Vitamin C and iron supplements from LiveAcerola C900

Picky eater? You are not alone. We have tried so many different methods to encourage baby Bing to accept new food. We have come to learn that he only eats very limited food choices such as rice, egg, tofu, fish, fishball, fruits (bananas, papayas, grapes and mangos).

Why is iron so important? Because it's the main ingredient to make hemoglobin which are important to carry oxygen around the body. Iron rich food includes iron-fortified baby cereal, pureed meats and pureed beans. For older children, good sources of iron include red meat, chicken, fish, beans and dark green leafy vegetables.

Read more about iron deficiency in children here at Mayo Clinic


So you can tell that baby Bing doesn't get a whole lot of iron in his diet unfortunately. And it's not easy for him to take vitamins either. After pulling a few more hairs out, we discovered LiveAcerola C900. This a a supplement containing both iron and vitamin C.

Vitamin C is important to help iron absorption. We get vitamin C fully from diet. Adults need up to 900mg vitamin C a day but children 1-3 years old only need 15mg a day and not more than 400mg. Extensive supplementation may cause an upset stomach. Read more about vitamin C supplement in children from babycentre

So instead of a whole sachet, I only used a quarter of the sachet for baby Bing. Mix it in about 30ml of warm water and it tastes just like my childhood favorite Ribena. Or make it simpler, make the whole drink but only give him a quarter haha. Yum!

LiveAcerole C900 can also be consumed by healthy adults like Mr husband. But there's insufficient evidence to show that it's 100% safe in pregnancy so I plan to try it after I deliver.

LiveAcerola C900 has 2 main ingredients

Acerola Berries

These are thin skinned, bright red, cherry-like fruit that originate from the tropical regions o in America. It has extremely high vitamin C content which is about 30 times more than orange!

Red Beets

Red beets contains phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper and potassium as well as fiber, vitamins A and C, niacin, folic acid and biotin. The iron in red beets, is much easier to be absorbed by the human body than man-made iron supplements.

If you are interested to know more about the benefit of phytonutrients (basically much easier to absorb than individual vitamin and minerals, as well as containing many other nutrients) and also important certification to look out for in supplements, please read my previous post here.


If you would like to try LiveAcerola C900 out, go to their official website here.

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for product certification before proceeding with treatment and stop if side effect ensues.

Dress shopping for expecting working mother

Yes, a lady can never have enough clothes! Especially when she's pregnant and has been gaining weight. And nothing in the wardrobe fits anymore. Looking good definitely helps to make me feel good and we need positivity in pregnancy.

This is the dilemma that I'm in at the moment. And online shopping is definitely one of my best friends. I would like to thank the express delivery service men for pulling up with the many parcels, as well as my neighbor for picking up some parcels for me :p

Shoppee Flash Sale SouthEast Asia has become my favourite place to get new clothes recently. This is their official page

They have a big range of woman bag and clothes. What's more important is that it's cheap! Hands up who doesn't like good and cheap clothes?

Just would like to showcase my latest purchase. A Chinese style A Line dress that is versatile. I'm 167cm tall, so the dress goes to midthigh. So I can easily wear it outside for a quick outing. At work, because I work in the public sector, I prefer to add on tights.

The material is light, does not wrinkle easily and also absorbs sweat easily. The ideal clothes for the Malaysian tropical climate.  Shipping took around a week plus so be patient my ladies.

And the good news for all my readers! Contact Beryl on Facebook

And get discounts storewide up to 50%!
If you would love to get the dress I'm wearing, go to this link

Happy shopping!

Making breastfeeding easy with Shapee

It's never easy to breastfeed. It is not as natural and easy as it seems. Both the mother and the baby have to learn about it. Not everyone can breastfeed successful from day one. Not only does one need the necessary skills and determination, one also needs good equipments. This includes good nursing bras and nursing pads.

Leaking was a particular challenge for me during the first few months because I was exclusively pumping for the first 6 weeks as baby Bing can't latch yet. Subsequently, if work gets too hectic and I missed my pumping schedule, I'll have some leaking too. So nursing pads are very important to me. I suggest good quality ones with a waterproof layer facing the bra to avoid embarrassing leaking through the work shirt.

Shapee Disposable Nursing Pad has proven to be effective and user friendly. Each pack came in 30 pieces. The following are the special features.

•    Ultra-Thin Design - 1mm thickness for extra comfort
•    Dri-Comfy Technology – stay dry for longer hours
•    Ultra-Water Absorber – absorb up to 55ml breastmilk
•    3D shaped design – comfortably and discreet fit even when wet
•    Leak Proof Coverage – lock core helps absorb breastmilk for long
lasting protection
•    Double Anti-Slip Adhesive Strips – Peace of mind when on-the-go
•    Made in Korea
•    Retail Price: RM18.90 (introductory price: RM13.90)

If you would like to know more go to their official link here.

I have made a video and put the nursing pads to test. After instilling about 10ml of fluids, the pads remained dry on the surface and even with dapping. And it's easy to attach the pads to the bra. Previously I have used washable pads but they tend to develop a milky smell after a few hours and the absorbency was always a problem.

Shapee's Seamless Nursing Bra is an award winning nursing bra. I personally find it difficult to get a nursing bra that's affordable yet comfortable. The ones without padding at all risk revealing the nipple from the outside of the work shirt. With too much padding, it becomes uncomfortable and difficult to expose the breast for direct latching. Shapee provides just the correct amount of padding and support to these milk factories without using underwire with easily accessible clips for breastfeeding.

• 3D seamless design provides comfort all day long and virtually invisible under clothing 
• Comfortably fit and support your changing shape each step of the way.
• 4 hooks & extensions for greater adjustability
• Reinforced non-slip straps for total support and comfort
• Removable foam cups provides greater flexibility.

Where to buy?

Shapee brand store (www.theshapee.com)
Alternatively, you may wish to visit your nearest independent or chain baby
store at www.theshapee.com/where-to-buy
Quote 10dnpblogger18 (10% discount) for the nursing pads!

Soi 98 Restaurant Kuantan food review

We are always on the hunt for good food! This time round we have found a hidden gem in the kuantan town. Soi 98 Restaurant has just opened for 3 months. And it's not on Google map yet! (Until I added it recently :p )

Soi 98 Restaurant
Address B-38, Lorong Sekilau 58, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang
Opens daily 5pm to 12am
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Soi-98-Restaurant-201107320478326/

This is a Thai Malaysian fusion restaurant but we think that their food is more Malaysian. And therefore more suitable for our taste buds. The chef had previously worked in the Klang valley and had been in Malaysia for more than 10 years.
It's a cosy area, slightly away from the hustle bustle of the city. The indoor sitting area is air conditioned but it doesn't have glass doors. This is because the owner thinks that it will create an unfriendly impression.


Bentong tofu rojak

Roasted tofu pok originating from the Bentong district (more densed and have more fillings) stuffed with shredded cucumber,  turnip, carrot and mango. Drizzled with a generous amount of caramelized prawn sauce from Penang and cripsy peanut powder, it's such a refreshing combination that also irresistible.

Fried pork

The pork belly had just the right balance of fatty and lean parts. Marinated in fermented bean curd, it can function as a main dish or even a snack suitable during TV watching.

Thai green curry

This is a dish with extremely powerful flavors. Curry made fragrant by basil and the spiciness was thrilling for the taste buds. This went really well with chicken and brinjal. The green color was in a stark contrast to the whiteness of the coconut milk yet these flavours blended well with each other.

Red seafood tomyum

The spiciness, sourness and fragrance of lemongrass all harmonized to make this soup very appetizing. And they were generous with the amount of prawns, squid and chicken.

Curry fish head

This dish is very Malaysian like. Thick curry gravy with coconut milk that goes well with rice and even bread. The fish head was not fishy at all and we loved the lady fingers and brinjal in the pot too.

Lime steam squid

You will love this dish of you like sour stuff. It goes very well with the squid that's just cooked and still soft.

Cockles with thai sauce

Blanched fresh cockles tasted fresh and refreshing after dipped in their signature sauce made of garlic, chilli, lime, coriander etc.

Mango sticky rice

Sweet mango strips nicely arranged intr the shape of a rose. Glutinous rice with a nice blue color using butterfly pea flowers. The black sesame and the coconut milk added so much vibrancy to the presentation and layers to the taste.

Mango kembung fish

This popular Thai dish is given a twist that the mango was sweet and the peanuts gave the dish a great crunch. The kembung fish was deep fried beforehand and it's not fishy at all. One can also use grouper instead.

All these costed just around RM200 only!

Besides all carte orders, Soi 98 also has birthday packages. For orders exceeding RM168, they can also arrange for complimentary birthday cake provided reservations are done at least 3-4 days earlier. What's unique is that there are no menus. One is encouraged to order based on photos pasted on the outside of the restaurant or based on their Facebook page.

Our verdict 8/10! Especially great for those who love spicy and sour dishes that burst in flavors!

Hersday takes care of woman's intimate needs

Being a woman, there's no avoidance of the monthly occurrence of menstruation. This is an open secret. There are many alternative names used to disguise it 'aunt Flo visiting', 'struck down with girl flu', some even call it 'having technical difficulties'.

It's a time when women often feel emotional, nothing seems to be able to cheer them up when they feel yucky down below.

And the hormonal changes just make them feel horrible which often involves collateral damage ha. So it's extremely important to have a good sanitary pads to help with the woes.

I have received 3 variety of sanitary pads from Hersday. It's shipped from China so be patient. It took about a month before mine arrived in the mail though.  I really love the packaging because it's compact and light. This can easily fit into my lady bag at any time.

The three varieties:
Liner 160mm
Great for usual days to absorb the vaginal discharge.

Daily use 245mm
This comes with wings to avoid leaking.

Night use 290mm
The extra length makes sure that one can sleep peacefully and not worried about staining the linen.

I used to be a Whisper/Laurier girl but it's always good to get to try out new pads.

What I really love about Hersday is that the sanitary pads are made of a material that is soft, more paper like and with less those annoying plastic edges. Hands up for those who have problems after a few days of menses. My skin around that intimate area is very sensitive. Even with changing the pads twice to thrice a day, the skin still gets irritated by the plastic wings and often feels burnt or itchy :( the worst feeling when the V area is already leaking away.

What I have not tried before are scented pads because I'm worried that the added perfumes/fragrances are going to make the sensitive skin worse. Not with hersday though. All the varieties are lightly scented to help maintain the feeling of freshness with a long busy day ahead. And surprise! I have not had any problems with it after a week's use. It does give a slight airy/minty feeling down below for the first half an hour or so but it slowly fades away during the day.

All these attributes will not help if the pad doesn't have good absorbency. And don't worry, watch my video below. Not only does Hersday absorb better, it also keeps the  surface of the pad dry. I have purposely poured more fluid over the Hersday daily use pad but it's still a convincingly better outcome.

If these aren't enough to convince you, listed are the 6 reasons why you should use Hersday.
- Dries 9 Times Quicker
- Absorbs 3 Times Better
- Free Shipping
- No Hidden Fee
- 100% Risk-FREE Money Back Guarantee
- Part of their profits will be donated to the Breast Cancer Community

For every sales we make, $0.20 will be donated to Breast Cancer Organization. So head on to this link to make your first purchase now. Make yourself feel happier and more confident during the crampy week and do charity at the same time!

https://www.hersday.com?ref=angelho

Hersday official website
https://www.hersday.com/
Hersday Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hersday.official/
Hersday Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/hersday.official/

McDonald's D24 Durian Mcflurry- even for non durian lover

The durian season is back! For durian lovers, it's everywhere now. From the commonest durian kampung, to D24, udang merah and the so coveted Musang King.

Because there's so much supply, the price is also very much reasonable at the moment.
I'm a durian lover , as well as Mr husband. But baby Bing, unfortunately, is a not fan. We tried to feed him when he was one. But he has only shown disgust much to our dismay. The fall half a year ago when his small hand impacted onto a durian on the floor was the last straw for him.

So, us parents were excited when we knew that D24 McFlurry was coming up! I don't usually have durian food products besides actual durian. But it looked so enticing on the advertisement. So we decided to give it a try.

We had it at the river front McDonald's because it's also nearby to a huge and popular children outdoor playground. Took this chance to have dinner out on a Friday night as well.

Besides McChicken, Big Mac, Fillet O Fish and Nasi McD, we also ordered the D24 Mcflurry. Firstly, the vanilla ice cream never disappoints. Ever so smooth and melted quickly in the mouth. As for the D24 cream, it's made of quality D24 durian :)

And Malaysia being the country of origin for great durian, it's definitely fresh and yummy! Not a sweet tooth though, I find the cream just slightly too sweet to my liking. Surprisingly, baby Bing also enjoyed the Mcflurry. He even kept asking for it after we finished it (he gives clear signals of refusal to things that he dislikes).

There you go, 17 July2018. All you can eat D24 durian Mcflurry only at RM10! (Usual price is RM8.99 each). Don't forget to drop my your nearest McDonald's outlet because the offer is only for the first 20 customers!

McDonald's Jalan Gambang stopover Kuantan food review

We love to stop by the McDonald's outlet that's along the Jalan Gambang near Sg Isap area. The most recent visit was after our Bukit Gambang Blogger Family Trip.

We love how convenient the location is. Located just before the Permatang Badak traffic light turnoff. Easy to stop by and cure the hungry tummy. Also to let baby Bing release his pent up energy from sitting too long in the car.

Besides its 24 hours fast food service and drive through, it also has a McCafe that operates nonstop. So Mr husband can get his coffee fix.

This time round, we got to sit in their upstairs suite area because there were I think 8 families in our group. A big, happy and noisy crowd with lots of young children at tow.

Unfortunately baby Bing wasn't in his best mood. He only wanted to play in the playground next door. What I loved was that I could sit next to a huge glass window which directly visualize the indoor playground. Great for parents who wanted to get a quick bite but the young ones just wanted to play.

The playground was a very clean and cosy area. Its walls were wrapped with soft paddings. No worries when the little ones got too excited and bumped his head. The slide was also sturdy and made of plastics that didn't have sharp ends. The only thing was I couldn't stop baby Bing from climbing up the slides.

While the rest tried out the Rio burger, I had a McChicken instead. And baby Bing had his share of Happy Meal (chicken nuggets and fries). We had it with iced Milo and orange juice. He was more excited to have the balloon and transformers toy instead.

Tada. The friendly McDonald's crew on duty that day. It's worthy to mention a special staff among them. She's nonetheless Mrs Nik Anisah binti Mohd Ibrahim. Affectionately addressed as mama, she's the eldest staff at 50 years of age. This is part of MacDonald's humanitarian effort in employing the more elderly population or those with certain disabilities.

Not only that, McDonald's also care for their employees' welfare. Zakat were distributed to the Muslim employees during the Raya period. Those who came from outstation are also provided with comfortable accommodation that's nearby the working area. They are also entitled to free medical care and sick leaves.

We have been wanting to celebrate baby Bing's birthday at McDonald's. They do have affordable birthday party options. Besides the Happy meals, options such as birthday cake and party packs can also be added. Just pay and spare the time. Nothing else needs to be arranged on your own. Nice and simple.

Not forgetting the all-you-can-eat Mcflurry D24 is coming up on 17 July! They're always something McD can offer to everyone in the family. And now that they are embarking on more healthy food options, it has become one of my favorite hang out spots. 

Bioxcellent Slenbrn review

During our blogger family trip at Gambang, we were introduced to Bioxcellent range of health beverages. Mr husband got to try Slenbrn berry drinks.

Bioxcellent is a great blend of botanical goodness. Read about harnessing the goodness of phytonutrient from my previous blog post here. The same post also explained about why is it important to make sure the supplementary products you used is approved by GMP. Bioxcellent is also a winner of the Asia Pacific Super Health Brand Excellence. 

Enjoying having Bioxcellent at Bukit Gambang resort

Official website for Bioxcellent
https://www.bioxcellent.com/copy-of-slenderbern-white

So what are the important ingredients?

Raspberry &Cranberry

Image from Google

Besides anthocyanins, other important phytonutrients in raspberries include ellagic acid, quercetin and vitamin C. As for cranberries, polyphenols (particularly proanthocyanidins), vitamin C and flavonoids. These are important antioxidants which has anti-aging and anti-cancerous properties.

Carcinia Cambogia/Malabar tamarind

Image from Google

This is a tropical fruit famous for weight loss effect. These are theoretical effects from hydroxycitric acid  and an increased level of serotonin after consuming this fruit. This results in fat burning, lowered cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Read more about this fruit on WebMD.

Hoodia/bushman's hat

An interesting import from Kalahari Desert, it contains lots of hoopla. This may suppress appetite.


Green coffee

These are coffee seeds that haven't been roasted to maintain the levels of chlorogenic acid which enhances metabolism leading to weight loss.

L cartinine 

This amino acid helps the body produce energy. It is important for heart, muscle and brain function.

Watch this short video about how a great glass of Bioxcellent Slenbrn is made. It boosts Mr husband's energy and helped him through a physically challenging day at Gambang Resort.

I didn't try because I am expecting and also breastfeeding at the same time as stated on their official website. According to Mr husband, it tastes like a fresh berry drink. The color is slightly cloudy pink but it can vary as fresh products are used. 

Personally, the drink is very easy to prepare. And Mr husband just have it before he heads out for some badminton or running. A quick way to get a great beverage to replenish his energy during immense exercise. He likes it how the taste is natural and not too sweet. One important thing to remember is that one needs to drink at least 2 litres of water to wash out toxins and to help with the fat burning process. 

A little setback is that he does feel giddy for about an hour. I have clarified with their product specialist. This is harmless and can happen because increased metabolism rare. And it's recommended for him to consume half a spoon every day instead. I really like their post sale customer service who replied my queries within a few hours.
This is their official contact number.
016-316 3069

As for myself, I am open to supplements which complies to the necessary regulations. Supplements in general are fairly safe for young healthy individuals.  But remember to follow the all the recommended directions. However, for patients who have medical conditions especially lovel and kidney problems, it's best not to consume any supplements without consulting healthcare professionals. 

Bioxcellent is very transparent in this respect by listing out the people who should not consume this product. This includes expecting or breastfeeding mothers, those who have migraine, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic medical illness. Be very careful when certain supplements claim it can cure illness because it's almost always untrue and a lot of permanent irreversible damage can be done. 

Besides Slenbrn, Bioxcellent also has a range of other interesting supplements
-Guot Xcid (help with joint pain)
-W.line fibre(help with indigestion and constipation)
-Tripeptide Colla W. Diamond (maintain youthful skin)
-Cupplus white (for skin whitening and maintaining elasticity)

So how can one get hold on this supplement? It's not difficult to find Bioxcellent range of products because it's sold exclusively through Watson.

Disclaimer: the opinion given is merely a personal experience and does not constitute formal medical advice. Please seek your medical professional's advice before any complementary therapy. Always ask for product certification before proceeding with treatment and stop if side effect ensues.

Bukit Gambang Safari Park review

Bukit Gambang Resort is the nearest and the best theme park around Kuantanese. We have explored both the water park and the Safari when we were both single. Now it's time to return for family fun! There's just too much to write about and I'll focus on the Safari park.

This is a brief itinerary designed for our blogger family trip. A great and fruitful 3 days 2 nights indeed!

We started our safari adventure by hopping onto the Safari tram! Note that at Bukit Gambang Resort City, one can commute using these trams without using your own car. So sit back and relax. The kids were excited about the bumpy ride. We had Mr Tajudin a very experienced guide to talk us though the 30min safari tour.

Most of the adults went on to an ATV adventure into the Safari. It took some guts and real driving skills to maneuver this machine. I didn't join the rest because it's not recommended for pregnant ladies or children. Mr husband had a great time watching African/Malaysian wildlife close and upfront with the rest of the team. Be rest assured that the ATV course excluded sections with wild predators for obvious safety reasons though.

From African antelopes, water buffaloes, goats to Friesian cows, we got to understand more about these wild lives and watched them in the wild. The more exciting bits were about the predators such as crocodiles, hyenas and lions. Unfortunately, the Malayan tiger was no where to be found in his enclosure.

Luckily, we were then led to the Predator show. Being the first of its kind in South East Asia, these ferocious predators showcased their feeding habits in the big enclosure. Rangers placed pieces of bait in the show area and the animals were left on their own to show the audience what they do. The most exciting part was possibly how the Malayan tiger was able to swim across to feed on chicken pieces.

Shortly afterwards, we moved on to the wonderful birds' show very popular with children. Trained Professor parrot was able to answer mathematical questions and spell words chosen by the audience. Impressive! Baby Bing thoroughly enjoyed the part where a multicolored parrot flew from his hand holding a RM5 note back to the trainer. He couldn't stop reminiscing the moment when we asked him whether he wanted to have the same experience :) And we were all entertained when the 'sexy' flamingoes in cute pink skirts came running across the stage.

The multi animal show was equally interesting. From watching a cute cattle drinking milk from a bottle to white handed gibbon climbing across the rope, the animals were so adorable. I really admired the courage of a young boy holding on to a heavy python. After much coaxing, baby Bing stroke the python at the end of the show (Not that I would dare to do! Ha) I think these shows really taught him how important it is to care for wild animals and their habitat.

There wasn't much time to stroll around because there was just so many animals to learn about! But we did have some time enjoying the company of the marmosets, sun bear and the petting area (chicken, rabbits and goats).

Dinner was also a unique experience- Dining with the white lion! We throughly enjoyed a buffet spread of local and western cuisines with the company of the white lion and lioness. These are African lions and born white, not albino. Knowing that they sleep for 20hours a day, it's not easy to catch a glimpse of them active on the other side of the glass.

The day was not over yet! The exhilarating African Yabara fire show was nothing but filled of stunts. From spinning the fire torches and juggling the torches, the performers also spit and swallow fire! Very dangerous act that I really would not dare to try.

We ended the night with the action filled Tarsan adventure show. The story was about how a group of human was trying to kidnap a sun bear. But the gorilla and Tarzan came to the rescue in time. There was lots of rope swinging, gun shooting and explosion including explosion in the water. Very exciting plot but also a bit scary for the young children but we were warned beforehand and baby Bing was able to enjoy the show. Catch the night safari shows on my Facebook Live.

Fire show 
Tarzan show

There's just so much to write about the safari! I have made a short video. Enjoy and come experience the magic of the wildlife here. Great holiday package and discounts await you. Contact me for details.  Don't forget it's only 40 minutes drive from Kuantan!

I'm glad other bloggers also had a great time at the Safari. Please refer to their blog posts here.

Najah
Halimah

Till then stay tuned for many other product/food review that I received during the trip :)

Bukit Gambang Resort City Official Website