk of recalled toys that you are unaware of when accepting hand-me-downs.

11. Be extra careful during a play date: This is especially so if your baby is younger than the host’s child and still mouthing things. Scan the toys for small parts and supervise closely. You may politely ask the host to keep potentially dangerous items during the play date.

More Good Practices

12. Check toys regularly for wear and tear: Every week, check existing toys for signs of wear and tear, or accidental damage. If necessary, repair the items or throw them away before danger arises.

13. Check toys before next newborn arrives: The arrival of a new baby means many toys could be considered dangerous again. Keep unsuitable items out of the youngest baby’s reach and educate the older child on items that are unsuitable for baby.

14. Stay updated on toy recalls: When unsure of a toy, you may search the U.S. CPSC website to check it it has been previously recalled. To receive first-hand information on the latest recalls, subscribe to CPSC’s updates via email or RSS feeds. Here are the links:

• via email: https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx
• via RSS feeds: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/rss.html
  

Conclusion

As parents, we can never be too careful, so let us make play time as safe as possible for our precious little ones.

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Sharing time: Do you have any more tips on choosing safe toys? Please share in the comments box.

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P.S. Check out my toy reviews and tips here.

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2. [Toys] Which is better: Lego Duplo or Mega Bloks?
3. [Toys] More educational blocks for toddlers

The winners of Giveaway #17 sponsored by Spinkie are out, after a long wait! Thank you very much to all of you who have participated.

The Stylish Mum’s Essentials reviews have been a great hit among you mums, so I’d definitely be adding to the series in future.

Here are the lucky winners (first 2 names generated by Random.org):

Khairunnisa’ binti Mohd Azman who wants the pillow in Pink Starling.

Chin Mei who wants the pillow in Flamingo.

Timestamp: 2011-05-27 08:37:10 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning one The Butterfly Pillow worth USD25 each!

To claim your prize (design depends on stock availability), please contact me within 7 days of this post.

Stay tuned for the next Giveaway!

—

P.S. If you’re a new reader, catch the entire Stylish Mum’s Essentials series HERE.

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1. Winners of The Pat-a-Cake Baby Blankets & Wet Bags (Giveaways #13 & #14)
2. [Stylish Mum's Essentials #4] Review: You’ve got to see The Butterfly Pillow [Giveaway #17]
3. Winners of BellyFit Class (Giveaway #15)

It’s been more than a month since my last post. The good news to share with you is: I’m finally 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2! He’s expected to arrive around 10 Nov 2011, which is very near my birthday. What a wonderful birthday present to expect. Oh, and did I mention “he”? Ha… he opened his legs really WIDE during the 12th week scan to show us clearly that he’s a boy.

The Journey to Pregnancy…

hasn’t been easy. I was actually pregnant last October with an EDD of June (that’s this month). However, even at the 6th week scan, my very sharp ob-gyn warned us of the large yolk sac, which was likely due to chromosomal defect. At the 8th week scan, it was confirmed that there was no fetal heartbeat, that is, a missed abortion or silent miscarriage occurred. I chose to induce the miscarriage at home through medicine. It was a challenging day. After that, I felt very relieved and regained my energy quickly.

After one menstrual cycle, we tried again for baby #2 and succeeded. Of course, we waited patiently until the 12th week scan showed a good chance that baby #2 would become a reality this year. Thank God for the blessing!

The First Trimester…

has been spent largely on the bed resting. As with the previous two pregnancies, I felt extremely sleepy and lethargic right from the start. This time round, at least I’d the energy to continue homeschooling and playing with Vee. That pretty much exhausted me out and I couldn’t stay awake long enough to write anything.

There were several nights when insomnia hit and I couldn’t fall asleep until 6 to 7a.m. This certainly made a me a grouchy mum. On most mornings (even now), Vee’s the one to drag me out of bed. Many times, I simply laid on the bed and let Vee play with a mountain of Lego blocks around me.

The good thing is there has been no nausea, unlike the first pregnancy when I vomited day and night for weeks. Being able to keep the food down means I started gaining weight early on.

I also begun delegating more tasks to hubby — bathing Vee and putting him to bed on most nights. This is an important period for him to bond with Daddy before baby brother arrives. Fortunately, Vee seems very attached to his new brother and talks to him a lot every day. It’s as if baby has already arrived — they’ve home lessons together, read books side by side, and Vee even tries to feed baby milk from my breasts! Yes, breastfeeding is very important to me, and I certainly need Vee’s support and co-operation in future.

The Second Trimester…

sees me gaining more energy again. We spent a short weekend at a nearby resort. Then I single-handedly brought Vee on a flight to Singapore for my first opportunity to vote in the May elections. Ha… everyone was concerned about a pregnant me handling Vee alone for the flights, yet I made it! He was very co-operative, and spending a week at my parents’ place allowed me to rest completely while the toddler was well-entertained.

Before backaches start to hit as my tummy grows bigger, we’re planning for more short getaways. Thinking back, I’m really glad to have travelled when being pregnant with Vee. While in my tummy, he visited Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Langkawi and Malacca. Then after he arrived, we only started travelling again when he was 9 months old because well… he was sooooo fussy about sleeping.

Looking Forward…

I’m clearing a lot of backlog of reviews and giveaways. While energy permits, I hope to share as much as I’ve learnt about parenting with you. Take care and you’d be hearing from me again soon.

Cheers,
MieVee

P.S. If you just had a baby or are expecting a baby this year, do leave a comment and share your good news too.

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The winners of Giveaway #15 sponsored by Etonia are out! Thank you very much to all Mummies who have participated.

Here are the lucky winners (first 2 names generated by Random.org):

1. Deborah Gifford
2. Carol Lim

Timestamp: 2011-02-10 07:47:36 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning a BellyFit™ personal class worth SGD135 each! To claim your class, please contact me within 7 days of this post.

Do join in Giveaway #17 for The Butterfly Pillow!

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P.S. If you’re a new reader, read how to regain your pre-pregnancy figure with BellyFit™ HERE. (BellyFit™ is one of Mummy’s Reviews™ Top 10 Favourites in Year 2010. I’m still practising the exercises and am seeing my abdominal and pelvic floor muscles firming up. It feels great to fit into beautiful cheongsam and dresses during the recent Lunar New Year celebrations.)

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