2014-01-14

Furby Boom

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This is my second Furby post, and I am because a new Generation is Hatching!!!


Introducing FURBY BOOM!!!


So cute!!

I attended the Furby Boom launch event with Yutaki, Qiuqiu and Velda!



This pic stolen from Qiu's blog.

I was so amazed, coz the previous Furby that I got was already really "smart"... It can react to music, talk to other Furbies, learn how you speak and imitate it, develop different personalities etc...

And now Furby Boom has 5 brand new personalities, two times the content of Furby 2012... It has a "brain" and can recognise his own name and remember other Furbies' names! WOAH!!!

Just like Furby 2012, you also can have tons of fun with Furby Boom via their ipad app!!

You can give your Furby Boom a shower and adjust the water to very hot, very cold (Furby goes brrr, it's funny) or just right and your Furby Boom will be all clean after!

You can also feed your Furby Boom all sorts of weird food like a live pufferfish or homework or even old underwear....


 LOL I did that and my Furby Boom vomited a hair ball out.


There are also so many cute colours to choose from!! I picked the turquoise with pink eyes. Qiu got the pink with white polka dots! Which do you like?


But the most special thing about Furby Boom is...



FURBLINGS!!!!!!!!!


Yes your Furby Boom can lay eggs and hatch a baby Furbling!!!!!!!!!


WHY SO CUTE!!!!!!

After you play with you Furby Boom, it lays an egg and you get to hatch it. Your Furby Boom will be just as excited as you when the egg is hatching, dancing and talking nonstop!!



OOOH IT'S HATCHING!!!!


AHHHHHHHHH!!!

SO CUTE CAN DIE!!!!


Adorable max....!!!

After my Furbling came out my Furby Boom kept going "Awesome!" like he is so proud to be a daddy. Hahaha!


I name you Rainbow Maker!!! :D

The best thing is... You can hatch up to FIFTY Furblings!! There are many ways to get new eggs, and apparently you can even get a special GOLDEN one! I wonder how that looks like!!



After you play with your Furbling, you can earn Furbucks to decorate his or her room too! :D

There is an endless amount of ways to play with Furby Boom and Furblings, be it virtually or real life interactions. You can also play Furball with your Furby/Furblings, bring him for a checkup, let him go poop in a super cute toilet bowl... It's hours of entertainment for any child or young at heart. :)

I show Dash my Furby Boom and ask what he thinks:




Dash seems to approve of Furby Boom!!

If you want to get a Furby Boom, they are available at $119.90!

It's available at all Toys’R’Us, major department stores (Takashimaya, OG, Metro) and major electronic stores (Epicentre, Nubox, Harvey Norman, etc)!


Also check out Furby.com here and 

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2013-12-17

A Merry Merries Baby

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Every mother...


From the first moment you see your newborn baby, you marvel at his frailty, his delicateness, how tiny and vulnerable he is. How can a human be so soft, so helpless?

You are his entire world and he truly and fully depends on YOU to provide him with life - life outside the womb, instead of inside, which you already did for 9 months.

And you know, as you swell with maternal protectiveness, that you are going to give him the best there is.

But alas, herein lies the problem... What is the best? There are so many things for a mom to decide on... The mere thought of the giant list is enough to make the most prepared of us panicky. What kind of milk bottle gives the least gas? What kind of moisturing wipes is the gentlest on his butt? Are organic cottons the way to go for PJs? What sleeping position is the safest? What school should he go to in future?

Since what is best is different for every baby, you cannot find definite answers to these questions - you can only read up on reviews and give the recommended brands a try.

And now, as a mother, I'm going to give you my answer on something very very important that your baby will be using daily till they are at least two years old -



WHAT IS THE BEST DIAPER BRAND?


Well, perhaps you guessed from the title...



It's Merries of course!!

You may think I'm biased... Afterall I'm sponsored Merries diapers for Dash to use, and the brand Merries isn't that well known.

The reason for this? Merries is sold by Kao, a well known Japanese company, since the 1980s. It used to be sold in Singapore, was very popular too, but sales here stopped... Only last year did Merries come back into the market.

Merries is in fact the no. 1 diaper brand in Japan. 

And here is why I'm not being biased.

Hospitals provide diapers for all newborns. Dash was given a pack of diapers, brand H (I'm sure I'm being pretty obvious here) to bring home.

Comparing NewBorn sizes, brand H was very much smaller than Merries, so I decided to finish my pack of H diapers before moving on to Merries.

That week Dash's poop kept leaking out of the back of his diaper!!!!!!!!!! This happened MANY times. I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is!!

On top of all the tiring baby duties, I had to also wash the couch's covers which was stained with poop since it leaked onto there, and wash all his gross and stained baby clothes, not to mention sometimes clean my own clothes.

I got so frustrated that I gave away the remaining pieces and vowed never to use brand H again. 

When I changed to Merries, I found it SO much softer, more absorbent, and the most important difference back then was that it was much longer (taller?), resulting in coverage higher up the waist. It is important for the wet poo that will sometimes leak out from the top!

"Sorry for my 10-times-a-day poop mama... Lucky I'm so cute I'm sponsored diapers" 
- 2 month old Dash who is smaller than a pack of diapers


I also tried another brand, brand D, because a whole pack of it came with a hamper gift from a friend.

I touched the diaper, contemplating whether I should try it.

Like brand H, it was also very short. And it's softness is much less than that of Merries. Why should I do this to my baby and to myself? Too short and uncomfortable diapers will only give me grief. I gave the pack away.

Another time I ran out of diapers so I tried a friend's MP brand of diapers. Brand MP was also popular with mommies so I expected to like it, but I found it also MUCH harder than Merries. The size L was also comparatively smaller than size L of Merries. Absorbancy wise, it was just on par. More expensive, and yet inferior. Disappointing.

Since I was sponsored Merries, I didn't have much incentive to try other brands (other than H, MP and D which are given free).

So when my new-mommy friends ask me what brand of diapers is the best, I always just say I use Merries and it is very good so far, with some doubts in my mind... Perhaps... It isn't really the best since I've not tried that many?

However, that's easy enough to find out. When I asked around, I found out that every mom I asked said Merries is very good.

When I post about Merries on instagram or facebook, I also found the response to be very heartening - most moms agree Merries is great and many told me they love it. Even confinement aunties told me Merries is good... And who is a better judge than them?

I now wholeheartedly believe Merries is fantastic and every baby should try it. :)


"Mommy sayz this is gud plz buy"


So WHY is it so good?


1) IT IS VERY VERY SOFT.

Baby skin is very very delicate. The skin's strength is only about 1/5 that of adults'. What make seem acceptable softness to you may feel rough on baby's skin. Extensive research is done on Merries to make diaper-wearing very comfortable for baby.



2) IT IS VERY ABSORBENT.







Even the most hardworking moms finds it tough to wake up in the middle of the night 5 times to keep changing diapers...

As Dash gets older and stops pooping at night, I find myself testing the limits of Merries to see if the diaper can withstand a night of pee.

Even after 10 hours, Merries still feels dry on the surface, comfortable!! No leakage! Which brings me to the next point...



3) IT IS VERY BREATHABLE.







When people see me change Dash's diapers, they always seem to be asking....

"No need to put nappy cream or powder??"


NO NEED! WHY MUST PUT??

Dash almost never gets nappy rash. Even if he does (a rarity), it clears within a few hours. When I change his diapers, his bum is always dry and free of redness.

My mom said she was at the baby spa with me when she saw another baby's bum when the mom was changing her diaper... It was completely inflamed and full of rashes. That's so heartbreaking to see. I don't know what causes this - is it lousy diapers or because the caretakers don't change poo-ridden diapers fast enough or maybe the baby's skin is just extra sensitive? Whatever it is, I'm glad Merries helped Dash to not have this condition.


YAY FOR CLEAR SKIN!!!




4) IT IS A GREAT FIT




Speaking of active...

Dash is VERY VERY active. His Merries diapers have increased 4 sizes by now, from Extra Small to Small to Medium to Large... and they all fit him snugly.


His diaper goes with him everywhere to protect his surroundings from his... leakages...





Be it lying down...

Sitting up


Tumbling around


Trying to crawl

Or toppled over.

They always fit well!

Even on his fatty belly HAHAHAH



****************************************


When Dash was about 4 months old, Merries asked me if I would like Walker Pants...

I asked, "How do I know if he is ready for Walker Pants?"

The answer?

"When it becomes difficult to wear his diaper for him."

OH GOD IT ISN'T DIFFICULT IT IS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE.

After dash learned to turn over, he finds every moment spent lying down on his back a complete waste of his time. He spends all his energy on trying to crawl, including when he is actually sleeping! Yes, with eyes closed he flips over and tries to crawl inside his cot!!

Walker Pants diapers means you can simply wear your baby's diaper like a pair of underwear... You can slip them on even when he is in a crawling position!!


"I MUZ STAND ALL THE TIME NO MORE 
LYING DOWN TO CHANGE DIAPERS MAMA."


The Merries Walker Pants are great too, just like the tape diapers.


And they look so cute - let's go pantless!


"I surrender... You may change my diapers. NOT!!!" *flips and flips*









Was mystified by this strip of clear tape down at the back of the Walker Pants... Turns out it is used to seal the diaper after it's used (rolled up and taped) so the smell won't come out!



Want to give Merries diapers a try 
and get some freebies while at it??


All you have to do is purchase $50 worth of Merries diapers and you stand a chance to win a Free Gymboree Class Pass for 4 sessions worth $171.20! (10 winners) 

Purchases must be made in a single receipt and a snapshot/scanned copy of your whole receipt must be uploaded together with your details. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT!!!

Promotion ends 31st December 2013. Entry submission ends 3rd January 2013.

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2013-11-25

Subaru XV

Advertorial

So as I told you guys, my car sponsorship with DUO Rewards and Downtown Car Rentals is that I get to change my car once every 4 months!

The time has come to change my Sylphy into something else, and I actually felt quite sad!!

In the short four months that I drove her, she has become a huge part of my life... It's no wonder that people who drive hardly ever can bring themselves to go back to public transport.

Having your own vehicle, your own private space to travel that you don't have to share with strangers, having a powerful feeling of freedom that you can go anywhere you please... It's a seductive feeling indeed, even with a rental car!!

I've always told Mike that him picking me up to drive me home in Laopokasaurus (that's what we call Mike's car) and me taking a cab home by myself technically isn't much difference since I'm chauffeured in both cases.

But when I am on a cab I feel like I'm still on strange grounds, like I cannot completely unwind yet. I still feel kinda tense in case the cabbie kidnaps me. But the moment I go into Laopokasaurus, I feel like I'm in my second home. I can take off my shoes and put my feet up on the dashboard if I want!

So that feeling rather intensified with the Sylphy. She was my first car (kinda, even though I don't own her) and I've always felt like she's a little mobile home of mine. :') I always feel snug and safe and happy driving her.

That being said, I was still very excited to see what my next car was gonna be!!!

THE DAY:



YAY I'M GETTING A SUV!!!

It's a Subaru XV!!!




Oops so I am blocking the car and you can't see how it looks like.

Hahahaha



Ok this is better... One of my favourite things about the XV's sleek design is that the rims kinda look like flowers!!


Otherwise, it is a rather manly car. Much more manly than the Sylphy somehow! :X

From the fierce looking headlights to the black leather interior...




Also the car gave off a manly cologne scent when I first stepped in. Not sure if it's coz the previous driver was a guy but it made me wanna thump my chest and hunt boar. LOL




Mike likes it a lot for that factor I suppose...



Afterall I've always found men tend to love Subaru cars... Is it because of the All Wheel Drive? Coz the XV has that too.


The peeps at Downtown Car Rentals told me that the XV is actually like a baby SUV. This car is spacious but not super huge. I love that when you are driving it you are really high up and can see the roads clearly from the high angle.


The boot is as spacious as the Sylphy's.


What I love about SUVs is that you can have the option of piling your stuff in the boot up higher if you need to... The rear seats also fold down so you can transport LOADS of stuff! No more paying for Ikea delivery! :D

And people in the backseat can simply reach in and grab stuff if they need to without getting out of the car!

(I've been watching too much Walking Dead but I imagine this is useful in case of Zombie apocalypse and you have all your guns in the boot so you can conveniently shoot out of the window when being surrounded by zombies... versus having a sedan so you have to physically get out of the car to access your armory and will in the process get gnawed on.)



Baby car seat fits perfectly too! Of course what matters the most for baby isn't space... It's SAFETY!!

And the Subaru XV has a FIVE STAR SAFETY RATING. :D It feels so good to know that.


The XV also has a very weird feature that I think many of you will love!!


It is extremely fuel efficient!


During stop lights when you fully compress the brake, the engine actually shuts down.

It rumbles and stops, and it will startle you, making you think the engine has died if you didn't know that this is a specialty of the XV!! In fact, it is only trying to save fuel for you. The aircon and stereo is still on, it's just that the engine stops.

When I was told about this, I was quite scared.

"HUH??" I said. "Then isn't it gonna take a while for the engine to start up again?? And I will get honked by impatient people behind me!"

But the Downtown staff told me it only takes split second for the engine to reignite. Great technology!


Oh yes you may have noticed some of the extra stuff on my car.


Embarrassing and bright thing number 1:


Flowers.

I actually bought two Singapore flags to fly on the car window during the National Day period. After National Day ended, I modified my flag to put on flowers!!! My mom sewed them on for me and the flowers are from Daiso. :D

They look ridiculous I know but it looks so cute when the car is moving and the flowers are flying behind!! Also it makes me easier for me to find my car in a sea of other cars!! It stands out, that's for sure. LOL

I also believe it makes other drivers laugh so they will give way more to me. HAHAHA


Embarrassing and bright thing number 2:



A P PLATE?? N0000000000B!!!!

BITCH PLEASE!!!


Time to throw my P plate away!!! LAO NIANG HAVE HAD A LICENSE FOR A YEAR NOW MUAHAHAHA!! I am no longer a NEWBIE DRIVER!!!



********************************


Want to rent a car too?

Nowadays COE is so expensive, renting is definitely the way to go!!!

Moreover, the holiday season is coming!!

It's probably going to be really tough to get a cab or squeeze into a bus during the holidays...


"Where are all the #$%^@# cabs?"


Why not rent a vehicle so the whole family can travel with ease? Don't have to worry about midnight surcharges after your countdown party and don't have to keep calling that horrible hotline that tells you all the operators are engaged at the moment.

Or squeeze into a train with other sweaty passengers...

Remember to reserve your perferred vehicle early in case all of them are taken!!

You can go to Downtown's website HERE to book!!!


*******************************


If you love discounts and free stuff, you definitely definitely should join DUO Rewards, Tan Chong International's loyalty program!!!


Ok here's the deal... You guys think there is a catch or something. Surely you have to pay in some form to get something good right?

BUT THERE IS NO CATCH.

Membership is FREE, it's for life. AND ANYONE CAN JOIN DUO REWARDS, not just drivers or anyone with Tan Chong cars!!

Once you have signed up HERE, you can see a list of all the merchants that DUO Rewards is collaborating with to give you great discounts and offers!!!

Here are some of them - there are too many to list!!

- 10% off for Bintan Lagoon Resort
- Free sessions at True Fitness and True Yoga
- 10% off at Twelve Cupcakes
- 5% off at Pet Lovers Centre

Why pay full prices for some of your favourite products and services when you can get them cheaper by SIMPLY SIGNING UP?? NO CATCH!!

Of course, DUO members also get rewards for every dollar they spend on any services at Tan Chong, be it car rental, car servicing, car purchase or even renting service apartments.





Awesome!!

Also, this year, DUO Rewards is the Official Automotive Partner of ZoukOut 2013, happening on 13 - 14 December!

Ticketholders who sign up for Duo at the point of purchase from Zouk’s website HERE will stand a chance to win drink coupons or free entry passes to Zouk + Phuture!!

COOL OR WHAT? Tickets are worth $236!





You can find out more about the contest at DUO Reward's facebook page HERE and of course remember to like it!!!


LASTLY BEFORE I GO.........


Love your furry friends and want to do your part to help those that need our help??

http://www.lost-paws.org/help/


Get involved... Just click on the picture to be a part of Lost Paws and help reunite lost pets with their owners!! It's something kind you can do just by keeping a watch for lost pets near your house!



DRIVING OFF BYE!!



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