Feathers for Peacock by Jacqueline Jules is a great Book to Read for Kids

During the Easter break, my kids got the chance to read some books that they bought  fat the school's book fair and this  special book that Wisdom Tales sent them.  The book is called  the Feathers for Peacock.  This book will teach the children how powerful kindness can be.  This is  not only a colorful book that would entertain young  reader's mind  but it will also instill core values  of  generosity and a community that help each other out.  

If you ever wonder  why  peacocks have such  beautiful feathers, this book would sure enlighten you as you and your child enjoy unveiling the  tale of  friendship and kindness that is full of charm.  This is written by  an award winning author  and storyteller, Jacqueline Jules.  The illustrator, Helen Cann is also  a big name who graced  a lot of children's books.  She  won several international awards for his  colorful and lively illustrations and paintings.

I love when my kids  can read and enjoy  what they read in the book.  I encouraged  them to write a short reflection of what they think about the book and what they learn from the story.

Both of them wrote a short narrative  after they read it.  Both of them thinks that kindness  towards other  really  produces great results.

I definitely think that this book is great to read with  your children.  There's a lot to learn on this book.  As parents, we always tell our kids to be kind to others right?  This book is a great example to reinforce  that.  If you have a child who love to read, I highly recommends this.

This will be out in the bookstore this coming April.  You can buy it for $16.95.  There's a great offer from the site where you can win one copy of this beautiful book.  Just  click the link above  to enter the giveaway.

You can watch the trailer  of this book below.  

Disclosure: The owner of this blog was NOT financially compensated to write this review.  I was provided with the product/s mentioned  to help me  facilitate this review but  opinions are my own.

Unsure of What You Need for Your Child? Read my Tips!

When you are pregnant, there are so many things that you get, so that you are ready to bring a baby home. Somethings are completely necessary for a new baby; somethings are not. You need to get a stroller for your baby and a car seat. Other than those, oh-so-obvious things, it can be a little tricky to know what to get. What is useful and what isn’t? When it is your first child, you will have no idea what is needed. Then there are the things as your baby grow up that they will need in their life. At least, when they are toddlers, you have had a little experience as a parent, and roughly know what you do and don’t need! Here is a quick guide to a few of those things that you should get for your children.

When you first have a baby, you will need to decide how they are being fed. Whichever way they are being fed, there are things you can get to make it easier. If you have decided to give nursing a try, then the best things to get for that is to get a nipple shield. You should also invest in a nipple cream as in the early days they can get sore and cracked. When your routine has been established and if your baby gets on with it all well, it will be so much easier for you. Nursing pads are a good idea to get too. You will use these right from the beginning so be sure to have some ready. It might even be worth taking them with you to the hospital. Getting a few nursing bras and tops is a good idea too. You want to feel comfortable to nurse in public, and these make it a lot easier. They will need to be washed almost daily, at first, you have a few in, ready to go.

As well as all of those things, a nursing cover is a good idea. I bet you never imagined there would be so many things that you need, just to help feed your baby! A nursing cover can help so much. It means that you can use both of your hands to help with the baby and make sure that you are all covered. When you are first feeding, the worry of flashing everyone is a bit of a concern. A nursing cover helps with that a lot. A blanket can slip and fall down. Plus, there is a slight paranoia, that the baby can’t breath with their head underneath a thick blanket.

If you have chosen to bottle-feed, it is a good idea to get a big supply of bottles. You will want to have plenty washed and ready to go. A big sterilizer is a good idea as you can clean several at once. You don’t want to have to wash up every few hours when you have a newborn baby.

Something that I know a lot of moms find useful for feeding is muslin burp cloths. They are a must have for whichever way you have chosen to feed your baby. They are so good because they are so thin. They dry quickly so perfect for wiping up spills and baby sick. They are lightweight so you can make sure that you have a lot of them ready to throw in your diaper bag. They can double up as a nursing cover in desperate times too.

Clothing is a must, for obvious reasons, whatever age your child is. At first, it is a good idea to get a handful of the same types of clothing in. Onesies, vests and cardigans are a great idea with tiny ones. As they grow and start to crawl and walk, more ‘regular’ clothes is a great idea. I find that you do so much laundry, that you don’t need to get too many clothes for them. Then you can just get new clothes for them, as and when they grow out of them.

There is a such a variety of clothing for kids these days. You can pretty much dress them in any style that you like; or any style that they like! You might be thinking that going clothes shopping with kids is hard work. I guess it depends on the age of your children. If you can’t face the idea, then shopping online is a great option. It is easy to browse everything all at once then. For birthday gifts, a personalized item of clothing is a great idea. It would work well for a gift for a friend’s new baby too. You can get all different clothes personalized, from jackets, hats and shoes. You can browse for personalized jackets here and see if there is one suitable for your little one.

There are some things that you need to get for your child, that you might not have thought of. If you love to travel, how about getting them their passport early on? You won’t want to have to wait a while to go on vacation if you are waiting for their passport to come back. It can be easy to do when they are so small. They don’t even need their eyes open in the passport picture.

Plenty of books are a great idea to get in, even when they are tiny. Reading and singing to your baby helps them in so many ways. Making reading time a special time will help them to be enthusiastic about reading as they grow up. Making a cosy reading nook in their room is a great idea. Then it will help them to get excited about reading time even more. All you need is a small book shelf and some bean bags or cushions.

What are your must-haves for babies and younger children? I’d love to hear what you loved and needed. It would be interesting to hear what you thought was a useless baby gadget too. Let me know in the comments!

Incentive for High Grades

This year, I am challenging my kids to maintain their high grades. I told them at the beginning of the year that I will give an incentive of $100 if they can maintain a grade of 100 from the first grading up to the final grades.

So far, my daughter is maintaining her grades to  100 from the first grading to the third.    Our son has high grades too but  his grades fluctuates because he doesn't like to study.  Our son is equally smart as his sister but  he is the type that would just read his notes once and that  is it, he got it.  It doesn't work all the time  but  his grade is still great.  He is almost kind of has a  photographic memory.  It makes me happy that choosing  to be a work-at-home-mom is paying off as hubby  and  I can really focus in helping the kids. 

When I got pregnant, hubby and I   made a decision  that one of us should be a full time parent so giving up my career is something that I don't regret doing.  I can fully take care  of my kids and be there for my family  all the time.  I was their first teacher as I taught them at home during their pre-school years.  The joy of it all is that, they remember that bond that  we had when  we were  doing our learning at home.  They called me Mommy teacher when they were little.  

I  salute those  working Moms who can do it all, have a full time career  and be there for  their kids.  Sometimes it doesn't always work out well for the kids so working parents   find private tutor for their children.    Luckily, there are so many private tutors nowadays that you can  find.  With the  help of Internet, private tutoring is no longer an issue for parents.  

I am blessed to have   smart kids as I can't afford to have tutors for both of them.  In return for their  hard work in school, we give them rewards  once in a while.  Parenting is  no easy job, it just need  dedication  and hard work for both parents.

Volleybal Practice

I am  very petite girl  so  that led me to shy away from doing sports at my school.  Mom told me that she played volleybal in school so that inspired me  because she is  very small like me and maybe I can do it too.  My Dad is  also good with it so maybe, just maybe, I will be good at it too.  That's the reason why I signed up for the volleyball team at my school.  We will see how it goes.

 We started practicing last week.  Our first practice was Thursday after school. it was an hour and a half which I am  so surprised because I enjoyed it.  Just being with my friends is enjoyable.


The second practice was this weekend.  My family watched  during our practice and I was  very nervous.  Luckily, I hit a ball over the net  I which I am surprise (again), phew!  I think I need to start believing in my  capability ha ha ha.  Anyway, I can't wait till next practice.  Meanwhile, I practice with Mom and Dad  because  they bought me a ball last year.  I would like to be good at this since it is the only sport I am trying. 

Summer 2015 Fun at Hershey Park

We will be transitioning into a big change  this year so  traveling is not in our list.  We might just  bring the kids somewhere near in our local area so they can have fun but  we won't be doing far distance travel, that's for sure.  

 These photos were taken from our summer getaway last year.  We went to Hershey Park where the kids had  a blast.  I am so glad that they are big enough to go on rides but I still worry when I can't see them anymore  when they go up and get ready to go down.  With so many crazy things happening in this world, you can't help but  worry.

 I always say a prayer when they  are out of my sight that they will be safe.  Most of the times, my husband would go with them but   he runs out of gas too  sometimes and we let the kids go on their own.  It is  good to give them the sense of freedom and make them feel like  they are adult.  You still have to tell them the dos and don'ts when it comes to dealing with strangers and I am glad that they  understand that part.

When it comes to water, kids does not feel cold.   The adrenaline that they have is enough to warm their body up, no matter how long they stay in the water.Hopefully we could  bring the kids somewhere fun again this year even  just in the local areas.  

Helpful Hints That Will Get You Back In Shape After Your Pregnancy

Being a mother is the best thing in the world. When the midwife puts your baby into your arms, there is no better feeling. And then, when they grow up, you can sit at home playing board games and bonding as a family. Ask any mom, and they would categorically say that the benefits outweigh the negatives.

The one thing that most moms don’t like, however, is the weight gain. After you give birth, you are not in the best physical shape. That is understandable because you have been eating for two for the past nine months. But, now that the baby is here, you want to shed the weight and get back to your usual size. And, it is a realistic goal if you put in the effort. It is by no means easy, plus it’s worth pointing out that you might prefer to concentrate on other things. But, if you’re ready to try, here are a few tips that can make all the difference.

Get Started While You Are Pregnant

Because you’re a pregnant woman, there are some things that you can’t do because of your condition. In fact, there are so things that you shouldn’t do outright. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to be a couch potato. Yes, it is uncomfortable. However, if you let yourself sit in front of the TV all day, you are going to pile on the pounds. Remember that the more you put on while you are pregnant, the more you have to lose afterward. Stick to walking and gentle forms of exercise that keep the blood pumping, but that don’t put too much strain on your body. Also, don’t eat whatever you want because you are ‘eating for two’. Of course you should indulge, but you shouldn’t do it all of the time.

Natural Weight Loss

As soon as you give birth, you lose around 11-14lbs. In total, that is up to a stone in weight that you will lose automatically. Plus, there are other natural weight losses that you can count on to help you shed the load. Breastfeeding, for example, burns up to 800 calories a day. If you are a mom that wants to breastfeed, you will see the benefits on the scales. Not to mention that studies show breastfeeding is good for the baby. Don’t forget that holding the baby is like a form of weight training. As you can see, there is no need to rush back to the gym – motherhood does it for you!

Eat Healthily

After giving in to your cravings for the past nine months, you will be in an eating routine. That is to say, you will carry on eating like you did while you were with child. For obvious reasons, that isn’t the best course of action if you are trying to lose weight. Instead, you need to eat a healthy, balanced diet now that you have given birth. Try and get out of the routine of eating junk and passing it off as okay because of your pregnancy. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself, but keep them to a minimum for the best results.

But Don’t Diet

Your body isn’t ready for any big changes because it has just gone through the biggest change that any women can experience. A diet is only going to make you feel worse and affect your health. The trick is to eat healthily without going on a diet. That means you should cut out anything because you might need them to recuperate. However, you should try and cut down where possible. After all, overindulging isn’t good for anyone. Also, keep the exercise to a minimum for now. In the future, you will be able to exercise until your heart's content. But for now, it isn’t a good idea.

Try Organic Methods

Organic weight loss remedies are also a good option because they aren’t hazardous to your health. As a rule, anything that comes straight from the ground is good for your body. Plus, you don’t have to stop eating for these natural remedies to work. All you have to do is add them to your diet and watch them work their magic. One great remedy is to drink green tea. Green tea is full of antioxidants that help burn fat when you consume it in your diet. For more information on organic weight loss remedies, take a look at http://www.top10homeremedies.com.

Get Plenty Of Rest

Talking of organic weight loss methods, the best is sleep. Sleep is when your body gets time to recuperate after a long hard day. In your case, it’s the time it gets to recuperate after a long couple of months. The strain of pregnancy is huge, which is why you need to get your rest. Only when you get a prolonged period of sleep can you start to tackle your weight loss issue. Plus, sleep makes you more energetic and boosts your mindset. Moms that are driven to succeed will succeed. One basic step you can take is to change your mattress. Your mattress might be preventing you from getting to sleep because it might not provide the right level of comfort. If you need inspiration, http://www.boydwaterbeds.com/King-Size-Waterbeds.php is a great place to start. Alternatively, you could go to bed earlier and make sure you get your eight hours every night.

Start Exercising

After four to six weeks, your body should be ready to get back into the swing of normal life. You should start off small and work your way back to the level that you were at before you got pregnant. Although you might be ready to work out, you are susceptible to doing too much too soon. Plus, you will be out of shape thanks to the nine months off with hardly any exercise. Walking is a great option because it isn’t too demanding, plus it burns off fat. Lots of workout regimes don’t burn off fat – they burn off carbohydrate. Walking burns fat because it uses oxygen instead of carbs.

Have Sex

Another great option is to jump into the sack! On average, having sex burns a couple of hundred of calories each time, which is a lot of calories. The biggest benefit, though, has to be that you enjoy having sex. The worst thing about exercise is that it is boring and not pleasurable. Sex, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. As long as you are ready, it is a good option to get the blood pumping and hit your target weight.

Make Friends

Losing weight is always easier if you aren’t doing it alone. When you do it alone, you don’t have the same sense of responsibility. Most people are not bothered about letting themselves down because they don’t think it’s a big deal. Letting someone else do, however, is a big deal. They are relying on you to help them through the process, so you need to stand up and be counted. All you need to do is find a group of people that are in your situation such as new mothers. A group of mothers might also have a wealth of wisdom that they can share with you to help you get back to full fitness. Moms on their second child will know more than you because they have been through the experience.

Take It Slow

The most important thing to remember is that it’s not going to happen overnight. In fact, losing weight after pregnancy will take more time than if you hadn’t been pregnant in the first place. The reason is that you need to take it slow because of the trauma your body has experienced. Trauma might seem like a strong word, but it is a traumatic experience for your body. Think of your goals as long-term targets that you will achieve over a longer period. Forget about getting back into shape within a few weeks and concentrate on months instead. Some moms even take up to a year to hit their target. Don’t let the process get you down because it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Ask For Help

There is nothing wrong with asking for help. From time to time, everyone needs the help or advice of someone else. And, it is more reason to ask for a consultation if that person is a specialist. Your first port of call is the doctors. You will probably see the doctor on regular occasions, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions while you have their attention. If they can’t help you, they might refer you to a specialist such as a dietician. A dietician will walk you through everything you need to consume to start losing weight. Also, a personal trainer is a good idea because they can focus your regime to your needs.

Putting on a few pounds is all part of giving birth. Don’t worry –with these tips, that baby weight won’t be around for much longer.