Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

[My most recent shot of the three kids, using my DSLR]

Do you own a DSRL and a mobile phone?

Well, if you do, … do you shoot with your phone more often these days?

I don’t know about you, but it happens to me.

Especially since I moved to Jakarta, I hardly shoot with my DSLR.

I shoot with my iPhone, and post photos almost everyday on my Instagram.

Somehow it’s just more convenient this way.

I can quickly edit, enhance and publish photos ‘on the go’.

And really, with the 3 kids to care for and a whole lot of other tasks I need to complete everyday, the convenience my phone offers is something I do appreciate a lot!

[I capture different ‘sky moods’ from this balcony, using my very iPhone. iPhone did a GREAT JOB here, but the downside is, the quality of the image is not too good, and it’s not high in resolution]

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Now.

Recently I somehow realised how Brie has very few ‘good quality shots’ taken with our DSLR. Unlike her two siblings when they were much younger.

And come to think of it, since our DSLR is right there at home anyway, why don’t I just use it more often to capture our children’s growing up moments too, WHILE we are at home?

DSLRs do produce quality shots that can never be achieved by camera phones, yes?

After all, DSLRs do produce quality shots that can never be achieved by camera phones, yes?

(For some weird reasons, the thought of shooting with my DSLR just didn’t cross my mind all this while!)

And, as to whether or not we’ll edit and publish the photos later on, well … it should not be our main concern (I tell myself now!)

I should just shoot and capture moments, with our DSLR too, not just with the phone.

[It felt good to whip out my DSLR and see shots like this again! Been SO LONG!]

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So there you go.

That’s one of the things I’d like to do better in the new year.

ie. Capture and treasure moments with my DSLR more often! =)

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Anyway.

Here are some quick pros and cons between using DSLRs and iPhones / other camera phones that you may want to consider:

DSLR Pros

– Higher quality shots (and better resolution and colour)
– Able to achieve different kind of mood and look with different lenses (love the depth of field too)
– In low light conditions, it’s still possible to capture shots without using any flash

DSLR Cons

– Bulky and can be quite a hassle to carry around, especially when you’re a parent of little ones
– Can’t take a photo and immediately share it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
– More expensive compared to buying a mobile phone

[Brie is 19 months today, captured with our DSLR]

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Camera Phone Pros

– Practical, compact, easy to carry around
– Ability to immediately share and upload to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
– Lots of great and helpful photography apps
– For a ‘camera phone standard’, many phones nowadays offer great quality results
– It is an ‘all in one’ gadget, ie. You have video/camera/voice/notes/internet, etc.

Camera Phone Cons

– Poor image quality in low light conditions, especially when the object is far away
– Images are not high-resolution enough for large printing
– Camera phone lens is obviously no comparison to DSLR lenses

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What say you?

If you own a DSLR, do you shoot mostly with your phone more often too these days?

Okay. Here’s my case.

Brie is turning 19 months this week, and yes, she’s cute and all.

BUT.

By now she *still* chews on everything!

Sides of books, pencil tips, crayons, LEGO bricks, you name it.

(At times, it feels like I have a ‘little mouse’)

And oh, sometimes I’d discover stuff in her mouth too (like, … coins! *yuck*)

I remember Anya and Vai also had their ‘chewing on stuff’ days. But, all of it kind of stopped before they turned 18 months leh.

(Any of your kids go through similar ‘chewing-on-everything’ phase?)

[I often wonder, why oh why she’d chew on tasteless books when she has access to yummy snacks]

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Anyway.

I browsed the internet and found some ‘answers’ to WHY toddlers put things into their mouths or chew on stuff.

> TASTE is part of the process kids use to explore their surroundings.

> Sometimes, children put objects in their mouth in an effort to recapture the comfort they gained from sucking on a pacifier (or breastfeeding?)

TASTE is part of the process kids use to explore their surroundings

And here’s the advice I found:

> If your toddler starts to chew, simply remove the object and explain that she can play with it in her hands but not in her mouth. And, just make sure everything you offer to play with is kid-safe and not a choking hazard.

(We do this, btw. BUT, she’d still continue on chewing, and we keep on removing the object, telling her not to, and giving her something else to chew)

> Don’t punish your child for chewing, but do provide her with certain toys that are OK to gnaw. By age 3, your daughter can understand that it’s OK to chew on some things, but not on certain others.

(By three years old? I hope the phase will be over sooner)

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Anyway.

Now I offer ‘safe to be chewed on’ stuff to Brie.

And just recently, talk about good timing, MamaLavie online shop sent me a Gumigem necklace! (The heart-shaped one!)

Of course, … guess who’s happy to chew on it? =)

As for me, well … at least now Brie has a safe teether (soft and flexible too!) that will not easily get ‘lost’ (when I wear it out and about).

AND, Brie gets to tug and play with it safely while breastfeeding =)

Read my review of this Gumigem Teething Jewellery HERE!

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Now. Here’s some good news for YOU!

Thanks to MamaLavie Shop, I have some of these Gumigem jewellery to giveaway!

*YAY*

(A great gift idea for moms and care-givers this Christmas?)

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

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

2) ‘LIKE’ Gumigem Facebook Page

3) Leave us a comment, telling us :

a) Which Gumigem design you like, and how do you think Gumigem will useful for you?
(Browse for available colours and designs HERE)

b) Let us know which country you live in

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NOTE: 

> 5 winners will be randomly selected

> 1 winner will win a $15 voucher (can be used for purchases of any items at MamaLavie.com)

> Giveaway ends this Friday, 21 December (winners will be announced the day after!)

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Easy peasy? =)

Have fun with the giveaway, everyone!

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ADDED:

Ready for the winners?

Here they are:

1. Sudarto & Mitha

2. Evelin V

3. Sofia’s Mummy

4. Camille

5. Cindy Tan

6. Sabariah Lim (winner of $15 Voucher)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You’ll be contacted individually and to claim your prize, please revert with your mailing address yeah! The sponsor will mail the prize out to you! =)

Thanks everyone for participating too!

More giveaways in the new year! Be sure to check them out yeah! =D

I love M&M’s.

They’re kind of my ‘encouraging candies’ when things get a little tough at home =)

(Read: A little sugar boost does help me stay ‘sane’ when parenting gets challenging at home)

And I usually have a pack of them on ‘standby’ in my fridge =)

Anyway.

We received little Christmas gifts earlier today.

And one of them came with 3 packs of M&M’s, and a little note.

Now. I thought the note was really nice.

This is what it says:

As you hold these candies in your hand, turn them and you will see,
the ‘M’ becomes a ‘W’, an ‘E’ and a ‘3’.

They tell the Christmas Story.

It’s one I’m sure you know.

It took place in a stable, a long, long time ago.

The ‘E’ is for the ‘East’, where the star shone so bright.

The ‘M’ is for the ‘Manger’, where Baby Jesus slept that night.

The ‘3’ is for the Wise Men,

bearing gifts they say they came.

‘W’ is for ‘Worship’, Hallelujah praise His name.

So as you eat these candies or share them with a friend,

remember the meaning of Christmas, 

It’s a love story that never ends.

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Love it.

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Photos on My Phone This Week – Nine shots found on my iPhone this week. Simple moments I wish to remember.

Everyone loves to be the recipient of good stuff.

Small gifts. Big gifts. Including ‘intangible’ gifts of love and care.

It’s just natural that way.

The question is though, who among us loves to be the givers too?

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To many, random acts of giving may not be what they’re comfortable with.

Unless, there’s an obvious ‘occasion’, like birthdays and Christmas.

Well guess what!

We are NOW in the month of December!

A little less than two weeks before Christmas day, to be exact!

Which … makes it an excellent time to be sharing with others and experiencing the truth in the saying ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’, yes? =)

Now if you’re thinking of buying stuff for others but are still clueless about what to get, I’d like to share this 12 Days before Christmas deals from Jipaban.com with you.

This online store happens to offer these really big discounts that allow us to get ‘more’ within our same budget.

[We had this this Jipaban’s photo shoot last year! Baby Brie was still around 6 months then! =)]

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Anyway.

Here’re their daily specials :

(We have this cute clock too, btw! And it’s now at Wilson’s office! =)

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(Avatar – one of my FAVOURITE movies of all time!)

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(Aaaahh, I know my 6yo LEGO-fan son would LOVEEEE this! Actually, even I think this is so cool! =)

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Spotted anything? =)

Anyway, for more goodies, you can always check out their online store HERE too!

PLUS.

Key in <jpbxmas10> to enjoy 10% discount storewide’ too! 

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Happy browsing and giving, everyone!

Now that we are in Jakarta, I have to say … we are very ‘library-deprived’ here.

We enjoyed great libraries back in Singapore. Huge variety of children books, convenient and advanced library system, and basically, well-maintained libraries are just all over Singapore.

It’s really unfortunate that we don’t have such library facilities here. Well, not yet.

The only children library we’ve been to, the only one we know of, is the one at Anya’s school (pictured above)

Somehow here in Jakarta, it’s just more common to go to a big book store chain (called Gramedia), to browse or buy books.

So, given such a condition here in Jakarta, what do we do then to still nurture the kids’ love for reading?

> We visit book stores often. And the kids would then automatically head towards the children section and read something.

> Buy books for the kids every now and then.

> Read and re-read our collection of books at home.

I guess we just have to make do with what we have here, and think of ways that will NOT dismiss the kids’ interest in reading.

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 …imagination, growth, and improved reading skills soar when a child picks up a book.

Oh btw, I came across this article recently, which I totally agree with.

Here’s the passage I’d like to share with you: 

Today, … almost every vehicle has a built-in DVD player and children watch movies on the road. While I think watching a movie or two is a great idea, I wonder if parents realize that they are missing the point of traveling as a family?

Reading together and the talking with your child about a book is your chance to bond, to attach, and to reminisce about your own childhood. Trust me these moments in time don’t happen very often.

Dr. Daniel Siegel, the amazing brain and relationship attachment author, says that such conversations are one of the most powerful predictors of a strong bond between child and parent.

Not to mention the fact that imagination, growth, and improved reading skills soar when a child picks up a book.

This year, whether it’s a vacation or stay-cation, put down the DVD’s and pick up a book.

Let’s read people!

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Yes, the year-end school holiday is here!

Let’s not switch the TV on too much. Let’s not let the children’s eyes be glued too often to games on the computer, ipads or smartphones.

And … let’s read, everyone!

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Photos on My Phone This Week – Nine shots found on my iPhone this week. Simple moments I wish to remember.

Brie is 1.5 years old now, and she’s one baby who doesn’t quite welcome being spoon-fed.

She’d prefer to feed herself since she’s around a year old.

She’d use her fingers to pick her food off her plastic bowl and plate.

She’d use forks and spoons too.

Eg. When she eats her fruits (eg. Watermelon, apple, papaya), spaghetti, rice, noodles, bread, chicken pieces, broccoli, carrots, etc.

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I personally don’t mind because it means:

> Brie gets to learn some hand-eye coordination skill
(Bringing the spoon to the mouth with the food still ON IT is NOT easy for little hands)

> Brie is on her journey towards independence!

> I get to prepare the older kids’ meals / finish cooking / wash the dishes / clear other housework, while Brie feeds herself

> I get to sit back and eat my own meal too =)

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Not everyone welcomes this idea of letting a child feeds herself though.

Two main reasons I’ve personally heard are:

> The food is wasted (because obviously as the toddler learns to self-feed, some food will fall to the floor)

> It’ll be too messy

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Well.

To me, yes it’s messy, and so when we’re home, I’ll just lift her up and give her a shower afterwards, hehe.

And, when we’re outside, I’ll simply wash her hands, or clean her hands and mouth with some wet wipes.

Pretty straight forward, yes? =)

As to the concern of ‘wasting food’, … well, I thought it’s just part and parcel of anyone’s learning journey?

Like, I’m sure a great baker has ever ‘failed’ in baking something when he first learned how to bake?

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[Cute spillmat is from Tinydipity.com]

Two quick tips to share:

> Don’t put too much food all at once. Add some a little more when baby is done with what’s in her bowl / plate

> Place a mat or even some newspaper under the baby chair. It makes ‘cleaning up after mealtime’ a little easier =) Plus, since I know my mat is clean, I’d often pick up the food pieces (eg. Broccoli pieces) and place them back in the bowl =)

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Oh well, anyway.

I guess it’s my personal preference (ie. Both Anya and Vai also started self-feeding around the age of one)

What’s YOUR preference?