Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

This experiment is very simple to do and is definitely interesting for the kids (and I!) to observe.

We made our own ‘lava lamp’ today =)

Here’s how to make one :

1. Fill up a bottle with water (about 2/3 full)

2. Drop some food colouring

3. Pour some cooking oil (until there’s one good layer of oil above the water)

4. Pour some salt into the bottle and watch the reaction!

Note:

– I used a small glass jar (the baby food jar from Heinz =)

– I put the lid back on so I could turn the bottle around

– I used a torchlight to illuminate the bottle (after I took the photo above though). It does make it look more cool =)

– Some people use Alka-Seltzer tablets (broken into smaller pieces and dropped into the bottle. The bubble effects apparently are better, but it’s a more ‘costly’ experiment =)

– To read more about it (eg. Why oil and water don’t mix, why there are blobs of oil rising etc), click HERE!

I strongly recommend that you have a read, just so that you can explain the ‘science part’ to the kids better, hehe.

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Because the kids got to observe what’s happening right in front of their eyes, even Vai now knows simple facts like oil and water will NOT mix together and oil will ‘float’ above water because it’s not as dense as water, etc.

Mommy gets to read up and learn some other scientific facts too here! =)

[Snoozeshade – stroller cover]

One thing that I still do AFTER I had kids, regardless of their age, is going out and about with them in tow.

Since they’re all babies =)

And even when Daddy is at work or out of town, the kids and I will still go out of the four walls of our home nearly everyday.

Be it to the neighbourhood market or coffee shops, the library, or nearby playgrounds.

It’s just … refreshing, I guess, to be out in the open, compared to always being indoors throughout the day.

We’d either take a walk there, or go on public transports. Buses and trains mainly, since we don’t own a car.

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[Sling, by ZoloWear, from Ninemonthslater.com.sg]

Now that I have a 4.5-month-old baby to bring along as well, I’d like to share these three items I personally find very useful when out and about with the kids :

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1) A sling or a baby pouch carrier

I MUST HAVE one of these when out and about! =)

Yes, baby Brie will mostly be in the pram, but there are times when she needs to be carried.

Having Brie in a sling or a pouch completely FREES UP my two hands.

I can push the pram, hold the older kids’ hands, tap my bus card. Anything =)

(When Wilson’s out of town during the week and I send Anya to school in the early morning with Vai and Brie, I leave the pram behind and just go with a sling / pouch. It’s easier to squeeze into a crowded public bus without the pram =)

[Left: Sling, from Moms in Mind; Right: Baby Pouch Carrier, by Pupsik Studio, from Maternity Exchange]

Read about my review of the baby pouch carrier HERE

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2) Stroller Cover, by Snoozeshade

Oh this invention is wonderful!

It helps ‘extend’ my stroller’s ‘top cover’, allowing Brie to sleep soundly while we’re on the go.

The cover is breathable (so she’s not ‘extra warm’ inside), and it protects her from the glary sunlight (and drizzle) too!

(Refer to photo below and the one at the very top)

Read my review of Snoozeshade HERE and HERE.

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3) Diaper Bag, by Skip Hop

Frankly, I thought a normal ‘big bag’ can serve as a good enough diaper bag. Until I was introduced to THIS one by Bloom & Grow.

It’s called Bento – the Ultimate Diaper Bag, by Skip Hop … and it’s a great diaper bag! (I especially like the material of the bag AND the two clips that make attaching the bag to my stroller a breeze!)

I’ve been using it ever since!

Read my review of this diaper bag HERE and HERE.

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Now, it’s GIVEAWAYS time!

*Woohoo!!*

Thanks to Bloom & Grow, I have 5 Red Skip Hop Bottle Bags to give away!

Just in time for Children’s Day, yes?? =)

I have these five items with me, and I will mail them to the winners myself =)

*Can’t wait!*

Check out what they look like :

Features:

– It comes with 3M Thinsulate to keep bottles warm or cool (for up to 4 hours)

– A zip top closure provides easy access and the popper lets you attach this to an existing bag or your pram

– Can be used for baby’s bottles, or even our own cold drinks when out and about =)

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How to join the Giveaway :

1) ‘LIKE’ the Our Everyday Things Facebook Page, if you haven’t already =)

http://www.facebook.com/oureverydaythings

2) Share this contest on your Facebook, Twitter or via email to friends

3) Leave a comment (here on this blog post) and share with us three items you personally find useful that you usually bring along when going out and about =)

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Contest ends Monday, 10 October 2011, 11.59pm (Singapore time)

Five winners will be randomly selected, and announced the very next day.

Contest is open to all readers, wherever you are =)

*Excited*

All the best!

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Added: Tue, 11 Oct 2011

THANKS everyone who participated!
(I wished I had enough items to give away to EVERYONE of you guys!)

I sure had fun reading the entries!

Here are the five lucky winners, randomly picked!

1. Jaszho
2. Alohamolly
3. Juita
4. Erni Shie
5. Prima Donna Garcia

Congrats to all five you! =)

Do email me your complete mailing address, and your Skip Hop Bottle Bags will be on their way! =)

Till next giveaways, everyone!!

I shared this quote on Our Everyday Things Facebook page today, the day Steve Jobs passed away, and I thought I should share it here too.

He was once quoted to have said :

“I’m sorry, it’s true. Having children really changes your view on these things. We’re born, we live for a brief instant, and we die. It’s been happening for a long time. Technology is not changing it much — if at all.

“But it’s a disservice to constantly put things in this radical new light — that it’s going to change everything. Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” [Wired, February 1996]

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I love how as someone who has introduced wonderfully created gadgets still believes and talks about how Technology makes life easier, but it does not change the fact that everyone of us lives … and dies.

Steve Jobs died at the age of 56, from cancer.

Our Pastor, Rev. Amin Tjung, who blessed our marriage, died from cancer too four years ago. He was still in his early forties.

None of us could ever predict when (or how) our life will end.

Even the physically healthy person can die in an instant.

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At times like this I’m reminded of what someone once said to me:

Many worry about how their life will end, when they should actually focus on how their life should be lived!

Question is, how are WE living out our lives so far?

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(I personally believe that life will be ‘better lived’ when we know – and are fulfilling – the purpose of our life. And, we can find out the purpose of our life when we go to the Giver of life Himself)

Here’s one good news I’d like to share with you =)

I was interviewed last week for a programme that’s scheduled to air sometime in January / February next year (2012).

It will be featured in episode 1, where they’ll cover the role of fulltime mothers in the society.

And this is what the programme is essentially about :
Today’s increasingly materialistic world tends to value everything is terms of dollars and cents, ie. If you don’t contribute actual ‘dollars and cents’ back to the economy, then you tend to be regarded by the society in general as having ‘no value’.

The question is, is that really so?

The programme zooms in on this question and observes various sectors in the society, across Asia.

Including that of a fulltime (stay-at-home) mother.

Personally, I feel truly humbled to have had the opportunity to share my personal thoughts on a topic that’s really close to my heart.

I feel blessed to have been able to voice out and emphasise on the importance of an involved mother’s role and influence in the lives of their children.

Because really, many stay-at-home mothers may earn ‘zero’ dollars, but their roles and contributions to the family and society are in fact ‘priceless’.

Here’s to all moms!

[Went to the market like we usually do, but this time round, the video crew came along =)]

PS: I must add, despite my personal choice to be an involved stay-at-home mother to my kids so that I can actively instill values while bringing them up and caring for them everyday, I don’t know how my kids will turn out to be many years from today.

All I know is, I try to do my best, and I keep on learning a lot along the way.

Many years from today, I basically do not wish to look back with regret, wishing that I should’ve done this and that, ie. Things that I should actually choose to do today…when my kids are still growing up.

Anyway, … thanks heaps for the support (especially those shared on my Facebook). I’ll share more about the programme when the schedule is out!

Here’s one thing about me.

I don’t like ants.

I’m not scared of them or anything. I just don’t want them in my house. Full stop.

I don’t want to see them under my dining table.

Or on my kitchen top.

Or worse, in my bedroom.

Especially NOT when there’ll be a baby on the floor in about two months time!

(I’d look at pictures of ants and I’d immediately feel itchy and start scratching all of the sudden! Haha)

Oh btw, don’t get me wrong though. When I see them OUTSIDE my home, like in a garden or on the streets, I just walk pass them. I let them do whatever they’re doing because to me, they ARE part of nature and they’re not harming us or anything.

(I teach my kids the same too, ie. They’re NOT to purposely kill or step on creatures when they’re not harming us and are outside our home)

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Anyway.

I was especially annoyed today because I bought this sponge cake, left it on the kitchen top, only to find it covered with at least fifty ants a short while later.

I really NEED to get rid of these army of tiny ants (that often appear from I don’t know where) from my home.

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I’ve tried using the ‘ant chalk’. I’ve used those ant traps too. But somehow, they don’t quite seem to work very well lately.

(When Brie is on the floor more frequently in a couple of months, I definitely can’t use the ‘ant chalk’ anymore)

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So I posted a question on my Facebook today, asking for inputs.

I wrote : “Inputs please : how do you effectively get rid of ANTS from your home? Any recommended brand?”

And I got quite a number of responses (*Thanks guys!!*).

I’ve listed out the answers shared on my Facebook in the comment section, so that it can serve as a REFERENCE to others who are facing the same ‘ants’ problem as me.

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I still do wonder about the many households out there … how do YOU tackle your ants issue at home?

Went to the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness (ELC BCA) Campaign event today at the Singapore Flyer.

It was my first time being involved in such a cause, and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to be one of the ELC BCA Ambassadors and that we went as a family to support the campaign.

[Left: With Mrs Noor Quek, President of the Breast Cancer Foundation; Right: With the emcees Sharon Au and Hossan Leong]

As part of the drive to encourage early detection during Breast Cancer Awareness month, ELC and Mrs. Mary Tan, Wife of President Tony Tan, illuminated the Singapore Flyer in Pink at 8.15pm!

About 200 global landmarks all around the world have been illuminated through this initiative, including the Empire State Building in New York and the Taj Mahal in India!

Going to this event made me realise one thing: I know SO little about Breast Cancer.

Like, how often do we need to go for screening? How do we do Breast Self-Examination (BSE) at home? What are the symptoms that we should know about?

It’s bad that I know so little about Breast Cancer all this while when I myself is a woman and it can happen to any women I know too!

Here’re some quick facts I’d like to share today:

– Breast cancer is the most common cancer (among American women), after skin cancer.

– Approximately 1 in almost every 8 women (13.4%) will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

– Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer — and is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 35 to 54.

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Anyway.

This month, as I read and learn more about Breast Cancer,  I’ll be sharing more about it here on my blog too.

Do share the info with others yeah … Let’s spread the message!

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Click HERE to view more photos of the event (which I shared on my Facebook)

I’m sure we all know about the ‘Pink Ribbon’ and how it is associated with ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign’ around the world.

I myself have always known about the Pink Ribbon campaign, but frankly … that’s about it really.

It’s only recently that I learned more about Breast Cancer Awareness.

And, it is only recently that I am more aware of how breast cancer could happen to ANY woman around the world (yes, it can happen to anyone, even to someone who’s been living a ‘healthy lifestyle’). I will be writing another post on this topic.

For now, I’d like to share with you this info:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign organised every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

It is also a way to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

Now.

Every October, Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) illuminates landmark buildings or monuments around the world in glowing pink lights as part of their global campaign. And this year, they’ll transform The Singapore Flyer into a radiant PINK .

Yep, PINK!

And it’s all happening tomorrow night: Saturday, 1 October 2011!

Here are some photos of their ‘Global Illumination’ activities that’ve taken place around the world:

[Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel]

[Tokyo Tower, Japan]

[Los Angeles International Airport]

[The Art Museum of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, China]

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Tomorrow night, the President’s wife, Mrs Mary Tan, will officially illuminate the Singapore Flyer, together with the Estee Lauder Companies.

And, I’m glad our family will be there at the Illumination event too!

Yes, all five of us! =)

If you can join us, please do come, support and be part of this worthy cause.

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PS: I will tweet and post Facebook updates and photos ‘live’ from the Singapore Flyer. You are welcome to add me on Facebook.

I saw this photo for the first time today.

It’s of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas. His hand, coming out of his mother’s uterus, firmly held on to the finger of his surgeon named Joseph Bruner.

I was so moved and I felt I should really share it here too on my blog.

Here’s the story behind it (quoted from the Net):

It was 1999, and a baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother’s womb. Little Samuel’s mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner’s remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performed this special operation while the baby was still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removed the uterus via C-section and made a small incision to operate on the baby. During the surgery on little Samuel, this 21-week-old fetus reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon’s finger, … as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Samuel’s mother said, “The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn’t about disability or an illness, it’s about a little person”

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In 2003, Samuel’s parents, testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space about the photo and their experience with in utero surgery. They were joined at the hearing by Dr. James Thorp(a maternal-fetal medicine specialist) and by Michael Clancy, the photographer who captured Samuel’s awe-inspiring grasp.

Michael described for the Senate hearing the details of his experience during the surgery:

“The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began. The procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the surgical opening. The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and 13 minutes. When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.

“As a doctor asked me what speed film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one’s hands were near it. It was shaking from within.

“Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing. The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor’s finger.

“As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. I took the picture. Wow!”

Click HERE to read the full story.

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[In 2009, nine year old Samuel, far right, with his parents and younger siblings]

Here’s another related article on Foxnews.com, … it’s on Samuel who’s nearly ten years old in May 2009.

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Apparently, there’s been a debate about whether the photo is real or just a hoax. You may read a little more about it here – http://michaelclancy.com/, where the photographer gave his side of the story online.

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Here’s my personal thought :

Till today, many people still feel they have the right to ‘abort’ their pregnancy because it’s ‘their body’ and that there’s ‘no life’ anyway, … especially not when it’s only 21 weeks!

But here, I see God allowing this miraculous incident captured and shown to the world, as a confirmation that there IS life inside the womb that’s worthy of our protection because it is a soul and every child is indeed GIVEN to us by God.

Our life, inside and outside the womb, is in God’s loving care, and IF God chooses to do something, however impossible it may seem, HE can. May all glory be to God.

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PS: All photos above are from the Net.

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Added, from another article :

Julie Armas told the committee she and her husband were informed at least half of all babies with spina bifida – a disease that damages the spinal cord – are aborted.

“But abortion was never an option for us,” she said.

“We wanted people to know that there is an educated, professional couple out there who love and value their child even though he is ‘defective’ by society’s definition,” Armas emphasized. “No matter what Samuel’s outcome is, we know that God has allowed him to impact others with a photograph of his tiny, unborn hand.”

Samuel’s father, Alex, said he and his wife never considered such a terrible diagnosis could lead to “blessings.”

“But the way things have worked out, the photograph is the least of this, as far as we are concerned,” he said. “Our whole reason for deciding to agree to the photograph has been fulfilled on a larger scale than we could ever have dreamed. People have found out about the surgery, and we are happy with that.”