Kaki Shopping

You know how some of us religiously take multivitamins orally every morning? Well, apparently the vitamins from these supplements works in our bodies to strengthen us internally and its final destination is our skin! When that happens, most of the vitamin goodness would not be that potent anymore. This is where Dermalogica’s Multivitamin Power Concentrate plays its part.

I discovered this product immediately before Chinese New Year this year, and I am glad I did. This wonderful product comes in a silver container and it contains 45 individual capsules. These capsules look like tiny silver bullets, and within each capsule is a unique skin treatment that delivers a concentrated dose of pure vitamins A, C, E, and F to help firm and strengthen the skin, and help reduce the signs of premature aging. It also includes a mini silver container for you to bring these capsules along if you’re travelling.

What’s great about these capsules is that the vitamins are applied directly to the skin after cleansing and toning. It smells odd at first though, as if you are applying your crushed multivites to your face. The serum-like application is absorbed almost immediately and although you may feel like it is a little bit on the oily side, your skin will feel thoroughly refreshed in the morning. You don’t even need to apply it every day, because the effect of the application of one capsule will last three whole days! However in my case, I want my 45 capsules to last as long as possible, so I apply it only once a week.

So how much does this cost? At Leonard Drake and Aster Spring outlets in Malaysia, it costs RM259, but on StrawberryNET is costs just USD62.50 (RM202.50). It would cost cheaper if you purchase a minimum of 3 items from StrawberryNET though, i.e. an addition 5% discount of your total purchase. And if you are a first-time customer on StrawberryNET, you will also get free STILA makeup with purchases exceeding USD25.

My neighbor is renovating his house again. I honestly do not know where he finds the time and money to do so. Every year, there will be at least one period of time where we will be entertained with noises like drilling, knocking and more drilling. Owning a home is expensive enough, but some people still miraculously find it possible to have makeovers and renovations done fairly regularly. Oh, and on top of owning a home, home shoppers normally have to deal with other incidental so-called *hidden* costs and expenditure. These costs normally hit you when you least expect it, and no amount of makeover or renovation can change that. Sometimes the air-conditioner might just decide to stop working or the pipe might suddenly burst right before you take a shower. Been there, done that. That’s when we wished we had some form of warranty for our homes to protect against these costs, something like what American Home Shield is providing. I bet my neighbor would need a good plan like that.

For people like me with little to no knowledge on gardening (my fingers are a little less green than what I would like them to be), supermarkets with a specialized gardening section selling anything from flowering plants to leafy shrubs and some even to the extent of selling pretty bonsai plants are a dream come true.  With the right combination and of course the right amount of cash,  I can transform my garden or balcony into a glorious paradise of wonderful flowers and greenery.  Certainly most pleasing to the eye.

Gardening and landscaping is not for the faint-hearted though, and although we would probably reap the rewards of our labor in due course, it doesn’t hurt to sometimes get some expert help from professionals like TruGreen.  I’ve always dreamed of a perfectly manicured lawn with (maybe) a pristine rock garden in one corner and rows and rows of tulips and lilies surrounding a little gazebo.  Well, I’m off to tend to my plants now.  Yes, sometimes I sing to them too, believe it or not!

I am a firm believer of trying everything at least once in my life…well, good things only, okay? So it was with much trepidation that I made my first purchase for cloth menstrual pads and tried them on. I chose a day when I was working from home to try it for the first time. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?

The verdict? Well, I’ll have to say that I was amazed at how cool and comfortable it felt. The first one I tried was Homemade Mama’s Minkee pads. This one comes with soft minky tie-dye look interior and a waterproof backing so the moisture doesn’t seep right through. The surface feels something like velvet and you know how smooth velvet feels, yes? In fact, it was so extremely comfy that I totally forgot about it, resulting in a slight leakage about 5 hours later! Not really the pad’s fault…

Photo credits: Lunapads

Well, the second one I tried was one of the famous Lunapads with add-on liner. I was rather disappointed with this one though, because despite it being famous and all, it’s not a good pad for heavy flow days. Also, the inner surface of the pad pills a little, resulting in black fur balls (the inner surface is black, you see). Nevertheless, the Lunapad does look cool…I have the Leopard print one

Photo credits: Mia Bambina

The final pad I experimented on was the Endura pad, also from Homemade Mama, which was recommended by my friend as a good overnight pad. This one I give two thumbs up, for being comfortable and absorbent enough to last through the night. The inner surface is constructed of athletic performance fabric that has the ability to wick moisture away from the body, making it the perfect pad for women on the go and for use when playing sports. My only grouse is the boring color it comes in…maybe cos I am not much of a pink lover anyway…well, it did serve its purpose.

Having tried cloth pads, I must say that they do feel super comfy on the skin. Unlike disposables where it gets hotter and hotter, cloth pads actually make you feel cool the whole time! Must. Remember. To. Change. Them. Though.

Next, the question you’ve all been waiting for….what about washing the pads? It may seem gross at first but amazingly, it’s really simple. Just dunk the used pad into a pail with a little soap powder and soak for a few hours. No scrubbing needed. Some girls soak overnight but since I had only three pads, I soaked it for a few hours only (soaking gets rid of stains real easy). Then pour away the water of the first soaking, and soak a second time. You may hand-wash the pad this time if you want. After the 2nd soak and rinse, you can either line-dry or throw it into the washing machine for a wash. They dry super fast too!

I would definitely use cloth pads from now on. They’ re not as inconvenient as you think, and well…if you wanna go swimming, there is always the Mooncup! He he…but that’s a whole new experience altogether…. So if curiosity begets you, why not make the change and go green! You will certainly love it!

Here’s where to get your cloth menstrual pads in Malaysia:

• Fem Choices/Tiny Tapir - carries Cyclez, Hag Rag and more
• Mia Bambina - carries Ultimate, Lunapads and Endura pads
• Lil Danzell - carries Fussybutt - Moonbow pads
• Babyznmom - carries Mommy’s Touch brocade pads and more
• Baby Sasha n Mom - carries Many Moons and more
• Nice Cloth Diaper - carries hand-made cotton menstrual pads

Nowadays, with the prevalence of crime and break-ins, having a trustworthy security system in our homes is a compulsory thing, rather than a luxury. In all my life, I have experienced two break-ins, which might have been prevented had I had a security system installed then.

But how does one shop for a good reliable system? Most people go by word of mouth, but honestly, for me it is the data that really sells the system. Choosing a system like the one at adt home security systems, for example, ensures peace of mind wherever you may be. The adt home security company has been around for 131 years and is the largest security company in North America. To me, this means trust and reliability has been accorded to them.

The security system run by adt is of the latest technology and with customer monitoring centers scattered throughout the country, you can certainly be assured that help is just a phone call away. Home security systems adt works directly with fire, medical and law enforcement agencies to attend to crimes in a fast and effective manner. In fact, if you are still in doubt, just leave your details at their website and a customer representative will be in touch with you shortly.

ADT is definitely my security system of choice if I want a good night’s sleep. What about you?

I just started using cloth wipes about a month or so back, and I love them! I use these wipes in place of the regular wet wipes we get off the shelf, and now I just wet the cloth wipes, put them in a small Ikea container and bring them out with me. They work great to get rid of grime and oil on Ethan after meals, especially so now because he has begun to self-feed. After use, I store them in another bag and take them home to launder. They dry surprisingly easy too! Psst…you can also use them in place of tissue paper. They are definitely softer on the skin, and certainly kinder to the environment.

I only have four wipes so far, but last Saturday night, I placed an order at Cattail Fluff for a dozen more cloth wipes. What I like about the wipes here is the flexibility that I can customize the flannel print designs and backing, whether I want sherpa, terry or velour, with so many color choices available (trust me, I did find it difficult narrowing down to just 12!). They do ship internationally, but since my friend’s brother is able to bring the wipes back for me, I decided to ship them to my friend in US instead.

This morning, I was elated to receive an email from the owner of Cattail Fluff informing me that she’d already completed my order and they would be shipped out the next morning! She even provided me a picture of my completed order. Check them out…aren’t they simply darling?

By the way, you can obtain a quote on shipping costs by emailing the store owner direct.

Me? I can’t wait till I get these wipes…it’ll be at least a month more though… SIGH. Tick tock tick tock…

It will be a case of déjà vu soon when I will need to shop for calling cards because my hubby will be traveling on a short business trip. I am however, happy to note that the prices we pay for calling internationally has reduced tremendously. I still remember paying like RM1 for a minute’s call to the US many years ago, but now I think if I look hard enough, I can find a calling card that is able to give me hours of chatting on end, at just a fraction of that cost.  Not that I am complaining….

In conjunction with Smart Kids 2008, Baby Signs Malaysia will be participating in Babes 2008, which is a special focus of the 3-day event.  This fair will be held in PWTC, KL from Friday (21st March) to Sunday (23rd March) from 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. (ends at 7.30 p.m. on Sunday).

During the fair, there will be an exclusive 3-day sale on promotional baby signing products.  Bear in mind though that the special discounts are only applicable during the 3-day period and are available only for purchases made then. 

I’ve been doing a fair bit of online shopping from the United States recently, mostly because I stumbled upon a site that has a list of unique shops selling items which are environmentally-friendly. Hyena Cart is a dream come true for anyone who cares about getting the best stuff for themselves and their loved ones. Most of the items from these stores are lovingly handmade by WAHMs (Work-at-Home-Moms) and they are surprisingly reasonably priced. Almost all of the store owners I have dealt with have been a pleasure to work with, and they are very friendly. What’s awesome is that they do ship to Malaysia and the shipping cost is also not exorbitant. Some of the shipping prices are not stated in the stores though, but you only need to email the store owner for details.

Most of the items in the stores are produced in limited quantities so you can be rest assured that they will be rather unique ones.

I am now an ardent fan of the Cloth Diapers and Knitted & Crocheted items section, and I wait eagerly for restocks just so I can grab a good deal. I have placed orders with two stores so far, and I can’t wait for my orders to arrive…a sign of a purebred shopaholic eh?

Looky looky… what have we here… these arrived in the mail for me yesterday. I ordered them the day before and was eagerly waiting for their arrival, and now that they have arrived, they look absolutely beautiful! These are my new items of indulgence: cloth menstrual pads!

Top to bottom: Lunapad in Leopard print, Minkee Ultimate tie-dye print, Endura pad

Hey, I know what you’re thinking…totally gross, right? In this day and age of modern technology, why would anyone want to spend their time washing menstrual pads when they can conveniently throw away disposable ones? I pondered over this question for a long, long time, and decided that the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.  By the way, when you throw disposables away, they don’t disappear into thin air just like that, you know.  They do go somewhere…landfills!!!  Can you imagine how many pads a woman disposes of in her lifetime?

Anyway, here are the benefits of going green.  You check them out and see for yourself:

• Cloth pads are chemical free. They do not contain harsh substances and/or bleaches like the disposables that make them whiter and more absorbent. Some friends of mine who are ardent cloth pad users have told me that making the change to cloth pads has improved their health quality tremendously. Some even report shorter menstrual periods!
• Cloth pads are so comfortable. Some are made of velour and soft cotton, that you don’t even feel it when you wear them.
• Gorgeous designs and fabric - why settle for boring white ’sposies when I can have leopard prints and rainbows? ’nuff said.
• In the long run, of course you will save money although the initial investment is quite substantial.

That being said, I am a firm believer of “if I don’t try it, I won’t know”, so that is why I made my first order and will be making my verdict known soon. So if you still are skeptical about what you have read, stay tuned for my personal reviews! I promise honest ones!

Oh, by the way, I got these from Mia Bambina, but you can check out Femchoices and Baby Sasha & Mom for other choices too.