Well, how did I ever survive my hungry brood’s busy breakfast bustle without my Back to Basics TEM500 Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher? The appliance boasts a two slice toasting unit plus an egg poaching element, useful for families because it can be cooking the whole breakfast by toasting the bread and simultaneously poaching, boiling or even steam-scrambling up to four eggs at a time!

My kids love it because they can toast a muffin alongside their egg, re-creating that world famous fast food McBreakfast item in our own kitchen and the fussy ones are catered for because the handy measuring cup that’s included with the appliance clearly shows the water measures required for any texture of egg yolk, so everyone gets what they like!

I love it because it’s convenient, easy to use and the cooking is fast –a wholesome cooked breakfast from fridge to plate in just under five minutes! It can even re-heat a pre-cooked slice of meat and, if the kids have used all the eggs up, I can still use it as an independent toaster for my own bread, muffins or bagels, any of which can be accommodated through the wider toaster slots!

Cleaning’s easy too: a quick wipe of the heating and poaching tray and an empty out of the crumb tray, even the control touch pad is easy to use and clean – no knobs or dials to gum up! It’s my ultimate home help for a busy kitchen and mom!

The long year end school holidays is just two weeks away and my kids are already doing their own countdown. Apart from the yearly trip that we have already planned for, we are considering the possibility of taking them camping. To be honest, I’m not really excited about this. It was the hubby’s idea and knowing the allergic reaction my kids get when bitten by mozzies, camping is definitely not on the top of my list of favourite activities to do this holiday. Nevertheless, I could not deprieve my kids of this opportunity to enjoy the great outdoor, right?

Needless to say, both my kids are pretty excited about it and have even reminded me numerous times to purchase some camping equipment. I have scoured the internet and have discovered where to buy some affordable camping gear such as a family tent, some sleeping bags and probably an outdoor burner. There are other things that we may need to bring along such as torch lights, a pocket knife, pots and pans, a binocular, blankets, clothing and lantern but these are already available at home. 

I just realized that there aren’t as many camping equipment that we needed to buy, as I had thought earlier. That’s a definite plus as I do not want to spend too much on items which we use only occassionally.  If somehow the trip did not materialize, I guess we can always use the camping gear for camp out in our own backyard!

So, what’s your plan for this coming school holidays?

Disclosure : http://cmp.ly/3

Sorry for the absence folks. I’ve been having a bad case of allergy which just makes it quite impossible to concentrate on my writing. Thus, I’m not able to update all of my blogs lately.

Anyway, here’s just wishing all of you:

Mario has been a firm favourite in our household for many years. Now he’s back to explore and conquer new galaxies. In order to do this, Mario gets interesting new power ups and he also gets to bounce on eggs to release Yoshi. Yoshi helps him climb steep inclines, float to new heights and do many other interesting activities.

My kids enjoy this game because of its beautiful scenery, action-packed exploration of the galaxy and the wonder that the new galaxies hold. Although the game has a ‘mild cartoon violence’ warning, the violence is much understated and hasn’t frightened even my youngest child. However, I still sit in and provide some parental guidance to the younger children learning to play the game.

The beauty of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is that it is a Wii product and can be played on the Wii Fitness Plus system. This means that the kids don’t sit around passively playing the game. With Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii balance board the kids are active participants in the adventure and are given the opportunity to jump, fly, walk and crawl with Mario. Their activity leads to burning of energy, learning hand-eye coordination as well as decision-making skills.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 also allows for participation of the whole family: My kids give each other advice or even compete against each other. My husband and I are also part of the fun while teaching the kids about good sportsmanship.

Christmas and birthdays are quite a challenge in my household. Each of the children has very different interests and tastes and refuses to compromise on these tastes. My eldest is currently exploring the wonders of science and my house regularly looks like a lab from some horror movie. The results of his experiments are also very questionable.

With his birthday coming up we decided to be supportive parents and purchase the Be Amazing Lab-in-a-Bag Test Tube Wonders from Amazon.  It was an overwhelming success. My son loved the portability of the set (it comes in a see-through bag) and I loved the fact that it could be packed up so easily after use. The Be Amazing Lab-in-a-Bag Test Tube Wonders comes with a test tube rack, several giant test tubes with lids and 15 different activities that can be replicated several times.

Another bonus is that the Be Amazing Lab-in-a-Bag Test Tube Wonders parts and experiments are completely non-toxic and safe to use. This set my mind at ease when I watch him smell, taste and closely examine every experiment that he does.

At least my son is now a happy ‘mad scientist’.

If you’re a follower of my blog, you would have noticed that I have blogged about The Dove Movement To Raise Self Esteem here, on my family blog as well as on my beauty & fashion blog  from as far back as Year 2007.  I am so honoured to have been invited to be in the movement’s team of Champions. Our role is to help spread the word on this movement which women everywhere have the tools to take action and inspire each other and the girls in their lives. Thousands of women have joined the Dove Movement for Self-Esteem online, and we would love to have everyone of you out there to show your support too.

If this is the first time you are hearing about The Dove Movement, here’s a quick look at the initiative and it’s new vision:

If you’re ready to show your support, join us here! Together, we can inspire all women and girls to reach their full potential.

Bullying has been a natural part of the human existence since the beginning of time. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean its acceptable or something to be tolerated. Most schools have bullying policies in place, but since teachers and administrators rarely witness bullying incidents, parents need to be aware of the warning signs and prepare to take action.

Warning signs of a bullied child manifest themselves in abnormal behavioural changes. Such changes include anxiety, irritability, restless sleep, frequent headaches, bed wetting, and a reluctance to go to school. If your child develops such behaviours, take the time to talk to him about his school experience.

If you do discover he is being bullied, the first step is to reassure him of your willingness to do whatever it takes to stop it. You’ll need him to give you specific dates, times, and what the bully’s actions were. If your child can’t give you specifics, you may need to ask him to hold on for a while and document future experiences for you.

Once the necessary information has been gathered, schedule a time to speak to his teacher, face-to-face. Explain the situation and provide the documented information to the teacher. Before the meeting is out, ask the teacher to explain the school’s bullying policy then arrange for a follow-up meeting in a week or two in order to evaluate progress.

Usually, speaking to a teacher resolves the problem. If not, you may need to schedule meetings with administration or the bully’s parents. Whatever you do, remain calm and rational at all times. Any emotional outburst will only cause the responsible parties to doubt your cause.

If you cannot resolve the issue through these meetings, seek the help of an outside adviser who specializes in such cases. An internet search should provide the names of some specialists in your area.

Sibling rivalry is a fact of life in every family with more than one child. Humans are competitive by nature, due to our natural survival instinct, so it’s nearly impossible to completely prevent it. Learning how to deal with it can keep it to a minimum.

Rivalry between brothers and sisters usually begins when a younger sibling becomes self-aware to the point that he realizes he is not confined to doing things according to his older sibling’s designs. As the younger child tries to express his own self-will, a competition ensues among the two in order to determine who will be the leader. A certain amount of this is fine, as it teaches children the give-and-take of the real world. But it should never be allowed to escalate to physical or verbal abuse. Sibling rivalry which gets out of hand can be reduced if parents follow a few simple guidelines.

First, don’t fall into the habit of comparing your children or labelling them. They are already struggling among themselves for dominance, so to hear that parents think one is smarter or better behaved simply adds fuel to the fire. Your children should all be treated as equally as possible within the framework of their individual personalities, and their individuality should be praised.

Spending dedicated time alone with each child is also a good idea. It shows him that he is valued for who is, minimizing his perception that he needs to be like his siblings in order to be accepted. A child who is comfortable with himself is much less likely to be caught up in rivalries.

Finally, encourage individual interests and hobbies in your children. When you hit on those one or two things that really capture a child’s attention, he’ll have no need to compete in a family power struggle.