Mummy's Reviews™ » announcements

Thank You For Reading Mummy’s Reviews™! Need Your Feedback…

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:54 +0000

Since it is the first day of the month, I checked the traffic statistics for Mummy’s Reviews™ and got a pleasant surprise! The statistics have jumped significantly to reach a new record at ALL fronts:

Absolute unique visitors (that includes you!): 3,298 in a month
Pageviews (including the number of pages you visited): 8,032 in a month
No. of fans on Facebook page (are you already one?): 606
No. of RSS feed subscribers (88% of you subscribe via email): 326

Thank you very much for reading and supporting my blog!

I am finding ways to improve Mummy’s Reviews™ and make it even more beneficial to you. Please help to answer 2 simple questions in the comment box:

1. What do you like most about Mummy’s Reviews™?

2. What improvements do you wish to see at Mummy’s Reviews™?

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If you like Mummy’s Reviews™, feel free to forward this link to 3 pregnant or Mummy friends: Join Me in Reading Mummy’s Reviews™

Winner of Giveaway #10: Pupsik Studio Baby Pouch Carrier

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:27:36 +0000

The winner of Giveaway #10 sponsored by Pupsik Studio is out! Thank you very much to all who have participated.

Here is the lucky winner (first name generated by Random.org):

Zety Marlia Zainal who wants a pouch in Fairground

Timestamp: 2010-08-06 11:03:01 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning a Pupsik Baby Pouch Carrier worth S$45.90.

To claim your prize, please contact me within 7 days of this post.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™.

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Good News: Free Shipping in August!

Pupsik Studio is offering free shipping on all Singapore orders placed in August 2010. For details, view Pupsik Studio. Happy shopping!

Winner of Giveaway #8: BigUniverse.com Membership

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:55:06 +0000

It has been a hectic month writing articles, liaising with sponsors, cooking new business ideas and grabbing best deals at KL’s Mega Sale. Trying to juggle it all while being a mother and educator to an active toddler is no mean feat! Sitting down with Vee to read gives me a much-needed breather. I am so glad that he has inherited the I-Love-To-Read gene.

Recommended Books for Toddlers

Since the previous Big Universe article, we have read several more books online and these are our favourite two:

(Images sourced from Big Universe)

ABC Letters in the Library: Introduces the alphabets using things found in the library
Using Math Outdoors: Covers basic mathematical equations in a fun manner

The Winner

FINALLY, the winner of Giveaway #8 sponsored by BigUniverse.com is out! Thank you very much to all who have participated.

Here is the lucky winner (first name generated by Random.org):

Noraizah binti Mohamed Ariff who said, “I’d like to instill the love of reading & create a learning environment [for] my 3 months old daughter.”

Timestamp: 2010-08-03 08:16:10 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning a 6-month Premium Home account membership worth USD53.70.

To claim your prize, please contact me within 7 days of this post.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™.

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Get Your Own

To experience Big Universe now, sign up for a FREE trial of the Home account here. The Home account is available at USD8.95 per month or USD79.95 per year. If you mention that “mievee” referred you, I get a month of subscription free. While I would be elated, this is absolutely optional.

New Winner of Giveaway #7: Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Cloth Diapers & Cloth Wipes

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:16:06 +0000

As one winner of Giveaway #7 sponsored by Moo Moo Kow™ has yet to respond, here is new lucky winner (fourth name generated by Random.org):

Allison Ng who would like a Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Snap Diaper in Royal Blue

Timestamp: 2010-06-24 07:46:38 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning the diaper of your choice and two bamboo cloth wipes.

To claim your prize, please notify me of your shipping address (in Singapore or Malaysia) within 7 days of this post via email.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™.

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Important Note: If you take part in Giveaways, please ensure that you subscribe to Mummy’s Reviews™ updates via an online reader or email (remember to confirm the subscription), and check your inbox regularly for winner announcement posts such as this one.

Our Healthy Times Barley Cereal Infested with Insects

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:23:06 +0000

About 1.5 weeks ago, I opened 1 box of Healthy Times Barley Cereal and was appalled to see at least three black insects (approximately 1-cm long each) hopping and crawling inside the inner packaging. For hygiene reasons, I asked my husband to dispose the box of cereal immediately.

I proceeded to open the next box of cereal and was again shocked to see many small black insects crawling inside the inner packaging. One insect was at the box flap. We took photographs which clearly show the insects in the contaminated box of cereal (see below).

A formal complaint was sent within a day to Healthy Times HQ. However, after more than a week, no one has given me a response. You may view the contents of the complaint letter below.

The complaint has been forwarded to AVA (Singapore), FDA (of the U.S.), Cold Storage (Malaysia), Country Farm Organics, and the Healthy Times distributor in Singapore.

If you have any similar cereal at home, please check it carefully before feeding your baby.

Expiry date: Sep 01 2011 20:56

Insect seen at top left corner of box flap

More insects seen inside the packaging

More insects inside packaging

Dear CEO at Healthy Times,

Introduction

I am a Singaporean mother to a 16-month old toddler and we are based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The purpose of this letter is to make a complaint on two boxes of Healthy Times Barley Cereal opened last evening. The expiry date is Sep 01 2011 20:56, yet the inner packaging have been infested with insects.

Background

When my boy started eating semi-solid foods at 6 to 7 months old, my friend highly recommended Healthy Times organic cereal. Since then, my boy has tried the brown rice cereal, oat cereal and barley cereal and enjoys eating them. Even though the prices are high, we trusted your brand, continued buying your products and even recommended them to our friends.

A few months back, some mothers in an online forum mentioned worms found in Healthy Times cereal. I brushed it off as a rumour, decided to place my trust in Healthy Times and continued buying two boxes of cereal this month.

Our Situation

This month, I bought two boxes of Healthy Times Barley Cereal at Cold Storage (The Gardens, Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on two separate weekends. The expiry date of each box is Sep 01 2011 20:56.

Last evening (25 Jun 2010), I opened one of the two boxes of cereal and was appalled to see at least three black insects (approximately 1-cm long each) hopping and crawling inside the inner packaging. For hygiene reasons, I asked my husband to dispose the box of cereal immediately.

I proceeded to open the next box of cereal and was again shocked to see many small black insects crawling inside the inner packaging. One insect was at the box flap.

We took photographs which clearly show the insects in the contaminated box of cereal.

My husband placed the inner package of unopened cereal into a zipper bag and we took a video which shows the moving insects.

I placed the package in another zipper bag and stored it in an airtight container. This could be submitted to the relevant authorities for further investigation when required.

A possible cause of the contamination: The inner packaging was not sealed until air-tight during the packaging process.

As the photographs and video files are very huge, only three are enclosed for your current reference. The others could be emailed to you separately or uploaded to the Internet.

Our Actions Taken

Besides sending this letter to you, a notice of this incident has been (or would be) made to the following relevant parties:

U.S. FDA

Cold Storage, Malaysia

Country Farm Organics, Malaysia (where we bought Healthy Times cereal in the past)

Damon & Diorne Pte. Ltd., Singapore (sole distributor of Healthy Times products in Singapore)

Mummy’s Reviews™, Singapore (my company’s website with many readers who buy Healthy Times cereal for their babies)

Actions Needed From Healthy Times

To protect your customers’ babies’ health, please consider the following actions:

conduct an immediate voluntary recall of the affected batch of barley cereal (especially the one with expiry date on Sep 01 2011 20:56)

investigate the factory’s packaging process

update me on your planned actions and findings

I hope that you would look into this matter closely and bring only the safest food products to the market.

Yours sincerely,

MieVee (pen-name)

Singapore & Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Reference: http://idobaby.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33074

Update on 13 Jul 2010:

Healthy Times and other parties did not respond to my email at all. Not even an acknowledgement.

In contrast, the complaint was forwarded to AVA Singapore on 8 Jul and an officer replied within 2 hours! Just now, another officer sent the following email that highlights the findings from their investigation:

Dear Ms MieVee

Please refer to your email dated 8 Jul 2010.

2          AVA’s investigation showed that the Singapore importer for the “Healthy Times Barley Cereal” is M/s Damon & Diorne Pte Ltd and according to them, they only distribute the said product in Singapore market. They do not distribute the product in Malaysia.

3          We have conducted a check at the said importer’s warehouse and found that the “Healthy Times Barley Cereal” is out of stock and the next consignment will arrive in Singapore for sale most probably in Sep 2010.

4          We also did a random check in the retail outlets that carry the said product and found that the expiry dates of the product is in May & June 2012 as differ from the ones mentioned by you which expire in Sep 01 2011. Our physical inspection of the implicated product which expire in May/Jun 2012 showed that they were in satisfactory condition and free from any insects infestation.

5          You may wish to be informed that factors contributing to food spoilage and contamination include the storage temperature and storage condition of the warehouse and retail outlets and the manner which the food is being handled.

6          We thank you for bringing the matter to our attention.

Yours sincerely

Tan Charlie | Inspection Division, Quarantine & Inspection Department | Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority

Tel No. | Fax 6324 4563 | Website www.ava.gov.sg

Wow… 500 People Like Mummy’s Reviews™!

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:20:43 +0000

Over the weekend, the number of Mummy’s Reviews™’ Facebook fans (or people who “like” it) has reached 500! The number may seem small, yet to us, it is a very BIG deal. Mummy’s Reviews™ was started in July 2009 when Vee (then known as Baby V) finally started to take regular long naps. I wanted to share about the products that helped to solve my parenting challenges or made mothering Vee easier.

A year has almost passed and it is interesting to reflect on how much Mummy’s Reviews™ has evolved:

July 2009: First hosted on Blogger.com
Aug 2009: Started Facebook Fan page
Oct 2009: Moved to WordPress.com, registered own domain name under MummysReviews.com
Nov 2009: Giveaway #1 launched
Dec 2009: First article published on Today’s Motherhood
Jan 2010: Incorporated company in Singapore, moved to private host

To date, these are our mini achievements:

11 Giveaways hosted!!!
5 articles published in Today’s Motherhood
Pageviews: 5,782 in June 2009
Absolute unique visitors: 1,938 in June 2009
RSS Feed Subscribers: 236
Fans on Facebook page: 501

While being a Stay-At-Home-Mum, Mummy’s Reviews™ has enabled me to keep my mind active while helping other parents with my little experience. Through it, I also learnt from like-minded parents, which is important as parenting could be a lonely journey at times.

It warms my heart when some of you send me “love letters” (see Testimonials here). Knowing that you have benefitted from my writing certainly brightens my day and keeps me motivated. I read every email from you and try to reply promptly. If I don’t, it simply means mothering has been too overwhelming.

Thank you very much for growing with Mummy’s Reviews™ and I.

What do you wish to read more about at Mummy’s Reviews™?

New Winner of Giveaway #7: Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Cloth Diapers & Cloth Wipes

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:01:55 +0000

As one winner of Giveaway #7 sponsored by Moo Moo Kow™ has yet to respond, here is new lucky winner (third name generated by Random.org):

Cassandra Yap who would like a Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Aplix Diaper in Seaspray

Timestamp: 2010-06-24 07:46:38 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning the diaper of your choice and two bamboo cloth wipes each.

To claim your prize, please notify me of your shipping address (in Singapore or Malaysia) within 7 days of this post via email.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™.

Winners of Giveaway #7: Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Cloth Diapers & Cloth Wipes

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:20:02 +0000

These few weeks have kept my busy with organising several reviews-cum-giveaways. A cough/cold bug running around the house has given Vee a runny nose PLUS he is all clingy with 4 teeth that take a million years to erupt. I try not to think that after these 4 teeth, there are EIGHT more to go… which means another 2 million years of torture we need to go through.

Anyway, the winners of Giveaway #7 sponsored by Moo Moo Kow™ are out! Thank you very much to all who have participated. The response from you was great and I have been super-excited over drawing the winners.

Here are the lucky winners (first two name generated by Random.org):

Suzi Fadhilah Ismail who would like a Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Snap Diaper in Candy Pink

Jenny Kartika who would like a Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Aplix Diaper in White with Blue Snaps

Timestamp: 2010-06-24 07:46:38 UTC

Congratulations to you on winning the diaper of your choice and two bamboo cloth wipes each.

To claim your prize, please notify me of your shipping address (in Singapore or Malaysia) within 7 days of this post via email.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™. And remember to participate in Giveaways #8, #9 and #10 for loads of prizes!

Sleep Solutions for My Fussy Baby

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Mon, 31 May 2010 09:05:46 +0000

My guest article on “Sleep Solutions for My Fussy Baby” for Today’s Motherhood has been published! View the write-up in the Jun/Jul 2010 issue, pages 22-23 or below.

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Introduction

During pregnancy, I prepared extensively for delivery day and breastfeeding, while missing out on one topic – sleep. What a major mistake! When Vee (the fussy, gassy, clingy light-sleeper arrived), I became nearly obsessed with ways to help him fall asleep and stay asleep. Sleeping problems that we faced initially:

He demanded to be carried and rocked or bounced to sleep. Otherwise, he would cry forcefully.
It took up to five hours to help him nap.
When finally asleep, he fussed every 35 to 45 minutes in the day and every 1 to 1.5 hours at night.
He refused to fall asleep in the car-seat or stroller, so outdoor trips had to be planned meticulously.

This article shares with you some ways that helped him (and I) sleep longer and better.

1. Tummy Massage

Vee has the reputation of the gassiest baby that my confinement helper has seen. He passed gas so frequently that it even shocked him into tears at times. My nurse taught me to do tummy massage for him and it was amazing how much gas he could pass out during each massage. Relieving the gas for him enabled him to sleep more comfortably.

2. Swaddling and Babywearing

Even as a newborn, Vee did not like to sleep in a cot. His startle reflex which continued for many months also awakened him easily. Swaddling enabled him to sleep more peacefully, and he self-weaned from it at 6.5 months old. We had to specially order two large swaddles from the U.S. to wrap up the 9kg dumpling.

On some days, even carrying did not settle him, so I wore him in a baby sling to calm him down and walked around the house until he fell asleep – a good way to exercise at home.

3. White Noise

This work marvellously and we are using it even today for the 15-month old toddler. When he cried miserably in the early months, turning on the hairdryer for a while would calm him down. Throughout his nap and night-time sleep, rainfall sound would be looped continuously to mask out household noises since he is a very light-sleeper. (Read reviews about products that produce white noise here.)

4. Co-Sleeping

Initially, I resisted co-sleeping. When Vee kept fussing after night-time feeds at four months old, I was spending entire nights trying to get him to sleep in his cot instead of resting. Finally, I gave up and let him sleep with us. Co-sleeping (done in a safe way) enabled me to breastfeed him lying down, tend to him easily and he fussed less. It may not work for everyone but certainly worked for us.

5. Eliminating Night-Time Diaper Changes

He is a heavy-wetter and easily pees through conventional disposable diapers. His sensitive skin also cannot tolerate most diapers for more than six hours. After a diaper change, it could take hours to settle him back to sleep again. Eventually, I found modern cloth diapers that are super-absorbent and breathable to last him up to 12 hours without any leak and rash. This was a big step to help us sleep more peacefully. (Read more about night-time diapering options here.)

6. Appropriate Clothings and Room Temperature

From about six months old, Vee has been suffering from eczema rashes on his face and inner folds of limbs which flare up when he is warm. Therefore, we experimented with the room temperature and found that a cool environment kept his rashes down and eventually enabled him to sleep soundly. He is dressed lightly during day naps and wears a T-Shirt and pants at night. We realised that not every baby needs to wear long sleeves, mittens and socks to bed; do what is most comfortable for your little one.

7. Sleeping at an Angle

Between four and seven months old, Vee regurgitated milk very often and had slight reflux problems which caused him to scream at night. Letting him sleep on a surface raised at 30-degrees eased the reflux and allowed him to sleep much better.

8. Bedtime Routine and Early Bedtime

Adapting a bedtime routine enabled Vee to tune down more easily for bedtime. At night, he gets a sponge bath, feed, bedtime stories, songs, massage and then encouraged to sleep. For naps, he gets the same routine without the sponge bath. He stays very alert when the surrounding is bright, so his sleeping environment must be dimly-lit. Even the walls near the bed have to be free of posters as he gets totally excited seeing them.

He also fell asleep more easily and slept longer when bedtime was brought forward to about 8.30p.m. It was only when he grew older that his bedtime shifted later and we started enjoying evening outings.

Sometimes, I wonder how many gassy, heavy-wetting light-sleepers with reflux and eczema problems are there. If we can get enough sleep, I am sure you can too. Explore to see what works best for you and your baby. Sweet dreams!

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Read these reviews on some of our favourite sleeping aids:

If you are a Mummy-to-be, how are you preparing to sleep well when baby arrives?
If you are an experienced Mummy, how are you helping your baby / toddler to sleep better?

Winners of Giveaway #6: Playhouse Disney Goodies

MieVee @ MummysReviews.com — Tue, 25 May 2010 04:43:21 +0000

Get your kids' butts moving with Mickey Mousekersize

The winners of Giveaway #6 sponsored by Playhouse Disney are out! Thank you very much to all who have participated. I am totally surprised that ALL the participants’ children chose Mickey Mousekersize as their favourite Fit Fit Hurray programme. It seems that Mickey is still irresistible after so many years.

Here are the lucky winners (first three name generated by Random.org):

Kylie Tee who said, “Mickey Mousekersize – Mickey is his all time favourite. With the new series of Mousekersize, he always exercises while watching the show. Even after the show, he’ll exercise and tell me, “Mummy, see, I’m doing Mousekersize!” I personally think it’s a very good and educative [programme] in encouraging kids to exercise and stretching their muscles. Kids love to follow what their favourite characters do!”

Latifah Abdul Malik who said, “My eldest son, Aqeel, loves to watch cartoons since he is one year old. Now, he is three years old and watching more and more cartoons. One of his favorites channel is 613, Playhouse Disney. When I’m back from work, he would catch my hands and ask me to watch him exercise. It was funny but I’m glad he learn from what he watch and it’s good for his growth. Then, I realize he learn from Playhouse Disney. I’m sure he learn about exercise from Mickey Mousekersize, one of his favorites cartoon. Exercising along with music is Aqeel’s favorites. He loves to dance so everytime Mickey’s Club on air he would dance on his way. “

Molly Lim Bang Ai who said, “I have watched Fit Fit Hurray programs with my preschooler and her favourite is Mickey Mousekersize because she is a BIG fan of Mickey and friends!”

Timestamp: 2010-05-24 10:43:50 UTC

Congratulations to you!

To claim your goodie bag, please notify me of your shipping address (in Singapore or West Malaysia) within 7 days of this post via email.

Thank you again for your support and do encourage your friends to visit Mummy’s Reviews™. Stay healthy, everyone!