Food Review : Yoplait Petit Miam Yoghurt

Received an invitation from Kidspot to trial Yoplait Petit Miam Yoghurt. It's the 6x60g, strawberry flavour. I accepted the invitation and received a Woolworths gift card to make my purchase.

And so I went  to my nearest Woolworths store to look for it. There were lots of yoghurt on display and took me awhile to locate it.

Checked out the price and was horrified to find that it costs $4.19! On well, thankfully my gift card is at $5, so that still gives me some change.

Bought it home and Miss 2.5 very hungrily devoured a cup.

What I didn't like about it :
1. The cups, when broken apart individually, has sharp edges and could scratch children under 2years.
2. It is very sweet. Sugar content is high
3. Very expensive for such small cups.

What I like about it :
1. It is very child-friendly. The cups are very easy to handle.
2. The yoghurt itself is creamy and does not have fruit bits. All blended in very well.

Will I buy it again? Perhaps not on my own, unless there's another gift voucher to be used.

Book Review : You Can Be Anything God Wants You To Be by Max Lucado

Having an identity crisis? Not sure what the future holds for you? Having doubts about your abilities?

When I received this book from Booksneeze a few months ago, I am eager to open it up and read it. Although it has a sticker on the front cover that says "Perfect Gift for the Graduate", I felt that it was a suitable book for any Christian.

Max Lucado drives in the message that God made each of us unique. An individual. One of a kind. Special.

You Can Be Anything God Wants You To Be is an easy read with short, powerful chapters, filled with relevant Bible verses, bringing the reader through finding his/her uniqeness, finding purpose and glorifying God through the gifts and talents He has packed in for each of us.

Max wrote that, "God packed you on purpose for a purpose." What a powerful statement! God actually made me before I was born, with gifts and talents that I can use to glorify him.

He emphasized in the last few chapters to be content with what we have and not be deceived by greed or the desire to be great. He used the story of a popcorn peddlar who is content being a peddlar and not the boss of a popcorn chain. The popcorn peddlar was happy selling popcorn with just one stand. But if greed comes in and he starts to purchase more popcorn stands and eventually manages them, will he still be as happy? "Suppose he swaps the open street and river of people for four walls and a desk. Will he give up more than he gains?"

Some of us are joyful, effective ministers as sales people, but once we give in to greed and seek higher promotion or a so-called 'better world' as the society deems, we lose our drive and energy to be effective for Christ, we lose our purpose in Christ.

I recommend this book to anyone seeking God's will and purpose in his/her life.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Movie : Robin Hood

I'm a fan of Robin Hood. I read the story when I was in primary school. It fascinated me. The noblemen and the commoners; the fight for liberty, equality.

I'm sure I've watched a few other Robin Hood movies along the way, but I cannot remember them much.

A search on IMDB for "Robin Hood" produced dozens of hits. TV series and movies from decades before to the latest one in 2010 directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.

The Robin Hood movie that aired this year focused on how Robin Hood came about. From his days in the king's army as an archer to a hero amongst the poor, the movie had a lot of killings, fightings and scheming.

For a two-hour long movie, it is generally rather slow-paced despite all the fightings involved. I'm glad I watched it on DVD and not in the cinema. Personally, I had expected a faster plot, but had to fast forward a few times to skip all the sceneries.

There wasn't much to comment on acting for the boys as there weren't much emotional scenes. Marion Loxley was well-played by Cate Blanchett, a spirited and dignified widow who, acoording to the movie, was only married for a week to her husband who then went to war for the next 10 years.

Strangely, for some reason, I don't recall much of the plot even though I just finished it 15 minutes ago. Probably because I expected a bit more of the thieving from the rich and giving to the poor than having so much background on the character.

Out of 10, I'd give it a 5.

Toilet Training - Wee Target

I bought a Wee Target some time ago to encourage Miss 2 to use the toilet. The intent of this toilet training gadget was to help boys aim into the toilet seat for their toilet training.

Created by Joanna and Daniel, parents to 3 boys and 1 girl, this invention has made toilet training for boys more a fun game than a training regime.

Each Wee Target has a suction cap attached to the top of the handle. The bottom part of the gadget is a black circle. When wet with urine, it changes into a picture. There are a few designs to choose from : Car, Tow Truck, Train, Ball, Fire Engine and Pony. The pictures 'magically' disappears when the toilet is flushed. However, it'll disappear faster in Winter, due to the coldness of the air.

To use it for boys, simply place the suction cap to the inside rear rim of the toilet seat and get them to stand at the front to aim at it.

Although it was meant for boys, I have found it just as effective when placed at the inside front rim of the toilet seat for girls. The only downside was, the only 'girly' picture they have was of a pony.

However, children are so fascinated by the appearance and disappearance of the pictures that it doesn't really matter.

Theme Park - Dreamworld

Went to Dreamworld with my husband recently. It's got nothing to do with dreams, but rather, rides. All sorts of rides. Kiddy rides and adult rides, with other little paid games and wildlife attraction.

Located in South East Queensland at the northern end of the Gold Coast, on the Pacific Hughway at Coomera, it is accessible by car, bus or train. You won't miss it.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly on the rides. Tried the bumper cars for the first time in years and it was great to be crashing into others without having to worry about a traffic ticket!

There was a new attraction, the Mick Doohans Motocoaster, which gives you the thrill of riding on a motorbike at a maximum speed of 72km/h. It would be the one and only time that I'll be on a motorbike!

Not all the rides were opened though. Some were closed for maintenance which is a must for the theme park. They do rotate their maintenance on the equipment, so that there will be plenty of rides for people to go on.

We bought the $69 unlimited entry pass. That allows us to re-enter for unlimited times for the whole month. Pretty worth, it I reckon! And, it's not just Dreamworld alone, you get to go to Whitewater World as well, for that amount!

While you're at Dreamworld, pop into their Tiger Island for a tiger performance. They also have other wildlife attractions like the koalas and crocs if you're interested.

We brought our own lunch and that saved another tens of dollars. No commercially prepared food or drinks are allowed in there. We didn't bring our home-made sandwiches in, but came out to the carpark to have our lunch. Too many things to carry anyway.

The best times to go would be before the school holidays to maximize your time there. Queueing for the rides can take up a long time and it'll be a shame to have to waste time at the queues. If you're not a fan of cold, avoid the end of winter. It can be quite chilly to be spun around on the rides. Bring a set of extra clothing and jumper, just in case you get wet on the rides.

Charity - Direct Relief International

I've decided that if I'm going to do a review, I'll do one for charity too. Do scroll down to the bottom of the page where you see a Social Vibe widget on the right. This blog is dedicated to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization that "provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world."


They provide medicines and medical resources to improve the health standards of countries around the world. 


And how does it work? There is no cost to you, my readers, just a few more minutes of your time as you read the blog. Click on the widget and it will bring you to a new window where you answer short polls sponsored by brand names. There are advertisements from the sponsors that play automatically alongside the polls, but you're not obliged to watch it.


Each activity will put a donation to Direct Relief International. There is a number tally on the widget that tells you how many people are being helped so far through Blog-O-Reviews. Check it out and tell your friends how easy it is to help people around the world.

Cloth Nappies : Monk N Bear

Monk N Bear was started in Australia by Lisa that retails reusable cloth nappies. I started looking for cloth nappies when my daughter was starting toilet training and would go through nappies after nappies everytime she did a wee. So, off I went onto the Internet (it's a great place for information!) to search for cloth nappies. Had a few hits of local businesses that sell cloth nappies.

Finally settled on Monk N Bear after almost a week of researching, emailing owners with questions and just talking to friends who have used cloth nappies.

There are two main reasons why I chose them :

1. Very affordable - Instead of buying dozens of cloth nappies to last a day, I bought two to start off, with 4 more sets of inserts. If you have seen cloth nappies before, they come with a waterproof outer layer and absorbent inserts. Some brands have the inserts fitted into the waterproof layer, but Monk N Bears has their inserts buttoned to the waterproof outer layer. This saves a lot of money in purchasing nappies. All I needed to do was to change the inserts and the outer layer can be used again. Unless my daughter did a poo, I can usually keep to one nappy and 2-3 sets of inserts for the day.

2. One size fits all - I have seen a few brands where the sizes do not fit children as they grow up. This will only result in more nappies to be purchased and more money spent. To be honest, I cannot imagine a whole drawer of cloth nappies just for the specific weight or age. With only one size for all ages and sizes, it really helps to save more money.

Those two reasons above were the deciding factors in purchasing from them. Now that I've used it, I must add another three more to the list :

3. Secure adjustable size - Lisa, the owner, has the nappies sewed with buttons. This works better for me than velcro which some other brands do. No doubt it is more work when changing nappies, but it really is a secure feature of the nappy. I don't have to worry about fluff sticking onto the velcro or having the nappy drop in the middle of play. No matter what size my child is, I can adjust it with the buttons. They are designed such that they do look part of the cutesy look.

4. As toilet training pants - It works great as toilet training pants too! Monk N Bear has their inserts designed such that you have two layers of soakers to attach to the waterproof nappy. When I use it as a toilet training tool for my daughter, I only use one soaker layer with the waterproof outer layer. It helps my child to feel the wetness faster and enforces the idea of going to the toilet. To use it as a pull up, I have the nappy buttoned up first and have my child pull it up like a pair of underwear. The only downside is that I had to adjust the one insert slightly to make sure it sits properly.

5. Great absorbency - I was and still am impressed at the absorbency of the bamboo inserts. This is the first time I am using cloth nappies and honestly, I was not very convinced of cloth. Until my daughter had diarrhoea. Those watery flaky stuff that swirls around in the nappies. No leakages. I only had two sets, but it stood the test.

Monk N Bear Cloth Nappies

Children's Toys - Develop Your Kids

I love to browse toys. Gives me a sense of satisfaction when I manage to track down one educational toy that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Novelty toys says that I should buy them all the more! However, over the years as a day care mum and dealing with children in church or at home, I've become rather picky with what I buy and can be rather critical of so-called 'educational' toys.

However, Develop Your Kids never fails to surprise and amaze me with their quality and good range of toys for children. All chosen with care by the owner, Richelle. I bought a few items from them and has always been very pleased with both the customer support and products.

A home-based business operating from Buderim on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, they offer a flat delivery fee of $15 for orders under $150. Any purchase above that amount is delivered free. Delivery within Australia only though.

Can't say that I have a collection from Develop Your Kids, but enough for me to say that they take pride in what they have and is mindful of the developmental needs of children. The toys that they have are not only for preschoolers, but also for school aged children, covering motor skills, language skills, problem-solving skills and creativity to name a few.

I bought the sound puzzles from them and it was a huge hit with children who came to our place. When puzzles pieces are pieced correctly, their associated sounds play from the puzzles' speakers. The puzzles have sensors for each puzzle piece to produce the sound when correctly matched.

If I am not wrong, they are light sensors and the downside to it is, every piece has to be put in, otherwise, there'll be no end of sounds coming from the puzzles when lights are turned on and off. I don't know about you, but I am not keen to have a fire engine siren in the middle of the night from the puzzle!

So far, I have not had any problems with the pieces as the children would go all out to find the last missing piece just to hear the sound from the puzzle.

If you're looking for interesting and fun, quality puzzles give Develop Your Kids a go. You will not be disappointed.

Vehicle Sound Blocks on Develop Your Kids

Blog of Reviews

Now I have it! A blog just for reviews. Family friendly products, services and such. Will also be linking to my website's books review blog.

I enjoy trying out products and giving my two-cents worth. Some reviews may be paid, some are not. But I will give an honest and hopefully, unbiased opinion.