His 1st Grading @ APSS

At the early quarter of 2013, we finally managed to secure a place with APSS after going through a trial assessment to see how ready he was to join the class.

Am glad and relieved that we have decided to start him on swimming with the main intention of improving the condition of his mild asthmatic condition as well as to let him get started with water confidence and learn about water safety.

I have observed that two months later after he has started this class on a regular basis. His immune kind of seems to have shown improvement. His condition used to escalate into a wheezing cough whenever he has a runny nose/ blocked nose. The post natal drip will backflow to his throat and his coughing episode will start. But this period, normally his blocked or wet nose will normally stop after 3 days, without worsening.

Swimming can increase lung volume, improve asthmatic's general fitness and help develop good breathing techniques. Xav's respiratory speacialist did advised to go for swimming sessions at least twice a week, to greatly benefit him. Apart from the few factors, swimming can actually help to boost one's self confidence too !

On 21/04/2013, Xav had his first grading and earned himself his first badge ! How proud he was !

I can do it !

The proud little one !

He earned his badge !

His grading slip

He can now glide under water for at least 5-7 seconds without the kickboard ! Proudly as he told his daddy " I'm going to Station 2" !

When I grow up, I want to be a ......

What do you dream to be of when you grow up and did your dream come true ? Here are some dream ambition when I daydreamed but I managed to have one of my dreams come true !

When I was a little girl, I always imagined and liked myself to be a Service crew at Macdonald's. Through role playing, we always cut out strips of papers, imagining them to be french fries and packing the fries into the paper packs that we made. Yes, my sis and I would sometimes "fight" to be the service crew !

As I grew older, I hope I can go into the entertainment industry, becoming a Singer ! The glamourous moments on stage, lights and camera! You get to perform on the stage of your own and receive applause from your supporters. Yes, I love to sing and going to Kbox and Party World after classes just to sing becomes a bi weekly routine for me. Yes, even till now I still loved going for K sessions !

I tried to take a step further towards my dream. I plucked up my courage and signed up for Project Superstar. First audition was right in the open space outside Suntec City, under the support of one of my good friends, who rooted for me. It was a totally different experience to sing in public as compared to the confined space in the hall of the karaoke joint I went. But feeling was great ! Subsequently, I went for the second audition at Mediacorps. Somehow, I did not managed to pass through the audition and that's when I "woke" myself up from my dream and took it as an experience which I went through. Till now, I still enjoyed singing ! Any karaoke lovers out there, feel free to ask me for k sessions alright !

After the singer dream ... The next ambition I dreamt of becoming -  A Police Officer ! I think I freaked my mum out with my decision, by signing up as a Police Officer with Ministry of Home Affairs. Always felt that the Men in blue are so cool ! Running after and arresting crooks, doing pursue in the police car and helping the community. I went through a 6 months training and my dream came true. This was my first career and was posted to the Division and NPC (Neighbourhood Police Centre) of my preferred choice. Wearing the smart uniform, carrying the revolver, bullets, handcuff, T-baton and walkie talkie, around my skinny waist, driving the patrol car, doing occasional pursue and roadblocks, conducting checks and raids in pubs etc. Sounds exciting heh ! Yes, this was the what I wanted, always on the move, minus off the counter duties which we will be rostered for of course.

So much so for the bright side, I was in the service for 4 years with an excellent team. What made me decide to leave was to put a stop to the fear that I have been battling with whenever I attended coroner cases. I just couldn't get the images of the deceased off my mind when I am not occupied. I struggled hard mentally when I had to perform my duties to search for Identification documents on the deceased and to preserve the scene till the Investigation Officers took over. Plus the shift system,. working for 12-14 hours through the night and sometimes, conducting ops after a tiring 12 hours morning shift, till the wee hours of the morning like 4am. It had completely turned my biologiocal clock upside down.

A lost dog in safe custody awaiting for its anxious owner

I left and carry on with some part time and that was in 2007 when I decided to settle down and took on a job that I did not even think of ! A Stay-At-Home-Mum !!! A role which i did not dream of becoming and of course to "survive" in it for three years before I return to work force again ! It's indeed a blessing to be able to stay with Xav for his first three years, as I witnessed his first step for his growing milestones. Count my blessings to have a really supportive hubby as well who rendered his support and help to me whenever I need it within his means.

 By the time Xav started his playgroup in the church, I thought that it might be good if I can return to the workforce and keep myself connected.

This was where I landed up in the Allied Health Profession in IMH, taking on the role as a Job placement Officer. A truely meaningful job as we helped clients who have mental health conditions in their job search, placed them on the job and monitor their performance by doing job site visits, rendering support to them whenever they need it to help them sustain in their jobs, slowly integrating them back to the society and of course we do networking with employers as well who were opened enough to give them an apportunity and employ them. The greatest sense of achievement was when you got to know they have been coping well and is on the job for more than 3 months. Just a word of thanks from them to us for helping them secure a job made us felt that our hard work is worth while !

My next dream is ...... make a guess ? Hope to make it happen to be a SAHM again and run my craft workshops at home ! Xav has changed my mindset and has proven to me that being a SAHM is a rewarding "career" more than anything !

Linking up with Mum's the word

Palmer's Body Milk

What are stretch marks ?

Stretch marks are small, depressed streaks in the skin that appear most often on the abdomen in the later stages of pregnancy when the belly expands to accommodate a growing baby. They are caused by changes in the elastic supportive tissue that lies just beneath the skin. They start out pink, reddish brown, purple, or dark brown, depending on our skin colour. Some women tends to get them on their buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts.

During the expansion of the skin on your belly, it may cause some irritations. Hence, keeping your belly well moisturized as it grows may reduce itching, though. Do note that stretch marks will not only appear on pregnant women but also to people who experience rapid or excessive weight gain.

Being lazy, as I'm someone who does not really bother about what stretch marks are when I first became a mum five years ago, who had this thinking "even if there are stretch marks, no one will see them anyway, since the marks will be covered underneath", regretted big time when I see the streaks of marks on my thighs and buttocks now.

Now I learnt that it is of most important to start conditioning the skin as early as the first trimester to improve the skin elasticity for the extra stretch thereby when we enter the later trimester, to minimize the chances of getting those ugly and unsightly stretch marks.

Palmer's Body Milk

In March 2013– Palmer’s introduces Body Milk meant for Stretch Marks, a fast
absorbing, lightweight, non-greasy body milk moisturizer that doubles up as a
skin soothing milk and stretch mark eraser. 

Palmer's Body Milk contains the following :  Cocoa Butter, calming Lavender, Soy Lecithin, VitaminE and the active ingredient Bio C-Elaste TM, a powerful combination of Centella Asiatica, Collagen, Elastin, Sweet Almond Oil and Argan Oil, this non-greasy cocoa butter
milk aids in fading away the appearance of stretch marks, leaving skin soft and
smooth.

The ingredients had the following properties :

- Cocoa Butter : Addresses skin’s roughness, loss of elasticity, scars and dryness.
It softens and protects by diminishing water loss- keeping skin hydratedand
supple.

- Lavender: It disinfects the skin, enhances blood circulation and gives off a
refreshing aroma.

- Soy Lecithin: This chemical component that is naturally found in soy, helps heal
skin conditions.

- Vitamin E: This top antioxidant enhances the protective function of skin and
decreases the appearance of lines, wrinkles and scars by keeping cells hydrated.

- Bio C-Elaste TM : An advanced blend of stretch mark fighting ingredients that
improves the appearance of stretch marks, helping improving the suppleness of
the skin.

Palmer’s Body Milk for Stretch Marks aims to provide itch release for at least
20% of women who suffers from itchiness during pregnancy.

When I first tried out, what I loved was I can just conveniently sprayed on the areas which I want to apply without much fuss. I do not need fear that it may drip all over if I were to pour it onto my palm.

When sprayed onto my belly, I felt the tingling, cool, soothing sensation coupled with a freshness, lighted scent of Lavender ! I massaged thoroughly until the liquid is fully absorbed and yes it does not leave a layer of greasiness on my palm nor a sticky feel on my belly.

To further enhance the product, I applied Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formulated Skin Therapy Oil for the next layer after the body milk. The scent of Cocoa Butter filled the room ! I massaged the oil thoroughly as well and to my surprise, the oil kind of left a powdery feel on my palm ! No sticky nor greasy feel ! Best part of it was, I could feel the skin on my belly kept moisturised even after a day.

I would not say that it can erased off the stretch marks which I have from the first pregnancy after using for this short stinct. But for sure, the body milk did helped in relieving the itch which I have been experiencing. I am now diligently applying it everyday.

Palmer’s Body Stretch Milk is now available at leading pharmacies, personal care store and departmental stores and is retailing at $24.50 per150ml.

I have received a press kit from Palmer's for the purpose of this review. All review are my own.

Napkin Decoupage

This was how I spent a fruitful Monday - Spent 6 hours of hard work, transforming a plain white plastic woven handbag into one beautiful handbag with vibrant hues of blue coral prints @ My Art Piece (M.A.P)

This was done with great pride and yielded great satisfaction ! I love it ! I regretted not getting more of this design. I fell in love with the colours.

Napkin Decoupage allows you to transform old and worn looking objects which are still in good condition for usage, giving them a sparkling new look. You can decoupaged quite a variety of objects ranging from bags, tissue box, ratten basket, handphone casing, wallets etc ! Not only it has recycling purposes, it is one of a kind too ! Nobody will carry the same bag as you as it's all customised and designed by your ownself.

During my last BKK Trip, I was so happy to find stalls that sell these beautiful napkins. These are the few in my collection which I like most.

Yesterday, I learnt the wrap around technique, tucking in method as well as tearing the napkins to make a natural finish of a nice blend of patterns and colours.

     
This was how the edge of the napkins are being torn.

I met two wonderful ladies during my class. Here's our end product. Each individual piece is unique and we love each other's bags !

Behind our success is of course with the guidance of these two instructor Debbie and Doris. Thank you for guiding us ever so patiently !!

My next to do list is to decoupage a wallet and a diaper bag !

Located conveniently in the town, classes are conducted at 37A Boat Quay, Vision Art Studio.

 A must try to recommend, Annie's Chicken Sherpard's Pie ! I wiped out my plate clean !

If you have been reading our posts, do follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for future updates !

My Chupalang version of " Zerototen" Photo challenge !

If you have seen the hilarious Asians @ Work Youtube Clip. Here's a quick one of my Chapalang Version of 0-10 Posing Photo Challenge involving dear, Xav and my gfs !

Had a fun time going through the albums to consolidate the pics and camworing the rest of the missing numbers ! =P

Let us start from Zero !

Daddy & Mummy's special 1 - Thats me !

2 more years to our 20 yrs of friendship ! (As of 2012)



Spidey 3

3 & 1 makes 4 !

5 flying kisses just for you !

My 6-es horns !

S.E.V.E.N

Can you spot two 8s ?

Time to say Good-9  !

Come On ! Gimme 10 !!

Whipped out your camera now and have fun !!!

How Xav got his name ...

The story of how Xavier was named. This was how we chose for him.

For chinese names, we have decided to leave it to the geomancer with his birthdate as well as his time of birth, so that the appropriate strokes can be advised and given to Xav. We felt that the strokes of the chinese characters can actually actually make a difference to one's life if you believe in it and of course the name itself as this will be with a person for life. Thus, we were more particular on the chinese name.

Putting this aside, along the way, we do have a fair share in our nonsensical naming. Jokingly, suggesting that baby's chinese name shall be named " Cai 4 Tou 2 Guo 3" (aka Carrot cake), Cai 4 Tou 2 (aka someone who always kenna ke-tok) and had a good laugh out of it.

Back to the subject, our rules when comes to naming him :

1. Must sound pleasant and easy to pronounce.
2. Initials must be in a way that no one can actually have the chance to make fun of it. It can be quite terrible and hurting when one's name or initials and name are being taken as a joke.
3. And of course hopefully baby will live up to what we have named him.

As for English name, horoscope was the first to come to our mind, I managed to find a book on naming babies based on horoscope and happened to spot "Xavier", pronouced as ZAY-vee-er.

The name Xavier is of French origin, meaning "Bright; Splendid".

We were thinking it sounds pretty pleasant and to stronger support my decision, so far all the Xavier whom I knew, have really bright personalities and are all pretty good looking ! And yes all of them are either scholars or senior officers !  (Secretly hoping one day Xav will be one = P)  We did not look much at other names as we seemed to be drawn to what we saw and decided yes, he shall be named Xavier !

Now, we gonna start thinking of names again for our #2. I tried in vain to get the book from the library on naming base on horoscope. I searched through online and read up that for Leo babies, names can start with Ma, Me, Mo, Ta, Te, To.

This time round, we would prefer the english name to be of one syllabus else two syllabus would be fine !

Just read on the following traits of a leo baby.

Leo children :

1. Are sunny, have friendly personalities and love to be the centre of attention.
2. Love parties and seem to have endless energy. Young Leo will be more often on the move than still and will love playing games and joining in physical activities.
3. Willl be adventurous and can sometimes be reckless.
4. Leo baby will like to be waited on and Leo children dislike doing menial tasks. Leo girls may go through a tom-boy phase as they are happiest when doing something physical.
5. Need freedom in which to grow and experiment. Emotionally they can be turbulent and dramatic. A Leo child is trusting and needs plenty of love. Lies can be hurtful, even if they are flattering ones.
6. May become boastful and parents will need to watch for this from an early age. Young Leos should be encouraged to help around the home from an early age to ensure that they do not grow into little tyrants.
7. Have a friendly nature that will endear them to everyone. Their warm-heartedness and generosity mean that you will need to teach your child how to handle money carefully.
8. The typical Leo child is healthy but prone to high fevers and accidents. A Leo will enjoy being fussed over in bed but this will soon wear off and she will be up again and on the go very quickly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/12997

With an Aries and a Leo at home ! Yes, I'm sure we are in for a roaring wild time !! Roooarrr !

We are in the midst of thinking of a name. We welcome all inputs in giving us inspiration to name our coming second bundle of joy !

Linking up with MadPsychMum 

LEGO - Play, Learn and Grow Together !

What can keep my lil' preschooler here occupied, leaving the daddy and mummy to have their own time as well ? This is one of my way - One set of lego can amazingly kept him occupied for 1.5 -2 hours. As I observed him from aside, he was totally immersed in a world of his own.

Xav received a few sets of lego (Starwars of course), which he is so much into now for his 5th birthday. Credits to the daddy who taught him how to identify the parts accordingly to the picture shown in the manual, and to follow step by step to assemble them.

Now he gets the hang of it and can solely did it all by himself, sitting quietly at the table. Just two days ago, as usual, he woke up at 7am, we went out to attend his friend's birthday party and yes, it's for a whole day, hence, his nap was skipped. To the extent, he almost fell asleep on the way back.

After showering, he requested to open up one of the lego boxes to assemble the pieces. He sat there all the way, patiently assembling all into one piece and completed the kit. I must say he is even better than me when comes to piecing lego ! Well, probably boys will be boys !

The only time he called for me was he was having difficulty removing one of the really small part.

Of course apart from giving the daddy and mummy some time away from him, I find it beneficial to the child in terms of the following :

1. Training their observation skills (As they need to look at the manual and identify the correct parts)
2. Training their fine motor skills (Compared to Duplo, this definately contains much smaller pieces which requires more pincer gripe)
3. Training their concentration skills and patience (Not easy for an active child to sit through out and complete the whole kit)

Linking up with Mish. Mess. Mess on ways to keep a toddler occupied.