New Frames for Holiday Season

Lately I feel that my vision is not as good as it used to be. I often need to squint in an effort to see printed or online reading material clearly. I also find it almost impossible to thread a needle nowadays. These were symptoms of Presbyopia, the clinical name for the condition where the eyes lose their ability to focus which begins in those forty and older. Objects appear blurred at close range, while distant objects remain in focus.

It could also be because I didn’t have enough sleep lately or I spent too much time looking at the computer screen. Anyway, I guess I need to check my eyes. If it turns out that I do need to wear eyeglasses, then I want to buy my first reading glasses from them.

ZenniOptical.com sells Stylish Prescription Glasses Online from $8. Now, you will find a huge selection of holiday frames. My favorite is frame with flower pattern printed on it. Check it out yourself if you want to buy several new Holiday frames to wear in this holiday season.

The Secret to their Low Prices is that they sell only their own manufactured frames direct to the customer, with no middlemen and virtually no advertising budget.

Peekaboo!

My eldest daughter loves to make her baby sister laughes by playing peekaboo. This game has never failed my youngest daughter to laugh and squel loudly. Why? Because it mimics what she is just coming to understand about the world: that objects and people still exist even when he can't see them (a jack-in-the-box is fun right now, too.). That's why she finds quick appearances and disappearances amusing.

Understanding this concept, also known as object permanence, is an important milestone, and signals that your baby is making leaps in cognitive development — both his memory and his ability to think abstractly are growing.

No Need To Print Your Photos Anymore

Ever since my first child was born, I took up the hobby of photography where my main concentration was taking photos of my children. I always select the best and clearest photos and have them printed. That is the beauty of taking digital photos as you can take as many photos as you want without having to spend a single cent to process them.

Recently, I also learned that I don’t even have to print them to put them in a frame, because of the invention of the digital photo frame.

CEIVA Digital Photo Frame includes dynamic new styling, advanced yet easy-to-use menus, new built-in memory card readers and active matrix screens that can be viewed from virtually any angle. The new revolutionary CEIVA Digital Photo Frames™ have new modern styling with sleek frames and high- resolution active matrix screens. All frames include a built-in card reader for instantly displaying photos from memory cards.

What makes CEIVA different from other digital photo frame is because with CEIVA's exclusive PicturePlan™ you can receive automatic photo updates from friends and family from around the world. You can Invite anyone you wish to share photos for free, from anywhere in the world. Safely store an unlimited number of photos to view on a CEIVA frame anytime. You can even edit and add messages to your photos in seconds.

What to Play for 7 to 9 Months Old Baby

At this age, a baby has already becoming an expert at sitting and may be crawling as well. Encourage these physical feats by celebrating each new milestone and don't forget to praise your baby everytime she manages to do something.

The ability to transfer objects from hand to hand and the fabled pincer grasp are part of your baby's increasing hand control (which means you'll be forced to carry a container of O-shaped cereal with you at all times for the next year).

Your baby also begins to understand that when an object disappears, it hasn't fallen off the edge of the earth. This discovery makes games like peek-a-boo a favorite.

Touch It, Hold It, Bang It
If your baby has one object, he'll bang it on the table. If he has two objects, he'll bang them together, hold them up to the light, squint at them, bang them separately on the table, hit the table with both at the same time, see if the object sounds different when hit using the left hand rather than the right hand, and on and on.

Help him out by handing over objects that make interesting sounds: hollow containers, metal spoons, bells.

Pay attention to tactile sensations as well: Your baby will be fascinated by a greeting card laced with glitter or the slickness of Mom's enameled jewelry box. A baby with strands of cooked spaghetti to play with wouldn't notice if a bomb went off.

I Can Control the World
Babies love cause and effect at this age, as in: I do this, the light comes on. I do that, the light goes off. Showing your baby how to work light switches, remote controls, cell phones, and more will thrill him — but can make life more difficult for you when he insists on being held up to work the lights yet again.

Instead, you may want to offer a toy phone or remote to satisfy his craving for control, or a jack-in-the-box to provide a thrillingly surprising result. Or, let him manage his environment by filling a low-lying cabinet or drawer with safe objects and letting your baby rummage around. Make sure there are no sharp edges or other dangers (dressers with drawers pulled out can turn over on a child) and then let your baby go to town.

Obstacle Course
If your baby's crawling, scooting, or walking, he may enjoy the challenge of having to move over things. (This is great for developing his motor skills, too.) Pillows, phone books, tired parents, and laundry make good obstacles. Sleeping cats do not make good obstacles.

So Many Variations on Peek-a-boo
The classic: Hold up a towel between your face and your baby's and ask, "Where's Sam? There's Sam!" over and over again. You can vary this game in a million ways. Hide behind a door and make your baby push it open to see you. Hide behind a chair and pop out first from above then from the sides. Go behind a corner with another person and alternate who jumps out and yells "Boo!"

Keep a selection of hats behind the couch and pop up wearing a different one each time. A surefire laugh-getter is to put a hat on your head, hiding your eyes, and let your baby take it off, saying "Oh!" in surprise each time he does it. (This will also guarantee that you'll never wear a hat in peace again.)

Roll Play
Babies are fascinated by balls and how they move. You'll get a big laugh by juggling or tossing balls up in the air and letting them hit the floor while you make a silly sound effect: "Whoops!" Roll a soft ball toward your baby and watch him grab and squeeze it. Eventually, with encouragement, he'll roll the ball back toward you. And someday he'll be able to kick and toss the ball or drop it into a big bowl or bucket. For now, bounce and roll.

Spend Wisely

My parents always told me not to spend more than you earn. Although this advice seems simple enough to understand, yet somehow this is easier to say than do. With the “help” of credit card, it’s very easy to overspend your money. It is very easy to buy things with credit card regardless whether we really can afford them or not. In the end of the month, when the bill arrived we realized that we don’t have enough money in the bank to cover all those bills.

I have only a couple of credit cards and I hardly used it. My husband, on the other hand, has several and his bills sometimes frighten me. Although we always try to pay off all the debt, but sometimes we didn’t have enough cash to pay and we have to rollover the balance to next month. How about if next month we still don’t have enough money to pay? Then then suddenly we found ourself out of job, with credit card debt and mortgage as high as our neck. Very scary isn’t it?

If you are having too much debt, and trying to avoid bankruptcy you could apply for IVA or Individual Voluntary Arrangement. If your ClearDebt IVA application is approved, up to 70% of all your debts could be written off. You would pay no interest and you could be debt free in 5 years or less.

Cook Your Vegetables ASAP

Nitrates are a chemical found in water and soil, and they're a concern when it comes to feeding your baby. Babies who ingest an unsafe level of nitrates can develop a type of anemia called methemoglobinemia.

Preparing formula with well water that's high in nitrates is the usual cause of the illness, but some vegetables can also contain nitrates. The most likely sources are beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, and squash.

To be on the safe side, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents not to feed babies these vegetables before 3 months of age. (Actually, the AAP doesn't recommend feeding babies any solid food until 4 to 6 months, but if you do decide to offer your infant vegetables before 3 months, you'll want to avoid these in particular.)

There are a few things you can do to make sure your baby isn't exposed to high levels of nitrates. If you have well water, have it tested. It should contain less than 10 ppm of nitrates.

Nitrates increase with storage time unless frozen. When using fresh vegetables for homemade baby food, prepare the food as soon as possible after purchase and freeze extra servings right away. You might consider using frozen vegetables instead of fresh for the foods highest in nitrates.

Nitrate fertilizers are not used on land where produce is grown organically, so the risk of nitrates is much lower with certified organic produce.Baby food companies test their products for nitrates. Store-bought baby food — including dishes containing beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, or squash — should be free of these chemicals.

I Love High Heel Shoes!

I love to wear high heel. I know that high heel is supposed to be bad for your feet, but I can not resist wearing shoes with high heel (probably not 5” high, but at least 3” high).
In fact, when I wear flats, I feel out of order and uncomfortable. I find heels make me walk faster, and with a sense of purpose or direction. Also, some outfits go better with heels and make the legs look longer.

High heel shoes hold your leg at a great angle that causes your butt to lift and your posture to straighten. I don't care what foot doctors say about the evils of high heels, I love them and I feel pretty and feminine when I'm wearing them!

Since I love to wear high heel, I guess it’s no wonder if I have many selection of high heel shoes, mostly black and brown colors. Even though I have plenty of shoes, I still like to browse online shoes stores. Today, I found another online store that attracts my attention. Daniblack.com is owned by husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Barbara Schwartz. Since daniblack’s launch in 2005, it has become a staple in the fashion community, gracing the pages of ELLE Accessories, People StyleWatch, Lucky and Marie Claire, just to name a few. Style, luxury and craftsmanship are the core of the daniblack shoes brand.

They carry wide selection of shoes, from evening shoes to sandals. Off course I directly click on pumps section and immediately found one that I like. It’s a sleek and sophisticated peep-toe slingback shoes made of genuine snake skin. Too bad that I just bought a pair of shoes recently, but I will bookmark this site for the future.

What to Play for 4 to 6 Months Old Baby

At this age, your baby will become a lot more physical, learning how to roll over and even sit up. She can now hold, handle, and mouth objects, and she'll spend a good part of her busy days doing so (meaning extra vigilance is needed). Games can get more physical now. Your baby might enjoy knee rides or tickle games. She's also more responsive to you, making noises and meeting your eyes.

Here are several games that you can play with your baby:

Smell the Spice Rack
Try to introduce her to the intoxicating scent of cinnamon. Rub some on your hand and put it up to your baby's nose. (Don't let it get in her eyes or mouth.)

If she likes it, try others: Vanilla, peppermint, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and many other herbs and spices have intriguing fragrances that your baby might love. Other household goods are fragrant, too: Dad's shaving lotion, Mom's hand cream. Sniff out everything yummy — just be careful not to let your baby eat it!

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere
There's something magical about bubbles, and at this point your baby can see far enough away to focus on them. Blow bubbles when she's getting fussy waiting for the bus and watch the tears dry up. Blow bubbles in the park to attract older kids who'll caper nearby and entertain your baby in the process. Blow bubbles in the bathtub or out on the porch when it's late afternoon and your baby is cranky. Bubbles are unbelievably cheap, easily transportable, and endlessly fascinating for babies.

I'm Gonna Get You!
Your baby is old enough to have a sense of anticipation now. And no baby can resist your coming at her mock-menacingly with a threat of hugs, kisses, or tickles. Here's what you could say: "Hey, Andrea! I see you over there sitting up! Well, that just makes you closer to my lips and I'm going to come over there and kiss you! I'm going to steal a kiss, baby! I'm coming! I'm coming! I...gotcha!" Then cover your baby in smooches.

In our house we threaten to eat the baby and punctuate our advances with lip chomps on her fat little feet. A delicacy! When your baby's older you can modify this game to include a chase around the house — this works wonderfully as a way to get your child out the door when you're in a rush.

This Little Piggy
Touch your baby's toes in turn, starting with the big toe. Say, "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way home."

As you say that last part, run your fingers up your baby's belly. This game is useful for putting on socks and shoes or distracting your baby during diaper changes. You can also play this game in the bathtub with a squirt bottle targeting your baby's toes.

Tummy Time
By now, your doctor's probably nagging you to get your baby on her tummy, and your baby may be protesting vociferously.

Get down on the floor with your baby. Look her in the eye as you lie on your own belly. Lay your baby down on a towel and use it to gently roll her from side to side. Try saying, "Oops-a-daisy, Oops-a-daisy" as you roll her.

Fly, Baby, Fly!
Now that your baby can hold her head up, it's time to hoist her into the air. You can play that she's a rocket ship, flying her over you and making realistic rocket noises (dads are great at this). You can play that your baby is in an elevator, which advances up floor by floor before sinking quickly to the bottom (my husband likes to bump noses with our baby and say "Ding!" at this point). Or pretend that your baby's doing a helicopter traffic report.

Have Fun!

Got A Wish?

The other day my eldest daughter was watching me when I was playing around with “sitting on Santa’s lap” experiences. She was very excited to see it and asked me to download her photo as well. She was having so much fun that she asked me to do it many times.

If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap then go to their site. Not only you will have fun, you will also know how CEIVA digital photo frame works. CEIVA Digital Photo frame is very different from the other digital photo frames. You can receive photo from your friends or family members from everywhere around the world. No PC or internet is required. You just have to plug and connect the digital frame to the phone line and you are ready to enjoy all the photos without have to print them.

CEIVA also has organized a sweeptakes. Rules as follows:
- must be 18 years of age to enter sweepstakes
- photo must be of the submitter
- photo must not contain inappropriate content, copyrighted image
- must be a resident of the United States and/or Washington D.C.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the link, enter this "got a wish Sweeepstakes" and win $500, NOW!

7 Months: Her Milestones

My youngest daughter is 7 months now. Here are the lists of what she can do:

1. Pulls herself from sleeping postion to sitting position without help.
Drags object toward herself. She loved to grab paper, handphone, remote control, diaper, book. This are also the things that my older daughter loved to grab last time.

2. Lunges forward. She can move very fast when she saw things that attract her attention.

3. Jabbers or combines syllables. At one night after she was falling asleep, me and hubby still talking. Our conversation woke her up and she started to complaining and jaberring until we stopped talking and she went to sleep again.

4. Says "mama" and "papa" although I am not sure whether she actually understood the meaning of them.

5. Pulls self to standing (We only discovered this 3 days ago). It's kind of exciting to see her managed to stand.

Something That You Need to Know

I got a friend that was wrongly accused for doing criminal offence. She said that it was a terrifiying experience for her. She had never dreamt that she could be in that kind of situation. Luckily she got a good lawyer that defended her case.

When the stakes are high and you're facing criminal charges, you need Criminal Defense Lawyers with experience, who are available to take your case quickly and confidently, who will go the extra mile to thoroughly investigate your case, and who get the best possible result in or out of court.

Los Angeles Criminal and DUI Defense Attorneys at Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP understand that being arrested or charged with a crime is frightening experience. Their law firm’s mission is to aggressively and tenaciously defend their clients, even before the case reaches the courtroom. You need to know your rights under the law, and immediately act to protect them.

Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin, LLP, has been selected year after year as a Top 5% U.S. "Preeminent" Criminal Defense Firm on the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register. They have a combined 50 years of legal experience and credentials that few defense firms can match. Their law firm’s reputation is recognized throughout Southern California. They handle serious criminal cases in the Counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Judicial Districts.

Perfect Jeans

I always have difficulty to find a perfect pair of jeans. I don’t want to wear “mommy jeans” but I also don’t like to wear “low rise” jean that is too low. You bend down so much with babies (i.e. in and out of car seats, swings, strollers, etc) and wearing “low rise” jeans isn’t exactly a good idea, if you know what I mean. I have a pair of jeans that is “low rise” but not too low, so I still can do a lot of bending and squatting without showing off my underwear or my crack. I found this jeans about 5 or 6 years ago on sale. It’s made in China and very cheap. I tried to find another one, but so far I have no luck.

Evolution Of Dance Starring YOU!

Have you watched “The Evolution of Dance”? If you haven’t then you should because this video is the internets most watched video of all time. In the video, Judson Laipply (Judson Laipply is an American motivational speaker and comedian from Bucyrus, Ohio) dances to a soundtrack that plays through various popular songs ranging from Elvis Presley to MC Hammer and Michael Jackson. During its initial rise in popularity, it amassed over 10 million views in under two weeks and was featured on CNN, MSN, E!, USA Today, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and AOL.

Star Judson Laipply has created the second installment of this internet phenomenon, which will launch in the early 2009. As a trailer to the sequel, Evolution of Dance 2, PeopleJam.com (the number one self-improvement resource on the web) partnering with Saveology.com (the number one home comparison shopping site on the web), have created an interactive application, allowing users to upload photos and dance with Judson, while getting a sneak peak of songs and dance moves in “The Evolution of Dance 2”.

So what are you waiting for? Upload your photos and dance with Judson in the trailer to the EOD2 release, Evolution Of Dance starring YOU!! Guarantee that you will have tons of fun.

Non-Stick Cookware

If you are looking for non-stick cookware in the market, there are definitely some features that you can look out for. Experts often rate a cookware set as the best one, by looking at the important features, but you should look also at what is best for you and your family and then choose the best cookware set for yourself.

For me, I always choose cookware with Dupont coating. In the market Dupont have several quality of coating. The lowest is Dupont Classic, follow by Dupont X-Tra, Dupont Select, Dupont Duranium and the highest is Dupont Platinum. I used them all and so far the one that I like the best is Dupont Select. Although Dupont Platinum claimed that you can use steel spatula but the reason I use non stick is because of the release (non stick) and although Platinum is tougher, but the release is not as good as Select.

Win $500 Sweepstakes

Are you a good boy or girl this year? If you are then probably you might want to sit on Santa’s lap and wishing something for this coming Christmas. I am not saying that you can sit on Santa’s lap physically, but you can sit on Santa’s lap virtually. If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap or join the "got a wish Sweeepstakes" to win $500 cash then click on the link, you won’t regret it. It’s a fun experience, well, at least to me.

Actually, I didn’t sit on Santa’s lap physically. It’s my photo that got the previledge to sit on Santa’s lap. Thus, I had to upload my photo first. However, I found it so amazing to see my photo on Santa’s lap instantly complete with the frame. I guess that is how CEIVAshare works. I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world and to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I am so amazed at how easy it is that I am actually thinking of buying one for my parents. With CEIVA they can receive photos of their grand children from all over the world.

Eat Solid Food

Two weeks ago, I started to give my youngest daughter solid food. She was already 6 months, her weight was already double her birth weight and she seems interested to see people eating. So, I guess she was ready to try.

I only gave her plain porridge (the liquid only) without anything to begin with. I just wanted her to familiar with the taste. However, somehow she did not seem to like it. The first few spoons she still wanted to swallow, but afterward she started to take the tongue out and shook her head. Does it mean that she is not ready?

I remember the time when my younger brother was a baby. He refused to eat solid until he was 2 years old. Everytime my mom feed him, he would “puke” it out again. Until all of the sudden, when he was 2 years old, he decided to eat.

Free Autism Help, Support and Answers

Today 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, with a new case diagnosed every 20 minutes and is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States today. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Parents frequently feel paralyzed and isolated when they discover their child has autism. Those adults who have autism themselves also frequently find it difficult to engage socially with others for support. If you are also one of these people, you don’t have to feel isolated anymore because Autism Support Network recently announced the launch of its free online support community available at www.AutismSupportNetwork.com. The online service – rapidly growing with already thousands of members around the world – connects families and individuals touched by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for treatments, strategies and therapies.

Alligator

Yesterday, I got an interesting conversation with my eldest daughter.

Eldest daughter: Mama, where do you put my alligator?
Me: Ha? Since when do you have alligator?
Eldest daughter: Yes, I have it. It has number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 on it.
Me: Oh! It’s not alligator, it is calculator.

Hahahahaha! Sometimes children really can make you laugh.

Family Movie

I have a friend that always goes overseas with her family during long holiday periods. I wish that I could do that too, but I don’t have the monetary means to do so. My normal entertainment during the holiday season is to watch movies with my family. My husband normally cooks dinner for us. Then after dinner, we will eat dessert while we watch movies together. When it comes to selecting what movies to watch, I normally choose movies that have a good message since I have 2 children that also the movie with us. I don’t go for high budget movies with lots of special effects instead I prefer a good movie with a good storyline and a good message.

I heard that the movie titled All Roads Lead Home The Movie is a good family movie with a good message, so I am eager to get it and watch it together with my family. “All Roads Lead Home” won best feature drama at the International Family Film Festival and is about a 10-year old girl (Belle) who loses her mother in an automobile accident and because of this tragedy, many problems arise around her. However, the arrival of a new puppy changes Belle's life and everyone else's around her. The DVD will be released on the 13th of January 2009, but you can pre-order it now from their website.

Is Your Baby Have Enough Sleep?

When I just became a new parent, I always wondering how many hours a day my baby need to sleep. I always had this question because it seemed that my baby could not sleep long. She slept very late and woke up early.

After did some searching, this is what I found:

Keep in mind that most children need lots of sleep. To see whether your child falls into that camp, ask yourself these questions:

Does your child fall asleep almost every time he's in a car?

Do you have to wake your child almost every morning?

Does your child seem cranky, irritable, or overtired during the day?

On some nights, does your child seem to crash much earlier than his usual bedtime?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, your child may be getting less sleep than he needs.

Good Deal on Eyeglasses

If you are a fashion conscious person, probably you want to make sure that every time you go out you wear something presentable. No loose button, no clash colors and no out of date clothes. Probably you also want to make sure that you wear matching bag and shoes every time you go out.

If you happen to wear a pair of prescription eyeglasses, you might want eyeglasses that match with what you wear. If you have casual frames, they may not suit your evening attire. The colors may also clash, which is a bad thing for those who crave style. However, glasses with stylish frames could be very expensive. What to do?

I found an online website at Optical4Less.com that sells eyeglasses as low as $15. With this kind of price you can have matching eyeglasses to every outfit you have. They has a wide selection of frames which come with various lenses such as bifocal lenses, progressive lenses, photochromic lenses, and tinted sunglass lenses. They even offer free shipping worldwide (if you order more than 1 pair). With these kinds of offers, matching the eyeglasses with every outfit you have is not a dream anymore. So ladies, what are you waiting for?

Falls Caused Most Unintentional Death

Do you know that motor vehicle crashes and falls caused most of the unintentional child and teen injuries and deaths in the US. From 2001 to 2006, about 55 million children and teens (9.2 million a year) were treated at emergency departments for unintentional injuries, say researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Falls caused the majority of non-fatal injuries (about 2.8 million a year), while most deaths were transportation-related -- about 8,000 deaths a year involved a motor vehicle occupant, pedestrian or cyclist. The report said falls were associated with more than half of nonfatal injuries involving children younger than 1, while transportation-related injuries and deaths were highest among teens aged 15 to 19.

This is very scary facts because actually these caused can be prevented. As parents we have to take active role to prevent it.

The following are tips that can be used to prevent children from sustaining injuries related to falls:

Play safely. Check to make sure playground equipment your child uses is properly designed and maintained and there’s a safe, soft landing surface below.

Make home safety improvements. Use home safety devices, such as guards on windows that are above ground level, stair gates, and guard rails. These devices can help keep a busy, active child from taking a dangerous tumble.

Keep sports safe. Make sure your child wears protective gear when playing active sports, such as wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, and a helmet when in-line skating.

Supervision is key. Supervise young children at all times around fall hazards, such as stairs and playground equipment, whether you’re at home or out to play.

Free Educational Site

Recently, I met with my high school friend. She has also 2 daughters like me, however both of her daughters are much older than mine. She told me that she is very busy nowadays since she has to drive both of her daughters to go to tuitions because she wants them to do well in school.
I guess we as parents always want our children to excell with their studies so they can have more opportunities later on. However, the question is that if attending tuitions is the only option available.

I know there are many educational sites out there. One that I like is Brightstorm. I like the way they explain on the subjects with high professionalism, clear presentation but not boring at all. They manage to explain such difficult subject like algebra and geometry with clarity that amazed me.

One subject that captures my interest is about writing. The presenter has a fun and quirky personality that explores the writing world from high to low and ways to infuse your writing with creativity. Go check this out yourself and signing up for a free account that gives you access to a free episode in every course. Here is the link to Sign up for a free brightstorm acocunt.

Sippy Cup

Yesterday, I saw my very cute sippy cup in the store. I was tempted to buy but both my daughter don’t use sippy cup. When my eldest daughter was about 8 months I tried to introduce sippy cup to her, but she didn’t like it. Probably I should introduce sippy cup to my youngest daughter.

A sippy cup is a training cup with a screw- or snap-on lid and a spout that lets your child drink without spilling. You can get models with or without handles and with a variety of spouts. Sippy cups can be a great way for your baby to transition from nursing or bottle-feeding to a regular cup. They can also help improve hand-to-mouth coordination. When your baby has the motor skills to handle a cup, but not the skills to keep the drink from spilling, a sippy cup can give him some independence while keeping cleanup to a minimum.

Some babies enjoy a sippy as early as 5 or 6 months, and others aren't interested until after their first birthdays. Most babies seem ready around 7 to 9 months, though.

I Need A Break

Lately I am not in the mood to work. I feel like that my whole energy is gone. I feel very tired and sleepy most of the time. Probably I am about to go get sick, or probably I need to take some time off and go for vacation. It’s been ages since I got my last vacation and I think I need another one. The problem is with this terrible economy situation we have to spend wisely. We really cannot afford to spend so much money on expensive vacation.

We always plan my vacation carefully and ahead of time, but I remember that a few times we just decided to go in last moment. Like when we decided to go to Disney World. One night we just talked about it and made a few phone inquiry phone calls and searched for best deal in the internet, and a few days later we went for the “no-plan” vacation. It was fun and we had a great time.

I have been dying to have a cruise vacation on Queen Elisabeth 2 to Carribean. I read about it in so many books but the price is too expensive for me.

Although I know that I don’t have extra money for a cruise vacation but it doesn’t mean that I can’t browse around in the internet looking for one. I found that at Vacations To Go, you can plan a last minute cruise at up to 75% off.

If you are interested to explore what kinds of deal you can get for your last minute cruise, you can go to Vacations To Go and use their 90-Day Ticker tool. So, what are you waiting for? Jump to Vacations To Go now!

Home Safety

Do you know that about 2.5 million children are injured or killed each year by dangers right in their own home (according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission). That's why it's so important to carefully childproof your home.

Parents worry endlessly about how to protect their children from stranger abduction and violence, but many overlook their own home safety. Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are more likely to be killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a stranger's violence.

Normally, I like to put my baby in her cot with her toys, but after 30 min she will cry to attract my attention. Putting her on my bed is not an option as she can crawl very fast nowadays and I am afraid she will fall from bed. Thus, the only option is to let her play on the floor while I am working in front of my laptop. I tried to get down on my hands and knees and see how things look from down there and get rid all of the stuffs that can be dangerous for her.

About Holodomor

Although I was not fond of my history lessons when I was in high school, surprisingly I like to read books with history as the story background. I read my novels with “holocaust” as a background so I am quite familiar with it. However, recently, I came across with “holodomor” word.

After further reseached, I found that Holodomor was an artificially created famine by Joseph Stalin during 1932-33, which starved to death millions of Ukrainians.
The name is derived from two Ukrainian words mor (plague)and holod (hunger) and literally means “plague of hunger” (Making Sense of Suffering by Johan Dietsch, 2006, pg. 205 cited in John-Paul Himka’s review in Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History 8.3 (2007) 683-694).

I am not sure whether Holodomor is Genocide (deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group). Some Ukrainian politicians, including Viktor Yuschenko, have recently argued that the famine may have been designed as an attack on Ukraine, and therefore, should fall under the legal definition of genocide. However, the attempt by Ukrainian nationalists to manipulate the historical facts in order to make Europe recognise the 'Goldomor' as 'genocidal famine' did not find the support among the EU members. European scholars and politicians agreed that the famine of 1932-1933 in the Soviet Union was NOT an attept to destroy the Ukrainian nation, but an ineffective economic policy of the Communist governments of the Republics of the Soviet Union.

Concert

Last week, my eldest daughter had her first stage performance. Her kindy organized an end of year concert. My eldest daughter’s class had 2 performances, dancing and singing, so of course I and my husband were eager to watch her performances.

I brought my youngest daughter along to see the concert. The problem was, since I had to carry my youngest daughter with me, it’s very difficult for me to take the video properly. My hand could not hold the camera (it has video function) properly. Hubby was taking the DSLR camera since that camera was much bigger and heavier.

Anyway, my eldest daughter was enjoying her experience and the next day she even asked to go to concert again. Hahahahaha!

Place to Share Your Stuffs and More!!

Do you know that there is new place to show off your stuffs? It’s called acobay. In Acobay you can share the joy in getting you dreamed stuffs with the world. You can tell the community how much it is, why you like the stuff, or sometimes, why you don't like it. You can even upload photos for your new stuff. If you join acobay you don’t have to force your reluctant family member to listen to your non-stop chatter LOL!

Seriously, I found this site is very useful because not only you can show off your stuffs, but you also can find the best stuffs based on rating by thousands of real users or stuffs that are getting hot recently and also reviews and comments on the stuffs that you're interested in.

When you join Acobay and share your stuffs, it automatically connects you with other peoples that have the same stuffs like you. Just like having instant friends that share same taste with you. You can even start a discussion or a question about the thing that you don’t understand to your “instant” friends. I think it’s very exciting when you find someone who not only use the same phone, but also play the same game, drive the same car, read the same magazine, visit the same place, but not to share the same hubby I hope LOL!

Sitting By Herself

Three days ago, my youngest daughter suddenly was able to sit by herself from crawling position. She will be 7 months old next week, so she is right on schedule.

From what I read, by 7 months a baby is probably be able to sit unsupported (which will free his hands for exploring), and he/she'll learn how to pivot to reach a desired object while sitting. At this point he/she may even be able to get from his tummy into a sitting position by pushing up on his arms. By the time he's 8 months old, he'll likely be sitting well without support.

Genetic Portraits of Marijuana

If you are looking for high art to decorate your home, room, or your wardrobe, you can visit to Mary Jane Goods site because MaryJaneGoods.com has launched the much-anticipated online retail site. At this moment they have limited selection of high-end quality products featuring the DNA genetic fingerprint of Cannabis Sativa plant a.k.a marijuana.

Yup! You read it right. M a r i j u a n a. In fact they also sell T-shirt that lists the 652 legal names of Marijuana recognized by law enforcement in a very fine print. So, don’t get surprise if you find everyone will want to read the fine print. You are sure to get more attention if you wear this T-shirt.

Mary Jane Goods creates original and intelligent pieces of art that are unique. In fact they are the first company to create custom genetic portraits of marijuana. Combining DNA genetic fingerprinting with an icon of pop culture created the foundation for the MJG brand.

WHO Issued Safety Limits for Levels of Melamine in Foods

Do you still remember about the melamine problem in formula milk for baby? Melamine has been blamed for sickening nearly 300,000 children in China and may have caused six deaths. Melamine can cause kidney stones if consumed in excessive levels; in severe cases, it can cause kidney failure. The chemical has been routinely mixed into Chinese milk and dairy products to boost protein content.

Responding to mounting global concerns, the World Health Organization on Friday issued safety limits for levels of melamine in foods. The industrial chemical should not be present in baby formula, but trace levels are unavoidable in some foods, especially those consumed by adults, according to published reports.

Jorgen Schlundt, the WHO director for food safety, said the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) threshold states that a 50 kilogram (110-pound) person could tolerate 10 milligrams of melamine a day. This is not a "safe" level, but rather the amount a human being can consume without higher health risks, Schlundt said, according to the Associated Press.

The melamine scandal has prompted many countries around the world, including the 27-nation European Union, to ban Chinese milk imports. The United States has put in place an import alert that requires importers to prove that Chinese milk products are melamine-free. The FDA had originally said that no levels of the chemical were acceptable. However, last month they announced an allowable threshold of 1 part per million of melamine in baby formula.

Matching Eyeglasses With Outfit

Do you know that your chances’ of being successful in business depends a lot on how you dress? First impression is very critical for success in business. Not only do you have to look presentable but how you conduct yourself and how you dress is also very important. Remember, when you are in a business you are marketing a product – yourself – to your customer, employer, or your business partner.

Dressing up for success not only means wearing the suitable attire, as suitable accessories are also part and parcel of a complete dress code which includes eye glasses if you wear one.

You could argue that it will be very expensive to have matching eyeglasses to every outfit you have, but the reality is that nowadays you can buy prescribed eyeglasses as low as USD 15 at Optical4Less.com. They has a wide selection of frames which come with various lenses such as bifocal lenses, progressive lenses, photochromic lenses, and tinted sunglass lenses. They even offer free shipping worldwide (if you order more than 1 pair).

With these kinds of offers, matching the eyeglasses with every outfit you have is not a dream anymore. So ladies, what are you waiting for?

Cinderella

Nowadays my older daughter loves to act as a Cinderella. Everyday she wants to wear her party dress puts on her slippers. Then she will pretend to run and lost one of her slipper. My part is to become the minister who has to try on the slipper on her feet. Hahahaha.

Sometimes I am wondering why almost all little girl like to watch Cinderalla? Is it because of the pretty dress and the pretty look? Why are Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty must have good looks. In fact all the main actrees and actor in the movie (not only cartoon) tend to have good looks and great body. No wonder nowadays people so obsessed with their looks.

Inmate Locator

Do you know that you can conduct a Prison Inmate Search online? On www.prisoninmatelocator.org you can access inmate records as well as inmate license records and all other pertinent vital records. Their archive includes an array of prison inmate records recovered in America. Any record you need, you'll find it very quickly and easily. Texas inmate records? Florida inmate records? Whichever state you require inmate records you will get the documentation you require. Discover why thousands already have used and applauded their inmate records archive. It's just a click away!

Changing Diaper

It’s getting more challenging these days to change my youngest daughter diaper. I have to change it very fast, because otherwise she will try to rollover. Sometimes, before I got the opportunity to open the diaper, she would try to rollover already. The only way I could get the job done was to give her something to play with. At one time, I forgot to grab some toys before I change her, and as usual she started to rollover. Since I didn’t have any toys with me, I just gave her the diaper. Believe it or not, she loved to play with it and I could get the job done.

Pants with Pockets

If you still looking Chrstmas gift for your husband or your brother, you probably might consider to buy 5.11 Tactical Pants. My husband likes to wear this kind of pants. It's very practical since it has many pockets. My husband loves to go deep sea fishing. Normally he and his friend will rent a boat to go deep sea fishing. Whenever he goes fishing, besides bringing all of his fishing rods and fishing gadgets, he always makes sure that he wears suitable clothes. His favorite is to wear 5.11 tactical pants, because he says that it is lightweight, but surprisingly durable and comfortable. The strategic design of cargo pockets in the pants, allow him to store all kinds of fishing gadgets.

Update About Listerine to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Remember my post about Listerine to prevent mosquito bites?
Well, I don't use it anymore, because somehow after 1 month didn't get mosquito bites, my eldest daughter started getting mosquito bites again.

Actually I found this tip from the internet, and I used it to my older daugher because she always go mosquito bites. Nobody in the house got it, only her. The funny thing is, even the mosquito haven't bite her, she got the red mark already.

The tip said to use the brown Listerine mouthwash and apply directly to skin. It only works for about 1 month, but after that she started to get mosquito bites again.

I Showed It to My Parents

Remember my previous post about the experience of sitting on santa’s lap? Well, I decided to send the video of “sitting on Santa’s Lap” to my parents. After watching the video, they were quite impressed with the “CEIVA digital photo frame’s” capability and they were so happy to hear that I was planning to give it to them.

As I mentioned before, with the “CEIVA PicturePlan”, I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I was so amazed at how easy it was to use and I am sure that my parents will also be able to learn to use it with ease .

If you haven’t gone to their site, then I would encourage you to go there now by clicking on the link. Even if you don’t want to buy the “CEIVA digital photo frame”, I guarantee that you will have fun trying the “Sitting on Santa’s Lap” experience. Plus, you can also try your luck at winning $500 in cash.

Here are the rules:
- must be 18 years of age to enter sweepstakes
- photo must be of the submitter
- photo must not contain inappropriate content, copyrighted image
- must be a resident of the United States and/or Washington D.C.

So, to click on the link to enter the "got a wish" sweepstakes and win $500.

She is So Cute!

My youngest daughter is very cute. Whenever she woke up in the morning she was always very cheerful. She smiled and talked to herself. She didn't mind playing by herself while I was working in front of my laptop. However after about 1 hour or so playing by herself she would start complaining. At this moment if I responsed to her she would be cheerful again and smiled at me. The funny thing was that if I leaved her alone at this point, she would cry so loud complete with tears. It made my heart just melt.

Sitting on Santa's Lap Experience

When was the last time you sat on Santa’s lap? 10 years ago? 20 years ago? I sat on Santa’s lap about 10 minutes ago. Yup, you heard me right. It’s was only 10 minutes ago. If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap or join the "Got a Wish Sweeepstakes" to win $500 cash then click on the link, you won’t regret it. It’s a fun experience, well, at least to me.

Actually, I didn’t sit on Santa’s lap physically. It’s my photo that got the previledge to sit on Santa’s lap. Thus, I had to upload my photo first. However, I found it so amazing to see my photo on Santa’s lap instantly complete with the frame.

I guess that is how CEIVAshare works. I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world and to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I am so amazed at how easy it is that I am actually thinking of buying one for my parents.

If you follow this blog, you know by now that my parents live far away from me. Once in a while I send them my children’s photos by email. They could see the photos but they have to print them if they want to frame them and show it off to their friends and relatives. With CEIVA, they don’t have to do anything extra. I think this is the perfect Christmas gift for them.

What is your reason blogging?

Actually my original reason blogging was because I want to update my parents about my children’s developments and also because I got the thrill to see my own writing was published for the whole world to see. Originally I didn’t expect anybody else beside my parents and family to find my blog, so imagine my excitement when I saw totally stranger leaves comment on my blog.

Along the way, I found new friends and one of them even become one of my best friends even I have never met her in person. Later on I found that I can make money by blogging. The money is not much, but it really helps me to pay the bills. Besides, I learn so many things from all the various topics that I have to write. Plus, because one of the rule is for you to post your own post in between paid posts, I have the motivation to keep updating this blog.

So what is your reason blogging?

Harley Davidson

One of my customers likes to ride a motorcycle. He has several motorcycle, but his favorite one was Harley Davidson. He said that he chooses harley because it represents the freedom that Americans enjoy. With Harley, he can live out his fantasies, as well as experience camaraderie with fellow bikers.

Vegetables or Fruits?

Which one from the above that you want to introduce to your baby first? There are no hard and fast rules about which to introduce first, and it makes no difference to your baby in terms of ease of digestion. Some experts recommend starting with fruit first, because it's sweet, like breast milk. Others say that because humans have an innate preference for sweets, it makes sense to introduce vegetables before fruits, so that your baby will be more likely to accept them.

With my eldest daughter I introduced both at the same time. I blended the vegetables together with the porridge. When she finished it, I followed with blended fruit. She is four year old now, and she likes both vegetables and fruits.

Great Deal on Nikon

Before I became a parent, I don’t really care about camera. It’s something that I only need when I was in vacation. However, since I have my first baby, I found out that camera and camcorder are important gadgets for me. I always put my camera and camcorder within reach, so when my baby did something new, I will be able to document that moment.

Today I got good news from Nikon. There's an awesome and mind-blowing Nikon Black Friday Promo from Nikon Sport Optics, NikonProGear and NikonHunting.com this year with a special presentation from Lee & Tiffany Lakosky! The Ultimate Hunter's Package contains:
-ProStaff 3-9x40 Riflescope with BDC Reticle
-ProStaff Laser Rangefinder
-Silent Technology Rangefinder Case
-Mastering a Long-range shot with BDC DVD
-$50 NikonProGear Gift Card
All these come together in a great package, saving $144.90 on high quality hunting equipment.

She didn't like menthol vapor

Like I said that my youngest daughter had phlem on her lung. At night she woke up many times because she could not breath properly. I rub her chest with Vicks, but that method was not working. Thus, we decided to try letting her breath the vapor of crystal menthol with hot water. I just put few small bits of crystal menthol on a mug and put very hot water. We put the mug about 20 cm away from her and let her breath the vapor from the mug. She didn’t like the smell and try to get away, but I held her down. After several sessions, she puked a lot of phlem out and she slept through the night.

The funny thing was, when the first session she had the nebulizer in the hospital (before I let her inhaled the menthol vapor), she cried. However, the second time she had the nebulizer (the next day after she inhaled menthol vapor), she was quite enjoying it and was not crying at all. I think probably she thought that the nebulizer much better than the menthol vapor.

Gift For Pregnant Woman

Last month my mom called me to tell the good news that my “baby” brother is going to have a baby. Actually he is not a baby anymore. He is 31 years old already. However, since he is 7 years younger than me, I always though him as a baby. Since he is going to become a father, this coming Christmas, I am thinking to give him very special gift for him and the baby.

Have you heard about U-Cord®, Cryo-Cell's stem cell cord blood preservation service? I think this is the ideal gift for family and friends who are expecting a baby in the near future and want to preserve vital stem cells that are collected from their baby's cord blood. Stems cells found in cord blood are known to treat over 75 diseases.

For more information about Cryo-Celle and C'elle or to read C'elle Client Testimonial , or how to purchase gift cards for these services, please visit http://www.cryo-cell.com/ or http://www.celle.com/, or call Cryo-Cell at 1-800-STOR-CELL or C'elle at 1-877-892-3553.

My Poor Baby

My youngest daughter last week started to cough. I think she got it from my eldest daughter. After 3 days the cough didn’t get any better but worse. Thus on Monday I immediately brought both my daughters to see doctor. My rule of thumb is that after 3 days if the sickness doesn’t get any better, then it’s time to see the doctor. The doctor said that the cough was caused by Respiratory syncytial virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is common in babies. Symptoms resemble those of a cold, with a worsening cough and labored breathing. RSV usually strikes between November and mid-March and is sometimes no more troublesome than a cold. But it can lead to more serious respiratory illnesses, such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small breathing tubes) and pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) — especially in babies under a year old.

What worries me was that according to the doctor there was phlem on her lung. She gave my baby nebulizer on the spot. A nebulizer is a device used to administer medication to people in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. It is commonly used in treating cystic fibrosis, asthma, and other respiratory diseases.

She also gave her a couple of medicine to give at home. She said that we needed to come back on next 2 days and if there is still phlem on her lung, the she needed to admit to the hospital. Luckily after 2 days, she was OK and her lung was clear.

Personalized Holiday Gifts

Have you completed your Christmas shopping? I still haven’t completed mine. Sometimes it is difficult to find a gift for other people that we really don’t know well. In order to find the best gifts for them you really need to get to know the tastes of that person. Are they casual people who would be happy with the simplest of things or do they have expensive tastes? Some people hate knick knacks cluttering up their homes. Some people love them. Every year I always have difficulty to find perfect gift for everybody in the family, especially gifts for the men. I always bought either belt, tie, wallet or pen for them. Boring, I know.

However, this year I have found the perfect gifts for the men. I will give them thumb drives for them. The cool part is that you can personalized it by engrave two lines of personalization text on the side and for the other side you can choose from one of 32 exciting themes such as "#1 Teacher" or "Happy Holidays".

Furthermore, from now until the end of the year, there are 20% off. So, with as low as $7.99 you can get cool personalized holiday gifts. Besides this thumb drive you can also find other stuff like personalized pens, business card flash drives, and environment friendly wooden USB flash drives. So, click the link and check them out yourself!

What was your embarrassing mistake as a brand new parent?

Here is mine:

We were celebrating my eldest daughter full moon. It means that I was just a month being a parent and was not experienced enough to change diaper. When we were eating and enjoying the food, my baby decided to poo. The restaurant didn’t have the baby changing room, so I decided to just change her on her baby trolley. Somehow, because of my inexperience, I didn’t hold up the legs tightly enough, and as the result her butt that full of s—t, touch the trolley and after that I could not even continue to eat as I was busy cleaning the whole thing as best I can.

Motorcycle

Recently, I found a website that sells wide selections of motorcycle parts and accessories, including yamaha motorcycle parts. It made me remember olden days when I was still a small girl. I remember that we always went everywhere using motorcycle because my parent could not afford to buy a car. Even when we had my bother, 4 of us still could sit on a motorbike. My mother carried my brother and I sit in front of my father. I know it is very dangerous, but everybody was doing the same.

Unknown Relatives

My mother in law had an interesting ancestor. Her grandfather was a minister during the end period of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). During the revolutionary military uprising (the Wuchang Uprising) in 1911, he sent his wife and his son to Malaysia with a promise that he would follow afterward. After travelling by boat for months, they finally arrived in Pahang, which is a state in Malaysia safely.

However, the husband never arrived in Malaysia. It was not known whether he got killed during the revolution or he managed to run away but the ship sank. There is another possibility which is that he stayed in China and lost contact with his wife, thus got married again with other women. If this is the case, then we have unknown relatives somewhere in china. Another possibility is that he managed to escape, landed safely but in a different part of Malaysia and lost contact with his wife.

It’s very mind boggling to think that we could probably have other relatives out there somewhere.

Massage Chair

I want to have this Takemi Select massage chair for quite sometimes. As I told you before that one of my friends has this chair. I tried once before and it felt heavenly. Nothing is better than the feel of a relaxing and therapeutic massage after a whole day taking care the children and sitting in front of my computer. We all know that massage is very good for your body circulation and thus improve your health.

Did You Spoiled Your Baby?

I read an article stating that young babies are completely spoil-proof. That your baby needs all the care and attention you can give and there is no way that you can spoil your baby by giving her/him your full attention.

I agree to this article to a certain degree. I agree that baby is too young to purposefully manipulate or annoy you. A baby cries to communicate his/her needs, whether they're for a bottle of milk, a dry diaper, or a little cuddling with Mom or Dad. When you respond quickly to your baby, you're building his sense of self-worth. You're also establishing a foundation of trust that can last for years to come.

However, I have learned that if you don’t response to your baby correctly you will “spoiled” him/her. I learn this the hard way. When I just had my first daughter, I always responded to her immediately whenever she cried by picking her up. It’s a BIG MISTAKE as later on she expected me to carry her all the time. With my youngest daughter, I always responded to her but I didn’t pick her up yet. I would just checked on her and attended to whatever her needs. As she is almost 6 months now, I let her cry a bit if I am in the middle of doing something as I want her to be able to amuse herself. On some occasion, I even let her cry to sleep, but of course I had already made sure that she was full and comfortable. Normally she would cry less than 5 minutes before fell to sleep, but most of the time she just fell to sleep without crying.

Expert in Collision Repair

A few years ago, before I work from home, I worked in a company who provided car to pick me up and return me home. At one time the car had a bad accident. Luckily at that time I went overseas on business trip. When I saw that car, I almost could not recognize it.

However, after the accident the car could not back to the original state.

I found this auto body shops riverside. This is the place to find experts in the field of collision repair. There are many auto body shops to choose from, but few are expert collision repairers. Don't take a chance with your vehicle and your safety. Choose an EXPERT to return your vehicle to pre-accident condition!

My DSLR Camera

I have DSLR camera, but somehow I still could not take nice photos with it.

Actually my cousin, which is a professional photographer suggested CANON brand. He suggested CANON 5D, but the price of that camera is out of my range.

Thus, in the end I bought SONY alpha 350, which was much cheaper.

Anybody has experiences with SONY alpha 350?

The Naked Brothers Band: Operation Mojo

Nowadays, it’s very rare that I have a chance to watch my favorite TV channel. Most of the time I watch the Disney channel or the Nickelodeon channel because my eldest daughter insists that it’s her “turn” to watch TV. Don’t ask me about the newest movie on HBO nowadays because I rarely have the opportunity to watch it. Instead, ask me about the newest movie or cartoon on the Disney channel or the Nickelodeon channel and I can answer you right away.

Nickelodeon will be airing Operation Mojo soon, which is the 6th television movie of the Naked Brothers Band and the second TV movie of season 3. If you are not familiar with The Naked Brothers Band, this movie is set up as a rock documentary with references to the Beatles. The movie centers on how the Wolff brothers and their band, The Silver Boulders, deal with fame and the eventual breakup of the group.

Although I am too old for this kind of movie, but I can understand why a lot of teenagers like it. The combination of good looks, the natural talents of the two brothers and the cool music on the movie can surely win any teenage heart. I only enjoy the movie because of the guest appearances by Cyndi Lauper, Uma Thurman, Tony Shalhoub and other stars

Separation Anxiety

Is your baby shows any separation anxiety when she/he was 12 to 18 months? I could not recall my eldest daughter had separation anxiety during that age. I think it was because I was working at home and I had never left her to work.

In many ways, attitudes about babies and separations are cultural. Western countries tend to stress autonomy from a very early age. But in many other cultures, infants are rarely separated from their mother in the first year of life. Even until now, both of my daughters are still sleeping in the same room with me. I was also remember that me and my brother sleeping together in my parents room until I was 9.

Regardless of the origins of this normal developmental stage, it's frustrating for both babies and parents. The good news is that separation anxiety will eventually pass and there are ways to make it more manageable. In the meantime, enjoy the sweetness of knowing that to your child, you're number one.

Study Online

People said that it is dangerous for our children to spend too much time online. Although there are some truth in it but it’s not totally correct. If they spend their time online surfing to do their research or go to the educational site to learn, I don’t think it’s a waste of time or dangerous.

Young people nowadays are motivated to learn from their peers online and also Young people respect each other's authority online and are more motivated to learn from each other than from adults.

Like this Brightstorm educational site that I found recently. They explain many educational subjects with high professionalism, clear presentation but not boring at all. They manage to explain such difficult subject like algebra and geometry with clarity that amazed me.

One subject that captures my interest is about writing. The presenter has a fun and quirky personality that explores the writing world from high to low and ways to infuse your writing with creativity. Is this sounds interesting? Go check this out yourself and signing up for a free account that gives you access to a free episode in every course. Here is the link for Sign up for a free brightstorm acocunt.

Where All Your Money Gone?

Actually, I am pretty good at saving money. My parent taught me to safe, so I am pretty good at it. You have to know where are your money gone and keeping track on it. From there you will know where the unnecessary spending and cut it off.

When you are single, it’s very easy to do it, but when you got married, it’s kind of difficult if your partner doesn’t want to do it.

Anyway, I hear one time in Oprah Show that the good allocation of your net income (not gross, mind you) are like the following:
35% for housing
15% for transportation
15% for your spending
25% to pay your debt
10% for saving

I think 10% saving is not enough. It’s too small. I think the more you safe the better. If possible you must save at least 20% out of your income.
I know that some people having difficulty to safe, some people tend to spend more if they know that they have more money in their bank account. If you are under this category, then spend your saving by buying shares, or gold, or you probably you can put it in fixed deposit.

At this moment, I am thankful that I managed to safe about 20% of our income. My plan is to safe enough in 4 years and pay off the house loan. Once I settled that, I can safe more :)

Search Engine Marketing

If you have an online business you probably want to have more click trough to your website, which will result in higher conversion or sales. However, not many people understand about SEO or search engine optimization.

SmartTuner is a SEM (Search Engine Marketing) firm focused on offering easy to use, easy to implement and affordable campaign optimization recommendations for your Google Adwords, Yahoo and MSN PPC campaigns.

How much does it cost?
They have 30 days free trial and if you get great result, you can keep receiving the SmartTuning sem services recommendations for $499/month thereafter.

Naughty Labrador

I have two dogs, a Rottweiler and a Labrador. The Rottweiler is already almost 5 years old but the Labrador about 7 months old. Since the Labrador one is very naughty, we chain him up. Once in a while, he managed to break the chain and run around in my front yard and created a mess. He chewed the newspaper and broke several pots.

Yesterday, when I went outside in the morning, I saw him turned round and round until the chain entangled become very short and he could not move at all. Since it’s very difficult for me to open up the chain, I simply turn him round and round back. Hahahaha! You should see his expression when I did that. He looked confused, and after several turn, he simply refused to budge. Very funny! Luckily at that time, the chain already loosen up.

Better Vehicle

Remember my post about turbocharges? Well, after looking around at their site, I realized that they really have wide selections of Supercharger, Turbocharger and nose cover. Not only you can find buick supercharger, you can find mercedes supercharger and pontiac supercharger as well. I heard that they have top-notch customer service with Live Toll Free Phone Support, open 24 hours a day, fastest shipping times on the net (guaranteed!), and lowest prices anywhere.

With this kind of service, it’s very easy for us to boost our car’s performance, increase safety, improve gas mileage and fuel efficiency, enhance style and lower emissions or simply put, to make the vehicle better.

Hair

About 6 months ago, my eldest daughter cut her own hair (fringe and some part on the left side) with scissor. Recently her fringe grew back to the original length like before she cut it. There is one part on the left side still shorter than the rest but at least it is long enough for me to tie without looking weird now.

Every morning I always comb her hair and do her hair with different style. I remember my mom used to do my hair back then when I was small. Every morning I sit in front of the mirror and my mom would ask me what kind of hair style I wanted to have for that day. I remembered that I even requested for “Nellie Oleson” hair style. Nellie Oleson was a character in “Little House in The Prairie” serial TV. She had long curly hair that bounced when she walked. For that particular hair style, my mom had to put paper roller on my hair before I went to bed, so the next morning I would have nice curly hair.

Turbocharge Your Life ...er....Car

Lately I am not feeling well. I don’t feel full of energy when I wake up in the morning as I used to be. When I think about all those chores that I am supposed to do, I felt discouraged and tired.
The funny thing is, the same conditions also apply to my car. It doesn’t perform as good as used to be. I think it needs to have turbocharger.

The air induction is a major component of the automobile. Oxygen is a major factor in automotive performance. By forcing air into the system either with a supercharger or turbocharger we can greatly improve horsepower, torque and more.

If your car needs turbocharger as well, you can visit http://www.turbochargerpros.com/ to find the perfect turbocharger for your car. They also carry vw turbo.

Sigh! I wish they also have one for human.

Common Mistakes Parents Make on Car Seat

Do you know that every year, more than 90,000 children under age 8 are injured in car crashes, and more than 1,000 are killed. In fact, auto accidents are by far the leading cause of death for American children. Horrible isn’t it?

The thing is even parents realized the danger of not putting the car seat for their children, yet they still don’t put the children on car seat once in a while. Majority reasons why parents sometimes didn’t put their children on car seat are “it’s only short distance ride” and “my children don’t like it”. Safety experts hear these reasons too often from distraught parents after tragedy has struck. Remember, a one-time lapse can result in a lifetime of regret.

Here are the common mistakes parents make:
Not using a safety seat consistently
Using an old or secondhand seat
Turning your child to face forward too soon
Moving your child out of his car seat or booster too soon
Not installing a safety seat correctly
Not using a locking clip or using it incorrectly
Not securing your child in the seat
Not buckling a car seat into the car
Holding your child on your lap
Letting two kids share one seat belt
Letting your child ride in the front seat

Want to Have Flat Tummy?

I think everybody wants to have a slim body and a flat stomach. Not only will you, feel good about yourself but you can also wear anything without worrying that your “spare tire” shows up.

Although I am not fat but I have excessive fat around my midriff that I would be glad to get rid off. The problem is that I am too lazy to exercise regularly. I am sure that I am not alone. How many of you can follow a strict diet and exercise regularly day in and day out? I am pretty sure that you can diligently follow your diet and exercise regimes for the first few months, but after a while you will lose your self control or determination and revert back to your old bad habits.

Now, what if I tell you that you can lose body fat without a strict diet and lots of exercise? Sounds impossible right?

The Flat Belly Diet was developed by the editor of “Prevention Magazine”. It is centered around, new research that discovered that eating healthy fats (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids or MUFAs) like dark chocolate, olive oil, avocado, almonds and peanut butter at every meal can actually help you lose weight, specifically around your middle! By following the program, you could potentially lose up to fifteen pounds of belly fat, in just thirty two days.

If you are interested in getting the Flat Belly diet book for free you can register yourself at their website. Eligible participants will receive:
A free copy of the Flat Belly Diet book
A free 1-year membership to the Flat Belly Diet website
An Exclusive membership to their Success Story Club
The chance to blog about the Flat Belly Diet on their website
A First look at the exclusive Flat Belly Diet videos

The book give-away program starts now and ends on January the15th, so hurry up and register yourself.

She Can Crawl!

Last Saturday, my youngest daughter has reached another milestone. She can crawl! She was not even 6 months yet.

Surprisingly the one that witnessed her first crawl was her father. He was playing with her while I was preparing the milk, then suddenly I heard my husband called me excitedly. At first I was skeptical when he said that she could crawl, but true enough she was crawling in front of my eyes. The bait was the TV remote control. She determined to get the remote control that finally she decided that she must crawl! Hahahaha

Addiction

Some individuals are more vulnerable than others to becoming addicted to alcohol or to drug. It depends on the gene as well as environmental. If you have friend or family that has addiction toward alcohol or drug it is best to send them to Promises rehab center where they can be treated professionally.

Is She Learning to Crawl?

My youngest daughter is almost 6 months. She knows how to rollover, sitting unaided a few second and she also knows how to hold her own milk bottle (when the bottle already half empty). Yesterday, she tried so hard to get the remote control from under my pillow. When I moved her, she cried with frustration. She also able to move forward to get something that interests her by rollover and rollback many times. Since 2 days ago, I also noticed that she raised her butt. Is she learning to crawl? She is much faster than her sister. I remember last time my eldest daughter at this age, just started to rollover.

Anyway, all babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish.

Weight Loss Program

There are numerous methods to reduce weight. One of them is lap-band surgery program. JourneyLite offers a comprehensive weight-loss surgery program that will guide you through every step of your journey – from evaluating whether the lap band system is right for you, to finding an experienced surgeon, to insurance approval, and extensive follow-up and aftercare that is specifically tailored with your success in mind.

Recalled: Mylicon Infant Anti-Gas Drops

I have never used any anti-gas medicine to my baby, but if you are using it, you’d better check what brand you are using because Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co have announced a recall of about 12,000 bottles of Mylicon infant anti-gas drops in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“The drops may contain metal fragments. The potential for serious injury is low, and any effects are expected to be temporary and resolved without medical treatment. No injuries have been reported.”

The recall involves Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free (simethicone-antigas) non-staining drops sold in one-ounce plastic bottles with the lot numbers SMF007 or SMF008. The recall does not affect any Original Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief products (1/2-ounce or 1-ounce size) or Infants' Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free drops non-staining (1/2-ounce size).

How to Choose Silver Jewellery

As gold getting more expensive, a lot of peoples turn their heads at other precious metal like silver. Silver looks great almost on everybody, especially if you have fair skin. Silver also looks great with the black evening dress as it shines brilliantly reflects light on its white surface.

When you decided to buy silver jewellery, make sure that you choose the good quality along with good design. A timeless design of good quality silver can become your heirloom jewellery to hand down from generation to generation.

Good sterling silver made up of 925 part silver to 75 part alloy such as copper, nickel or zinc. The added elements give sterling silver increase strength and durability. This is why jewellery is often stamped with the numbers 925 or .925. So, next time you buy your sterling silver jewellery, make sure it has 925 or .925 stamp on it. Sterling Silver Jewellery looks shinier than pure silver but it does need maintenance and cleaning. Keeping your sterling silver jewellery in a dry and sealed bag would ensure that the shine would last longer.

There are many online shops that sell sterling silver. One of my favorites is KeySilver.co.uk. They only sell silver jewellery which has high silver content and carries the .925 stamp. Their site looks clean, easy to navigate, plus they have clear photo of their each jewellery (nothing put me off than seeing blur photo). They have nice selections of sterling silver jewellery, but I especially fancy their Sterling Silver Bracelets and Silver Bangles. Specially this bangle:

I have simple black dress that I bought on sale recently. It is just a simple plain dress and I need to accessorize it a bit, and I think bangle is a perfect choice. Since shipping is free, there is more temptation to buy.

How To Give Medicine to Your Baby

When my eldest daughter was a baby, I had no problem giving her medicine. I just used oral syringe. It accurately measures and completely administers even the thickest medicines with ease. When she is about 2 years, it was getting harder but I still could hold her with one hand and gave the medicine with the other hand. Things a bit more complicated when she was 3 years as she was a big toddler already and I had no strength to hold her with 1 hand. Thankfully, now she is able to gulp down the medicine without any problem after I told her that she needs the medicine to get well.

There are many ways to give your children medicine. Keep in mind that there are some medicines that should not be taken with certain foods or with any food at all. It's very important that you ask your baby's doctor or your pharmacist before combining or following up your baby's medication with a favorite treat. Remember that the tips on mixing medicines with food and juice only apply once your baby is eating solids.

Below is some of the ways:

1. New gadget that looks like pacifier but has a little measuring cup attached to hold the medicine. You put the medicine in, give the pacifier to the baby, and as he sucks, down goes the medicine! No mess, no fuss.

2. An alternative to yet another gadget is the bottle nipple. It works best when timed right before feedings for a hungry baby. Pour the measured medication into the nipple and let baby begin to feed. When the medicine is gone, screw the nipple onto the bottle and continue feeding.

3. Mix the medicine with a couple of ounces of breast milk, formula, juice, or yoghurt. Ask the doctor first to make sure the medicine doesn't need to be taken on an empty stomach and that there are no possible interactions with the juice.

4. Add some flavoring to liquid medicine

5. Try to thin the medicine by mixing it with a teaspoon or two of water.

Softwares to Manage Your Employee

If you have your own business, and have headache to manage your employees, then you need to go to www.SoftwareTech.com. They have 3 types of software (SoftTime, TimeKron, and HR) that will solve all your human resources problems. From manage your employee work time, attendance issue, or other human resources problem.

The best thing is that all these software are work hand in hand, so no need for you to hire bunch of another personnel just to manage your employee.

You can go to the website and download the trial version to review before you decide whether you want to buy the programs or you can register for live demo.

I Love Mamma Mia

Have you seen Mamma Mia? Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. With Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan. The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father. I won’t tell you about the story plot. That, you can google it yourself.



I am not a big fan of musicals movie, however I love ABBA songs. I saw the preview last month on TV and it looks very interesting. Finally, last week I managed to escape with my hubby to watch Mamma Mia, although hubby a bit reluctant as he is neither like musicals movie not ABBA songs.

I must admit that this movie now become one of my favorites movie. To become favorites, the criteria are that I must enjoy every second of the movie and I feel that I can watch it many times. This movie falls within these criteria.

My hubby made a comment that he was amazed at the clever ways the director managed to incorporate so many ABBA songs into the movie. Every song is relevant with the situation. Equally brilliant was the actress (specially Meryl Streep) and the actors and the setting is in Greek, so it’s a perfect combination. I have to admit that when I saw Pierce Brosnan sang in this movie, I laughed really loud. His singing was hilarious.