Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

We’ve heard of the term nobility.

And Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines the term ‘noble’ as ‘ possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals’.

A noble person is indeed someone who has a big heart. Someone who is willing to give to others. Someone who positively contributes to the mass.

And in history, one is never remembered by the amount of wealth one possesses, but by the amount of ‘contributions’ one makes during his / her lifetime.

True. We all need money, but wealth in itself should never be pursued.

For it is far more important to build one’s noble character and make a positive change in the lives of others. Through our contributions.

Here’s one big news, everyone!

Spring Kids is officially launched today!!

Woohoo!!!

AND, to share this joy and thanksgiving with my blog readers, I’m doing a giveaway contest!!

EIGHT Spring Kids items for EIGHT lucky winners!

Here’s the ‘HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST’ part.

1. Go over to Spring Kids www.springkids.com

2. Sign up for its newsletter (bottom left corner)

3. Browse through the items and pick ONE item you would like to win for your little one! (choose only from these two brands : Pumpkin Patch and Japanese-imported Chibiko Corner)

4. Leave your comment on THIS blog post, with answers to the following :

a. Tell us your baby’s gender and age

b. Tell us the specific item you’d like to win and its size

AND

c. Share my blog AND online shop URL to friends and families

You can :

– Blog about this giveaway contest on your site (pls share your blog URL in your comment)

– Place the Spring Kids button on your blog
[HTML code :
<a href=”http://www.springkids.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”https://www.oureverydaythings.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/springkids_button.jpg” border=”0″ /></a>]

– If you’re on Facebook, click HERE and share my blog and Spring Kids’ URL
(please click the ‘right arrow’ to select the appropriate Spring Kids thumbnail before you click ‘post’)

– Share my blog, Spring Kids and this giveaway contest to those you know via email!

(It’d be superb if you can do ALL three of the above, IF you have a blog and a facebook account, that is)

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

IMPORTANT INFO :

1. Make sure you enter a valid email address (your email address will not be displayed)

2. One email address per entry

3. Choose from the available sizes for that one particular item you’d like to win

4. If you’re one of the lucky EIGHT winners, I’ll be in touch with you to ask for your mailing address. I’d then mail your Spring Kids item to you!

5. Contest is open to those who live in the Asia Pacific (Australia included!)

6. Contest ends next Friday, 22 May 2009!

I’ll pick eight lucky winners randomly and announce the names next weekend!!

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I’m so excited!! *big smile*

Oh. Btw.

Other than the giveaway contest, big discount offers are also available at the shop from today till Sunday, 31 May!

Go and check it out yeah!

Happy browsing! Happy shopping!

I love dogs.

And I guess that’s where Vai gets his ‘canine-loving’ trait ?

Interesting isn’t, how such a liking for furry animals can always be introduced but can never be forced to a young child, for it’d need to come naturally from within the child himself.

…

Above : In Perth with Poiseous, our friend’s big and friendly doggie (Breed: Akita)

Below : Also in Perth, with Cougar, my cousin’s huge and hairy German Shepherd (Vai told me it’s a ‘wolf’! Heh)

Perhaps it’s due to the often-not-so-good weather these days.

Whatever it is, I know of quite a handful of other kids who are down with cough, runny nose AND fever.

Some fever goes away in a day. But some others stay on for up to four days. Poor kids.

Anya and Vai started having their cough and runny nose (again) two weeks ago. And last Friday, Vai ran a high temperature. It went up to 39.9 degree celsius. He took some Nurofen (Paracetamol) for his fever, and was much better by the next day.

And Anya. She had her share of cough, runny nose and fever just before Good Friday last month.

She had fever for FOUR days, and the temperature was pretty constant, going between 38.5 – 40.8 degree celsius throughout. We stayed home during those four days.

We’re glad and thankful to God that although they are not 100% healthy, they’re their usual self most of the time.

Silly. Sulky. Happy. Whiny.

Their fevers are gone now. Their cough and runny nose still linger though and we hope they’ll be gone very soon too.

…

Now, I’d like to hear from you.

Have your kids been experiencing cough, runny nose or fever too lately? Did you take them to the doctor ? What did the doctor say and what did he/she give them? How long did it last? How was the whole experience?

Hope to hear stories from parents out there so that we all can benefit from the useful info too.

Thanks all, and here’s wishing all little ones all the best of health!

…

Some useful links:

Symptom Guide : Fever (by Babycenter)

Down with cough, cold and fever, what should I feed my child? (by Babycenter)

Fever & High Temperature in Children (by askbaby.com)

When we sacrifice for something but we don’t feel much of the sacrifice, the end results will be more satisfying for us.

In costrast. When we sacrifice for something and we keep on FEELING it, we’ll see more complaints coming out of us (with this kind of thought and attitude, it’d be more difficult for us to improve ourselves, and to ‘move forward’).

A mom who sacrifices her time and energy for her family but doesn’t quite feel it because she’s happy with her role and responsibilities, she’d feel more satisfied with what she does in the end.

But a mom who after sacrificing her time and energy for her family keeps on feeling how she has sacrificed ‘so much’, she’s more likely to complain about what she does.

Now, the question is, what’s our attitude towards work, family life, our spouse and our children.

Are we more of the first type, or the second type of person?

Guess what.

Our Everyday Things (and my soon-to-be-launched online shop – Spring Kids) was featured in MyPaper yesterday (Friday, 8 May).

It’s a local newspaper here in Singapore under the Singapore Press Holdings, with about 300,000 copies distributed mostly at MRT stations every morning from Monday to Friday.

Click HERE to read the bigger-sized newspaper article.

It sure is nice how today’s digital technology allows people around the world to connect, inspire and help others, and in this case, through blogging.

And as for me, I really hope that through this published article my site can inspire and reach out to even more people out there with a positive message on motherhood, family, and life.

[And, perhaps you too can help me reach that goal by sharing my blog URL to your friends, colleagues, and families?]

…

If you’re new to the site, here’s a big warm welcome to you. Feel free to browse around.

So here’s the little secret I’ve been keeping (and working on!) for the past four months.

I’m having an Online Shop, everyone!

It’s called ‘SPRING KIDS‘ and it’ll be officially launched next Friday, 15 May!

*a happy sigh of relief*

So there. I’ve announced it to the world, and especially to my reader friends.

Feel free to browse around, shop (for yourself, your kids, or as gifts!) or ask me a question or two before you make your order ya. I’d LOVE to hear from you! (and oh, I’ll be adding more items regularly to the shop!)

[Anya’s headband and cute little Antenna top are totally organic, products of Un Petit Peu – made and imported from the USA]

I was asked by some about how it all started.

Well, it all began on the first of January this year, when I (finally) felt 100% sure that I’d want to go ahead with the idea of starting my own business.

As I’m passionate about things that are children-related, I just know I would be most happy when dealing with children products. More specifically clothes and accessories for little kids!

I then did my homework.

Sourcing out high quality (AND georgeous plus cute) products. Building the website and its content. Product photo shoots (oh, not to forget the little ‘models’ involved, hehe). Photo editing and uploading them onto database. Recording of stocks. And SO MUCH MORE.

[Vai’s checkered patchwork shirt is by Chibiko Corner, made and imported from Osaka, Japan]

The funny thing is, although the list of things to do is pretty much endless and I’ve lost many many hours of sleep, I’m totally LOVING what I do.

[Which I think is extremely important whenever we do anything in life. Yes?]

And, if I’ve made it this far, I have my two little kids and one very supportive husband to thank for! AND most important of all, God … for giving me the needed strength and perseverance.

And you know what.

It feels almost as if I’m having a THIRD BABY!

I mean, there was that one particular day when I just felt, ‘Yes, I’m ready for this!’, then the many preparation and planning prior to the big day, the mixture of sheer excitement and ‘anxiety’, the lack of sleep as it gets closer to the big day, and the serious commitments ahead after the shop is ‘born’!

[Anya is wearing an organic headband by Un Petit Peu and Peach Camisole by Pumpkin Patch]

I must say though, just like how I’m doing as best as I can to raise my two little children, I’m serious about building this ‘third baby’ of mine. The quality of its service, products, delivery. Everything.

And I really hope to have your support too in this little venture of mine.

You can sign up for the newsletter (for future updates on new items, discount offers, etc), and you can help too in spreading the news about Spring Kids to your friends and families!

Big big thanks everyone!

I feel so blessed.

…

Btw, the clothing items and accessories above are available for sale. Click HERE to start browsing Spring Kids!

And oh, one last thing, do look out for cool giveaways as part of my official launch next Friday ya!

We were at a friend’s place the other day when we found a stack of memory game cards for kids.

Anya and Vai played with it for quite a while. We stacked the little cards neatly, in rows and columns, to make it easier for them to remember where the cards were.

And frankly, I was surprised at how well they played.

I was even more surprised when I saw how Vai REMEMBERED where the cards were rather well! (Even better than Anya at times!).

Really, at 2.5 years old, I didn’t expect him to even LIKE memory games!

[Ah. Just when you thought you knew your children well, there’re always NEW things to discover! The sweet wonder of parenthood]

Anyway.

A few days later, the kids asked if they could play MORE memory games.

And since we didn’t have any at home, … we made them ourselves.

We printed out pictures from the internet, two sets of each picture. We then glued these print-outs onto used cereal boxes, and cut them out into square shapes.

And voila!

We made our very own Memory Game cards!

The kids loved how they were the ones who decided on WHICH pictures to print!

And I love how they both get to exercise their ‘memory skills’ while having fun at the same time too!