Thankfully, Vee slept soundly in our beloved Beco Baby Carrier for almost 1.5 hours, giving me enough time to shop at my own leisure. He must have seemed very comfortable as a fellow Mummy shopper asked my feedback on our Beco carrier. Of course, I highly recommended it to her.

I saw some of our favourite items on sale at the fair:

• Combi Haircut Set at S$30+
• Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Portable Rocker at S$149.90
• Fisher-Price toys, including the Musical Snail Pail Shape Sorter
• The First Years Newborn-to-Toddler Bath Tub

Initially, I was looking for educational materials suitable for toddlers. Besides some Baby Einstein books and DVDs, learn-to-read systems and a few fabric wall charts, there are very few other options. Anyway, it is a ‘baby’ fair, so the items available are more suitable for mothers-to-be.

AVENT is having 25% off for many items. However, the BPA-free manual pump was not on sale, so I gave it a miss.

Maxi-Cosi car seat is having a steep discount.

There is a GIGANTIC booth offering Huggies disposable diapers and NO booth selling modern cloth diapers. How disappointing! I really wish more mothers-to-be would be aware of such cute, convenient and eco-friendly diapers for their newborn babies.

So, what did we buy to make our flight tickets worth the money?

• Swim/bath robes at S$9.90 each (Vee loves to swim!)
• Tiny Love links at S$7.90 (complement Vee’s Tiny Love Gymini and would help to attach toys to the stroller, car seat or highchair)
• Replacement part for Combi Step 4 Mug at S$7.90 (First time seeing this spare part. His mug is perfectly fine; bought the top part as spare so that we do not need to buy a new mug in future.)
• ITZBEEN Baby Care Timer ay S$68 (I was totally fascinated by this gadget, shall try it out asap! Keep you in suspense at the moment…)
• Bosom Buddy Hot and Cold Gel Pack at S$30+ (I had engorgement recently and could not find cabbage leaves at home, so bought this for more convenience.)
• Cute wrist band to write contact number at S$7+ (I am very paranoid about Vee wandering off on his own outside when he starts walking. As a toddler, I was lost once in a shopping centre and it traumatised the whole family; I can even remember the incident today.)

The total spending of S$150 entitled us to three lucky draw coupons. Well, I love lucky draws and Giveaways; good luck to us. (I started winning in lucky draws since 8 years old. The record was winning 3 different prizes in a week! My hubby has never won a lucky draw prize until I helped him participate once and he won a Manchester United CD. Talk about luck… Ha!)

Anyway, pregnant Mums may find visiting the baby fair worthwhile as you get to check out a good range of toys, strollers, car seats and other accessories, with some at attractive discounts. However, be careful of your bump, especially during the weekend as there are tonnes of strollers and children. Happy shopping!

Scissors for the Mummy hairdresser-wannabe

Dream Scissors

Since Vee was a newborn, I have been targeting the Combi Haircut Set, but was put off by the price tag of more than RM130. There was no competing brand offering such (round-tip) haircut scissors in departmental stores.

Why cut his hair personally in the first place? Reasons aplenty:

• Hygiene (A friend’s newborn developed bad rashes after a shave by a hairdresser using unhygienic tools.)
• Safety (I am more able to handle my boy and know exactly when he would fidget than others.)
• Saves money (Boys need a trim every couple of months. Multiply that by a few more children in future and the savings are significant if I learn to cut my kids’ hair.)
• Saves time (Haircut in the comfort of our home, during relaxed afternoons.)

Anyway, his full head of newborn hair fell and took months to grow back. Then his fringe started to reach his eyes and an urgent haircut was needed. Luckily, the Combi Haircut Set (original listed price: S$45.90) was on 20% promotion in Isetan Singapore when we were there and I bought it. Finally…

First Trial Cut

This was a HUGE drama involving my parents (to grab Vee), my sisters (to entertain him with toys) and myself (figuring how much to snip off). Vee was strapped up in his Fisher-Price booster seat and must have wondered what the whole fuss was about.

I completed the job and he looked fine until recently…

The REAL Cut

About two months passed and his hair was long all over, not just at the fringe. Strangers started greeted Vee, “Hi girl!” *Hmmph!*

Then Lunar New Year arrived and there is this strange superstition of no haircut during the festival (lasting 15 days) or bad luck would befall. Anyway, we were too busy celebrating the new year and Vee’s birthday. During one gathering, a relative (ex-hairdresser) who cuts her truckload of children’s hair briefly taught me how to do a boy’s haircut:

• Grab a bunch of hair at the front upwards, perpendicularly to the scalp, snip horizontally across
• Move lower and grab another bunch of hair. Use the above cut hair as a guide to know how much to snip
• Keep repeating for the front until getting a nicely-layered fringe
• Repeat for the sides and back

Yesterday, Vee woke up early from his nap and we had lots of time to burn. I laid a huge piece of cloth on the floor, plopped him into the Bumbo Baby Seat with Play Tray, bribed him with a few toys and started snipping away.

Snipped the front…

Snipped the sides…

Snipped the back…

Fun!

Got more confident and snipped more… Done! I was soooo proud of myself for making my son look like a boy again.

Vee was absolutely co-operative while I carried out the haircutting experiment. Phew!

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More Tips for the Mummy Hairdresser-Wannabe

• Put a long-sleeved bib on the child for easier cleaning up later (I need to get one, hopefully Vee would be willing to wear it.)
• Do not blow the fan near you or risk getting hair all over the place (Consider switching on the air-conditioner for a short while.)

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What I like about it (the scissors):

• Rounded-tip is a good safety feature
• Easy to hold
• Cuts well

What can be improved:

• Sell the scissors without the comb so that the price is lower

Image source: http://www.pantley.com/

Thank you very much to all participants of Mummy’s Reviews’ Giveaway #2, which closed on 15 Feb 2010!

It has been a hectic month with Lunar New Year celebrations and Vee’s first birthday bash. By the way, many Chinese celebrate their new year over FIFTEEN days and my family did just that. The last day of celebration ended on Sunday and wow… what a lot of visiting, eating, snacking, lion dances and fireworks!

Anyway, the most popular “No-Cry” books by Elizabeth Pantley among the participants are:

The No-Cry Discipline Solution
The No-Cry Potty-Training Solution

The winner TWO books of choice has been chosen using the True Random Number Generator at Random.org and he/she is…

…

…

…

…

…

Carol Lim

Congratulations to you, Carol!
To claim your books (The No-Cry Sleep Solution and The No-Cry Discipline Solution), please notify me of your shipping address (in the U.S. or Canada) within 7 days of this post via email.

Thank you again for your support and let us look forward to the next Giveaway!

Giveaways #3 (Naforye bibs sponsored by PrettyMums.com) and #4 (Moms & Tots Cloth Diapers) have just closed too, so stay tuned for the next winners announcement.

The Parent Kit provided very clear instructions on how to introduce sign language to Vee. The articles in the Special Topics section provides convincing evidence on the potential benefits of the Baby Signs® Program on the “social, emotional, cognitive and language development of babies”.

Ever since Vee was a young baby, I incorporated sign language into our daily activities, such as feeding time, bath-time, nursery rhymes and bed-time stories. When he was about 8 months old, I bought the Baby Signs® Concept Cards (Set 2) (listed price: RM70 or USD15.99) to inject more fun into learning the signs. (Set 1 was out of stock at that time.)

Finally at 10 months old, Vee showed us his first hand sign for ‘milk’ and we were elated! As his palmer and pincer grasps improved, he started picking up many signs, and it has become much easier to meet his needs. This led to a more contented baby. Our objectives met at last! (Read his developmental updates at 11 months and 12 months.)

Beyond these initial objectives, we also realised that Vee learns very effectively when signs are incorporated in songs. Often, he would start signing on his own while attempting to sing and we could guess the song that he is thinking of. His speech has also developed well at the same time. Interestingly, he has never done the signs for “Daddy” and “Mummy”, and proceeded straight to saying “Da” and “Ma”. It is likely that he pronounces the easier words and signs the more difficult ones.

We are very pleased to have invested the time to introduce baby sign language to Vee.

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Baby Signs® Parent Kit:

What we like about it:

• Clear step-by-step instructions for parents
• Well-illustrated cartoons to show each sign (I didn’t even need to watch the DVD to learn the signs!)
• Large number of signs relevant to baby’s daily activities
• In-depth articles to prove the effectiveness of using baby sign language
• An overall convenient reference guide

What can be improved:

• Include more signs in the glossary (I’m a greedy Mummy!)
• Include more signs in the flip guide (there are less signs here than in the glossary)

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Baby Signs® Concept Cards (Set 2):

What we like about it:

• Thick and water-resistant cards that withstand baby’s rough handling

What can be improved:

• The sign for “happy” is repeated in the set (Could have included another sign instead)

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P.S. Do you use sign language with your baby? What has your experience been like?

Today marks Vee’s first birthday and the first anniversary of our breastfeeding journey. We have come a long way since last year when I spent THREE calendar days in pain (yes, about 38 hours of contractions!) before he was delivered naturally. His birth story shall be shared in another post.

Since it is a working day on the fifth day of Lunar New Year, we held a mini celebration at home. Everyone in the family came back for a sumptuous home-cooked lunch and we held the tradition of letting the birthday boy crawl towards an item of his choice.

This was the spread offered: a toy stethoscope, an abacus, a pen, a book, a doodle drawing board, two red eggs, a construction toy, a toy musical instrument, and a toy laptop. Within split seconds, Vee zoomed towards the stethoscope and held it. We gave him a second chance, and he went to grab the pen and the toy laptop.

All right, baby… You aspire to be a medical researcher who writes reports on the laptop all day long.

Then we sang his birthday song in English and Mandarin, and blew the tiny candle on his birthday cake. Hubby and I had baked the carrot cake last evening, as a present to Vee. We are proud to have worked together to bake the cake successfully, signifying our determination to work as a couple to bring Vee up and educate him well. (Find the fabulous recipe here. We halved the amount of confectioners’/icing sugar for the frosting and it still turned out rather sweet.)

Vee has been experiencing an explosive development in the past month:

• learnt to say many new words: ”Da” for Daddy, “Ma-ma” for Mummy and Granny (I’m trying to spot the difference in his intonation), “mum-mum” for eating, “dieh” for himself (as his nickname is 宝贝, pronounced as Bao-bei), “ger” for tiger, “ter” for water, “daw” for window, “ngao-ngao-ngao” for 摇摇摇 (which means swinging in Mandarin) and “ngai” for 来 (which means come in Mandarin)
• picked up new hand-signs for words that he cannot pronounce yet: “fish”, “more”, “apple”, “no more”, ”pain”, “stop”, “don’t want”, “flower” (We are glad to have invested the time to teach him baby-signs because he can express his needs rather clearly and find little need for crying or whining. His speech has been developing well in parallel, and he learns words/signs much faster when they are sung and signed to him.)
• recognises these items: book, ball, blanket, bear, fan, toy piano, potty
• started refusing food fed to him in his spoon, then we realised he wanted to finger-feed himself while we finger-feed him (Using fingers to feed him porridge is very messy yet fun at times.)
• able to take a few steps before falling
• falling asleep by himself on two occasions (shared here)

I am overwhelmed by the surprises he gives me every day.

Here are my wishes for the adorable birthday boy: Stay happy, strong, healthy and kind all year round!

• carrying and bouncing (on the side of the bed till most of the springs have malformed)
• carrying and walking round the room with a bounce (very tiring on my arms; Daddy is better at this)
• rocking in his Fisher-Price rocker (reviewed here, worked for a few months)
• bouncing in his Amby Baby Motion Bed (reviewed here, worked until he weaned himself off the swaddle at 6.5 months. He decided on this: No swaddle = No Amby Baby)
• nursing (only when he is very tired or insistent on this because it is a very tough sleep association to break and I must be around)
• pacifier (only for a short while in the early months, useful to let him sleep in the car-seat since no one can nurse or bounce him. Then he decided one day that he does not want the pacifier anymore.)

At the end of his sleep routine (wipe clean, change diaper, breastfeed, story and songs, white noise, goodnight kiss), he would realise that it is bed-time and climb all over me, whining for help. He absolutely refuses to lie still and be patted to sleep. If no one helps him, his whines would quickly turn into hysterical cries. Since I am practising The No-Cry Sleep Solution (reviewed here), I would assist him when I know that he really needs help.

Recently, Vee has been learning things with ease, so I improvised an idea from the book and introduced a new part to the routine. These few nights, we would kiss his Sleep Bear (reviewed here) ‘Good-night’ and pretend to pat it to sleep.

Then we FINALLY see some hope over the past two nights:

Two Nights Ago: At the end of the routine, he insisted on nursing (again, even though he had nursed within the past half an hour). Since it was late, I granted his request and thought he would fall asleep while nursing. Instead, he did not — after nursing at both sides, he sat up, clapped his hands a few times, thumped his head on my body, sat up again after a few seconds, clapped his hands, thumped his head on my shoulder for a few seconds. He probably repeated the cycle a hundred times when suddenly, he thumped his head on my shoulder and did not sit up again. Oh my… he fell asleep by himself for the FIRST TIME. I grinned.

Last Night: At the end of the routine, he wanted to nurse (again!) He was very drowsy when nursing the second side and unlatched (perhaps by his mistake). I quickly took advantage of the situation, and covered myself up. He climbed onto me while I pretended to be asleep; he rolled a few times and whined pathetically until he let out a long cry. When I was considering whether to nurse him again, he suddenly thumped his entire 10+kg body on my chest and fell asleep. Oh my… I wanted to grin but felt breathless.

Thank you, Sleep Bear!

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How does your little one fall asleep at night?

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Win a copy of The No-Cry Sleep Solution at Giveaway #2 here.

1) None of my bought cloth diapers seem to fit my small newborn!

Apparently I was too cautious, not wanting to buy Extra Small sizes because I thought “they wouldn’t last too long.”

MieVee says: During the last trimester of pregnancy, I knew Vee was going to be a big baby, so I bought Small diaper covers and skipped the Extra-Smalls. At 3.5kg at birth, he fitted into Small Bummis covers (reviewed here) nicely. For an average-sized or preemie baby, Extra-Small covers would be needed.

2) My prefolds and diaper cover plan to cloth diaper my newborn was a failure.

How silly of me, I have a stash of prefold diapers that were Regulars (again, I thought buying Infant size would be a waste) which did not fit my newborn at all, NOR did they even fit in ANY of the XS or S sized diaper covers that I had.

MieVee says: I used traditional cloth diapers (lampin) instead of prefolds in the first month. They could be easily folded to fit a newborn.

3) Leaking problems!

Again, this was a sizing issue, even with a small sized Fitted Diaper. I was breastfeeding and my boy leaked all over my lap, grr!!

MieVee says: Similar to Problem #1, Extra-Small covers over traditional cloth diapers or Infant-prefolds may be a better fit.

4) My little boy LOVES pooping on freshly changed diapers.

Happened so many times after I put on a clean diaper, to find out that minutes later he “felt” like the diapers were just too nice not to poop on immediately!

MieVee says: Breastfed newborn poo-poos very regularly, as breastmilk has a laxative effect. Vee poo-ed up to 11 times a day! Therefore, traditional cloth diapers with covers is a very cost-effective way of cloth-diapering a newborn.

5) My social support system wasn’t really so “supportive”.

My husband was joking with me that I put so much effort in wanting to Cloth Diaper, but apparently so many things tend to go wrong! And I don’t think my mother in law was into the idea of Cloth Diapers too much either!

MieVee says: Support is very important in the first month because Mummy is supposed to be resting during confinement. Let your family understand the benefits of cloth-diapering. (Read “Why I Love Cloth Diapers” here.)

My confinement lady was responsible for changing Vee’s cloth diapers, and washing (using washing machine) / sunning / folding them throughout the month.

After the first month, Vee was on a mixture of Small Drybees Pocket Diapers (reviewed here) and traditional cloth diapers during the day. At night, he used Drybees Fleece Pocket Diapers (reviewed here). Daddy has been supportive since the beginning (saves him $$$) and helps with diaper changes.

6) The cloth diapers were so bulky!

On a tiny newborn, almost everything I put on makes my baby an awkward sumo wrestler on his crotch (which didn’t look too comfortable). I was critcized again about this by my social support system, heh.

MieVee says: Similar to Problem #1, Extra-Small covers over traditional cloth diapers or Infant-prefolds may be a better fit.

7) Could I even be bothered with laundry right now??

Cloth Diapering requires ULTIMATE care, but seriously, with a million other things to do with the baby the first month, should I really put so much effort in it?

MieVee says: Similar to Problem #5, Mummy should be resting while someone helps with the laundry matters. Baby clothes, handkerchiefs and other accessories need to be washed too. Cloth diapers can be washed with the other baby items. Just need someone to spend 5-10 minutes a day spraying poo-poo into the toilet bowl.

8 ) I couldn’t figure out how to Snappi lampins (or prefold for that matter) properly.

In the end I gave up. Needs more practice. Sigh.

MieVee says: Vee was on lampin and a diaper cover, without the need to use Snappi or pins. The diaper cover was the correct fit, so the lampin could stay in place. Try it out.

9) My “one sized” pocket diapers were not really “one sized fits all”.

It certainly did not fit on too well on my newborn. Even at the smallest setting, it was still huge and left gaps at the legs. 

MieVee says: “One-size” diapers usually fit babies from about 5kg. For this reason, I prefer sized-diapers in the early months.

10) My apartment laundry area had no direct contact with the sun.

So the stains on the diapers couldn’t benefit from the sunlight. Also, they take ages to dry. Sigh….

MieVee says: Sunning is important to get rid of the stains naturally. During a sunny day, Vee’s diapers are dry and stain-free after about 4 hours. Try looking out for another spot in the house that gets the sunshine?

It takes a bit of trial and error in the early stage to get baby cloth-diapered full-time. Rest well and experiment during your free time until you get your system right. The benefits are well worth the initial efforts. Happy cloth-diapering!

By the way, remember to take part in Giveaway #4 (two Moms & Tots Cloth Diapers to be won) here.

It is cloth diaper Review & Giveaway time again! Moms & Tots Store offered me a sample of its cloth diaper (listed price: RM75 / S$32 / US$23) to review and even hand-delivered it. I was keen to try it out on Vee because of the unique back-fastening designed for active babies and toddlers who would rather crawl or run away than lay still for a diaper change.

Background: I found out a bit more about Moms & Tots Store via email with one of the owners:

1. Moms & Tots Store was started in September 2009 by 3 mothers with babies in cloth diapers. They found a product gap in the cloth diaper market and decided to design their own diaper.
2. The outer PUL layer is 2 mil breathable.
3. The cloth diapers are manufactured in China. Moms & Tots Store requested its manufacturer to make samples accordingly to its design. Three samples were tested before production began.

First impressions: A snap button is mis-aligned and some threads are a little too near the edge. Then I touched the two uber-soft bamboo-lined microfibre inserts which almost tempted me to rub them on my face!

Bamboo-lined insert: Soft, trim & absorbent

Prewash: I hand-washed the new Moms & Tots Cloth Diaper on its own once and then machine-washed it with the usual laundry twice. (Laundry tip: Wash new garments separately for hygiene purpose and in case of colour-run and lint problems.)

Putting it on: It took a bit of learning to fasten the Velcro tabs at the back instead of front. Subsequently, it became easy to put the diaper on Vee since he could roll to his side or onto his tummy during diaper changes. This is a welcomed change because he does not like lying still on his back, even when asleep. With the Velcro tabs at the back, Vee cannot undo his diapers. Yeah!

Fit: Vee is on the maximum rise, so we did not need to use the snap buttons. Anyway, I tried snapping the buttons on and off, and they seemed fine. I LOVE the high-cut design at the thighs (now I understand the benefit of the narrow waist tabs) because they accommodate Vee’s chunky thighs very well and leave absolutely no red marks. The diaper with the bamboo-lined insert provides a very trim fit and even Vee’s Daddy complimented his “tight bums”.

Functionality: The insert is very absorbent and one was enough to last Vee four hours in the morning. Even though the insert was soaked when I changed him, there was no leak. (We tested the sample several times over the week and there was not a single leak.) Personally, I would prefer the pocket opening to be at the back instead of front, so that I can check if the insert is saturated.

What we like about it:

• bamboo-lined microfibre insert is soft, trim & absorbent
• high-cut design accommodates chubby thighs, leaving no red marks
• diaper provides a trim-fit
• no leaks even when insert is soaked
• child cannot undo Velcro tabs at the back
• diaper washes well

What can be improved:

• sewing skills — one snap button mis-aligned and some sewing too near the edge (from the perspective of a sewing-perfectionist!)
• offer more colours and prints (to fulfil Mummy’s vanity)
• use more sturdy Aplix tabs (so that they can last through multiple babies)
• use PUL fabric that can be washed on warm instead of only cold (I washed the diaper on warm a few times and damaged the PUL. What a pity!)

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Read these reviews on some of our favourite feeding ‘tools’:

• Fisher-Price Healthy Care™ Deluxe Booster Seat
• Munchkin Stay-Put Bowls
• Combi Mug (Step 4 – Standard Mug)
• Wet bags

Also, join in Giveaway #3 to win a gorgeous bib for your baby.

What problems have you faced on introducing solid foods to your baby?
What tips would you like to share on overcoming these problems?

PrettyMums.com is started by a pretty mum in Singapore for pretty mums, and is the generous sponsor for this review and giveaway.

In conjunction with a guest article to Today’s Motherhood on “Introducing Solid Foods to Babies” (to be published in February 2010 issue), I selected the Naforye Multi-Function Baby Bib (usual price S$13.20) to review (sponsored by PrettyMums.com). There are five yummy-licious designs and I zoomed in on ”Love Letter” since I love postage stamps and parcels.

After handwashing the bib once, I tried it on Vee during his meal. The bib provides wide coverage across his entire shoulders, and I love its softness. The terry top layer is relatively absorbent and the waterproof lining at the back keeps wetness away from his clothes.

The front pocket is cute and holds the teether that comes with the bib. The pocket and teether keep Vee’s little hands busy while I prepare to feed him. The cleverest part of the bib’s design is the strap with snaps closure, which can be used to hold a teether, pacifier or toy. As Vee loves to bite things, I always bring a teether for him on the go; the bib ensures that he cannot throw the teether away.

The attached teether is made from TPR (ThermoPlastic Rubber), which I read from here that it is BPA-free. Now I can rest my mind while Vee bites on the teether.

The bib is so lovely that I cannot bear to see Vee dirty it. Anyway, it has been easy to wash by hand. (The instructions on the packaging recommend handwashing using mild detergent. Naforye products are from Taiwan, and the instructions are written in Chinese.)

On the whole, this is a truly multi-functional bib that we like.

What we like about it:

• Wide coverge
• Soft and comfortable material
• Absorbent terry layer
• Strap with snaps closure to hold teether, pacifier or toy
• Cute designs

What can be improved:

• Would be perfect if it can be machine-washed

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Get Your Own (with Discount!)

Visit PrettyMums.com for its wide range of Naforye and other baby products, including Moo Moo Kow™ One-Size Cloth Diapers (reviewed here). There are also lingeries, maternity wear, nursing accessories, nursing wear and post-natal wear.

Details:

• Special Treat: 10% discount
• Discount Code: MR2010
• Validity Period : 1 February to 31 March 2010

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Win Your Own

FIVE (5) lucky subscribers will win a Naforye Multi-Function Baby Bib worth S$13.20 each! This is how to participate:

• Subscribe to Mummy’s Reviews in a reader or via email (existing subscribers counted)

• Send an email to me with the following information:
  • Your name
  • Facebook nickname, if any
  • Choice of favourite Naforye Multi-Function Baby Bib design (Visit here)
  • Blog / Website URL, if any

• To get EXTRA entries:
  • 1 extra entry: First 3 participants (Hurry!)
  • 1 extra entry: Become Mummy’s Reviews fan on Facebook (existing fans counted)
  • 5 extra entries: Share this Giveaway on your blog / website and link it back to Mummy’s Reviews

Other Information

• This Giveaway is open to subscribers with a mailing address in Singapore or West Malaysia.
• It will run until 28 February 2010.
• The usual Giveaway Terms apply.

Send in your entries now and good luck!