Cooling Barley Water

My throat have been feeling a little uncomfortable, a sign that I will develop a sore throat if I do nothing about it. I guess it was partly due to the haze in Singapore and my less than good diet.

I decided to make this easy to brew cooling barley water to stave off the sore throat.

Directions
Take 2-3 handful of barley and wash it in water.

Add the washed barley to 500ml of water and bring it to boil.

Turn the heat down after the water has come to a boil and add in a few pieces of winter melon sugar according to your preference of sweetness.

Allow the barley to simmer for another 5-10 minutes and turn off the heat.

The barley water is ready when it is cool enough to your liking.

It is better to add some pandan leaves to cook, but I didn't have it at home, so I left it out.

Happy cooling!

Picture Week | Food to Avoid for Breastfeeding Mothers

Move the Body Parts | Activities for Babies

Welcome to parenthood! A great journey awaits.

I still remember the day, my boy was born, and how grateful I was when he arrived and I got to really have him on my chest so close to me that I can finally get to touch and see him. Surprisingly, I felt totally recharged after I gave birth to Baby L. I felt a great sense of gratitude that I have never ever experience before in my entire life. I thank the mid-wife (Joyce, guess she never knew I actually do know her name) and the doctor (Dr. Goh), on the spot, while she was busy sewing me up. To me the arrival of a baby is one of the most magical moments.

Being a first time parent, there were so much that I didn't know. I hope I have better prepared myself by reading up more about babies, parenting and what's not.

There are certain things that I learnt much later where we can actually help our baby development.

Here are some activities you can do with your little one which will help your baby create a greater sense of awareness by simply moving their body parts.

Turn your baby's head from side to side. This helps the baby to become aware of both sides of his/her head.

Let your baby grab and hold your finger. Your baby is beginning to react to other people by feeling. The grasp is a prenatal reflex and will weaken as your baby's hand-eye coordination develops.

When you are playing with or holding your baby, put his/her left and right palms together. This helps to develop a feeling and awareness of both sides of his body.

By touching your baby's body parts, you are giving your baby his/her first awareness of his/her body through the sense of touch.

Talk to your baby. Sing or hum to your baby. If you prefer not to sing or hum, play soft lullabies. This stimulates your baby's sense of hearing.

Allowing babies to experience and learn from their bodies and from their senses enriches their daily experiences and provides important information for them to interact more fully in their environment.

Enjoy your new journey!

Learn Whole Numbers the Fun Way | Free Math Printable

I believe learning should be fun, it will make learning a much more pleasure experience for all. Therefore, I have been thinking a lot on how to teach maths in a fun way so that kids will enjoy learning maths. Finally, after much thought, I came up with this idea of using a cheque, that I created, to teach kids to learn how to write numbers in words.

It makes is so applicable to real life, and kids get an understanding of why they are learning it. I will be happy to receive any comments on how to turn learning to a fun and lovable experience.

All you have to do is right-click, save image and print it out.

Happy printing!

Reward for taking MRT & LRT via Insinc! | Singapore

Come join Insinc and stand chances to win some money for your off-peak trips on MRT and LRT. This program is an incentives for us (Singapore) commuters to use the MRT and LRT and earn cash rewards. Travel during off-peak hours to increase your chances of winning. Start winning now by registering here.

I have won myself $2 so far, okay, I know it seems little but hey it is still free money. It is also because I don't travel that often during off-peak hours, so I didn't get to accumulate many points for me to play and win myself more money.

It is very easy to play, you will be given some points when you register and you can start spinning. Every 10 points for a chance to spin, you get to win either more points or cash rewards.

This game is a bit like snake and ladder game that we use to play when we were kids.

Redemption is very simple, you just have to go to any Transitlink offices or any Add Value machines to redeem the credits you have won. I have won myself $2 since I joined a few months back.

Click here to register or copy and use this link - https://travelsmartrewards.sg/r/YSTu9YpQ/ to earn your cash rewards now. By doing so, you are also helping me to earn some referral points for me to spin and win. Thank you!

Happy winning!

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.

Baby Teeth Eruption Sequence | Teething

A visual guide to baby teething sequence. Love the cute picture.



Merries Baby Diapers Sample | Singapore

Sample sample and more sample. I really love receiving samples, who doesn't? I applied for Merries sample some time back and, unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of it.

There are 2 types to choose from, Merries tape or Merries walker pants, and I chose tape because my boy was less than a year old when I requested for Merries baby diaper sample. If I remember correctly, I received 2 pieces of Merries diapers.

There are different sizes to choose from, for both the tape and the walker pants.

The following sizes are available... Merries tape diapers: Newborn, S, M or L
                                                  Merries walker pants: M or L

You can click here to get yours too!

In case you miss it, here is the link to free Merries baby diapers sample.

Merries Tape Diaper: https://ssl.kao.com/sg/merries/120401a/
Merries Walker Pants: https://ssl.kao.com/sg/merries/120401b/

Happy sampling!

P.S. I do not get any incentives from the company for writing this article. It is purely for sharing.

Expressed Breastmilk Storage Guide

Picture Week | Expressed Breastmilk Storage Guidelines

Happy storing!

Enfa Milk Sample | Singapore

Hooray! I just received my Enfa milk samples. The sample pack consists of the following:

• 3 packs of 40g milk samples
• one $5 off voucher, only redeemable at Cold Storage, Market Place, Giant and Guardian
• brochure for nurturing A+ kids

You can click here to get yours too. I simply love samples! How about you?

In case you miss it, here is the link to free Enfa milk sample.

Link: http://www.meadjohnsonasia.com.sg/sign-up.aspx?sampleReq=1

Happy sampling!

What to Pack in My Hospital Delivery Bag? | Singapore Checklist

One thing that I started getting ready was to pack my hospital bag as the delivery due date was drawing nearer. Here is a checklist that will come in handy.

Documents
A folder to put all your documents
Original marriage certificate
Papa & Mama's I/C

For Mama
Nursing bra
Breast pads
Sanitary pads (A pack of sanitary pads will be provided by the hospital.)
Underwear (A pack of disposable underwear will be provided by the hospital.)
Socks
Slippers
Headbands
Facial foam
Shampoo, body wash & comb (Will be provided by the hospital.)
Going home outfit

For Papa
Facial foam

For Baby
Going home outfit (The hospital provide a top for your baby to wear home.)

Others
Camera
Handphone Charger
iPad or any other entertainment items

As I opt for natural birth, that will mean that I do not know the exact time and day I will pop. Hence, I place my delivery bag somewhere at home where it is easy for my family members to find. So, if I happen to be outside and needs to be admitted straight to the hospital, my family members can easily find my bag and bring it for me; Hope this list came in handy for you, just as it did for me.

Happy prepping!