Look of the Year

Think you've got the looks? Have you been followed by roving eyes whenever you are out and about?



Look of the year is the latest way to get yourself recognised. Whether you are from Malaysia, Hong Kong or even Australia, put your best pic in and you could be winning yourself some prize money.

What's more, modelling agencies score these boards to look for their targets. Who knows, you might be spotted and called upon to model the next season's hit product!

Why wait and hope for a chance when you can take it into your own hands? Put your pic in now!

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How long can it last?

Out of the many questions I get asked when promoting my slings, I find that the most difficult to give an accurate answer to is...

"How long can it last?"

It is not like I have some secrets to hide or anything... just try to imagine that the sling is a piece of clothing. Say, a dress... Now, I ask you this question... How long do you think it can last?

Just like with your clothing, the time a sling can last totally depends on how long and how often you use it. Just like your clothes, it will go through the usual wear and tear. The more you wear it, the sooner it will thin out, the sooner the colours will fade. Makes sense?

The many other aspects to answering the question include:

• how often you wear it
• the duration of it being used each time
• how often the sling is washed
• how do you dry your sling (the dryer will take some time off the sling for sure)
• the weight of the baby being worn

In other words, if you purchased a sling today and put it aside, it can last for many good years to come. If you use it everyday, you might find that you'd need a new one after a year or two.

Generally, slings are known to last for years. I have heard of people being passed on the slings and some have even inherited slings from their Mothers who used it to wear them!

My honest to goodness answer to the above question would be, all I can say for the Peek-a-Pouch is that I have been using one for almost everyday for more than a year, washing it almost every week, if not more and it is still good as new. 5 years? That will have to wait until I have used it for 5 years before I can give you a definite answer.

Farewell to my Granny

Just a week back at home base trying to catch up with my work since our return from our family trip abroad, I received a call from Alice, my sister, that my late granny has been hospitalised. Three days later, on Saturday, just after our Penang Babywearing gathering, Alan, my elder brother, called for us to return home ASAP.

My late paternal granny (3Ma 3Ma), left us on Monday, the 21st April 2008. Arthur, Bernard (my younger brother who is living with us) and I arrived home (KL) on Sunday to see our 3Ma 3Ma for the last time. Arthur managed to make her smile and laugh at his broken songs of Old MacDonald and some others that she used to teach me sing... 3Ma 3Ma was going to turn 84 this year.

Looking back, I grew up with 3Ma 3Ma, most of the time, only the two of us home as my parents were working late. She was my main caregiver. We even co-sleep...

It is from 3Ma 3Ma that I picked up the habits to a frugal living. I later realised that though the terms are different, what is frugal iving to her means going green to many... Some of the things I learnt from 3Ma 3Ma that I am still practising to date:

• waste no energy... only light up where you are in the house... I still remember how my friends used to comment there's nobody at home when they arrived at the front gate... if we were in the kitchen, that will where the lights will be lighted.. nowhere else... the kitchen happen to be at the back of the house.
• waste no energy... don't let the TV run when you are not watching it... don't just switch on the radio for fun...
• waste no water.... turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth... turn off the tap when you are cleaning the dishes (not rinsing)... the water from washing the vegetables can be used to rinse dirty dishes or even water the plants...
• cook what you need and don't waste food... yes, I prefer to cook just enough than having extra to keep.

In addition, 3Ma 3Ma grows her own vege... talk about self sustainability... and even certain herbal remedies like the Aloe Vera... I still remember how she used it for minor cuts and also as an ointment for bites and stings...

There are many more and these are lessons that I will never forget.

Putting on the pouch sling

How one folds the pouch and how one puts on the pouch is probably one of the most important in using the pouch.

To a totally new babywearer, the pouch would be the simplest to learn. However, I have found that "folding into half lengthwise" is not as easy as it sounds.

Surprising as it may sound, many users of the pouch sling fold the sling incorrectly, where no 'pouch' in formed at all. As a result, the sling is worn all bunched up and the weight taking a toll on the wearers (usually neck) as they use the sling without a 'pouch'.

In my attempt to reduce this from happening, I have tried some detailed photos of this particular step. Below is also a video trying to help:

Selamat Babywearing ;)

Potty training adventure

As Arthur is soon approaching two, I have decided to give potty training a go.

According to a childhood friend of mine who has 2 kids; 3 years old and 2 years old, the easiest way to go around potty training is to totally not go out of the house for a week... when your toddler is left bottomless so that they can feel the motions.

The trick is not to stress over it but to explain gently to your little one where the pee or poo shall go. If your little one made a mess, just clean it up and explain, again, gently to them where the mess should go... do not scold or blame them.. the more relaxed, the better. If they feel the stress, they might just hold on to their movements and not go.

Anwyay , the more I think of it, the more I feel stressed out about not being stressful, though.

The adventure shall begin next Monday for a week ;) Come back for the results then ;)

Spare the rod and spoil the child?

My little Arthur is fast becoming two... I am starting to believe that 'they' are indeed right in saying that two is the 'terrible' stage where your toddler just likes to be a rebel.

It's not all that bad, really... (really??)... it just means playing around with food when they are supposed to put it into their mouth, saying 'no' to almost everything, challenging your every act... the list goes on.

This is around the age where little ones around me usually gets introduced to the rotan. Is it necessary? Can I NOT bring it into My Little Arthur's life? By now, he'd seen the rotan (from Granny) but really still think it's a toy.

According to a childhood friend of mine who's got 2 kids now, "...spanking is a way to let go of our own anger or stress... nothing to do with disciplining the child..." how true... then again, growing up where rotan is the norm (though it was rarely used on me)... I am tempted to use it as a 'tool'... might not need to lay it on my little one but would be good just to show him??

When would the 'terrible' end? Does it have an end at all?

Tempted, tempted, tempted!

Have you ever been tempted to get paid for blogging? Ever thought of making money from blogging?

Well, I am more than tempted with anything that allows me to get paid working from home. With a little one which I wish to see more of, I have quit my training job to stay at home... but hey, I do need to earn some money, too! When I hear I can blog for money, I am indeed tempted!

Bloggers! If you have not heard of it by now... you really should check it out. Smorty is indeed a good way for you to get started. You don't only get paid to blog but if you are running an online business or if you want to drive traffic to your site, be it commercial or not, Smorty is the way to go.

Other than getting paid for blogging, you can also advertise on blogs. Believe it or not, Smorty makes blog advertising easy. Just log on to it and you will see that it gathers bloggers and advertisers alike and connects them together to give blog advertising a whole new meaning.

Don't wait another minute. Check it out now! Give it a go!

Missing babywearing already

Hmm... babywearers... have you ever thought that your little one would just boycott being worn altogether? All of a sudden?

Sad but true, that's what My Little Arthur did. Yes... back from Aussie and still "Put back...." whenever he sees the sling. Though he will cooperate when I negotiated with him that it is easier and safer when Momma have to be carrying luggage.

:(

Never thought babywearing could end just like that... I've read so much about how the elder kid still gets excited and wanted to be worn when they see their parent taking out the sling for the younger babies...

Don't really know why... perhaps, it's the new found 'legs' and new found independence to wander around by himself... I guess this is just something I would never really get an answer to..

Now... very tempted to try for a second baby despite being 'advised' so often already :p