Bisphenol-A research from a very irate mum!

There's been a lot of disturbing news on Bisphenol-A (more commonly known as BPA) in baby bottles, and other food and drink containers.

Being the neurotic mum that I am, I decided to do a bit more research on it.

I mean, if it's bad enough for the US retailers to ban, then it must be BAD. How can baby bottle manufacturers be SO irresponsible to put dangerous harmful substances into their plastic???



After doing some research, I found out that these bottles have been banned in Canada since 2008!

Then yesterday, in the Sydney Morning Herald, I read that the US may also be banning BPA in ALL plastic containers (not just baby bottles).

What makes BPA harmful to babies is that low doses of bisphenol A can mimic the body's hormone oestrogen and interfere with healthy growth and body functions.



Infants fed with liquid formula are among the most exposed, and those fed formula from polycarbonate bottles can consume up to 13 micrograms of bisphenol A per kg of body weight per day.



I cannot believe that corporate America have allowed these manufacturers to harm babies in this manner. The worst thing, is that those brands that are banned are the BIG names: Avent, Dr Brown, First Years, etc.

Having given birth in Malaysia, those are the EXACT same brands that all mums buy for their babies, thinking that it is the best quality bottles! Every mum I know back home uses Avent!!! And so do I!

Well, not anymore! It's bad enough that I've exposed Eva to 15 whole months of BPA-filled bottles.. She may not have many more months of bottle feeding left, but I've placed an order for a new set of BPA-free bottles, just for peace of mind.

I chose to buy a relatively new brand, called Green Sprouts, because the price was quite reasonable. AUD45 for a set of 4 bottles, see pic below:

Click here if you are living in Australia and wish to purchase some! Free delivery within Australia. Note: This is NOT an advert, simply a helpful link. Also, I'm expecting to receive my purchase this week, so I'll try to write up a quick review on it.

Other good brands that I've come across are Born Free, Green to Grow, Smart Baby, etc.

So to all you mums out there, ditch the Avent and the Dr Browns and switch to either glass bottles or BPA-free bottles!

Book Reviews

I've been reading a lot of Fiction lately... Finished 5 books over the last 5 weekends. All hubby's fault. He bought me some books for Valentine's day and I've been hooked since.

Thought I might as well do some book reviews since I've got nothing better to do! OK I could play with baby Eva, but she's asleep dy.

These reviews are done in the order I read them, OK!

Book 1: The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly
Synopsis: Mickey Haller, a down and out lawyer, inherits a whole heap of cases when his lawyer friend is murdered, the most important one being a murder case involving a huge Hollywood mogul. The book revolves around the case, and how Mickey has to find the "magic bullet" - the evidence that will provide reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury.

Review: I thought this book very accurately described the legal intricacies in the criminal case. But it was a bit TOO long winded. A bit rambly in the middle, and too abrupt in the end. All in all, a good but a tiring read. Rating 7/10.

Book 2: Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell
Synopsis: Another one in the Kay Scarpetta series, where she has to deal with a series of unusual crimes.

Review: I thought this book was pretty predictable right from the get-go, no surprises and a bit boring. Wouldn't rate it higher than a 5/10. And this coming from a Cornwell fan!

Book 3: A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
Synopsis: A man is sentenced to 22 years for a crime he didn't commit, and he goes on a path to seek revenge and win justice.

Review: I would say the first 75% of the book was good, the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat, but somehow the ending was sooooo disappointing. There was suddenly fresh evidence produced in court that was apparent right from the beginning. So why did it only surface 22 years later? My gosh, that kinda blew it for me. I would give this a 3/10.

Book 4: The Appeal by John Grisham
Synopsis: A jury returns a shocking verdict on a large chemical company, resulting in a multi million dollar settlement for the toxic waste victims. However, the victory is short lived as the corporation decides to appeal to the Supreme Court resulting in the biggest legal battle of their lives.

Review: This was the best book yet!!! Well researched, gives a good insight into the judiciary system. Only thing is, I didn't like the ending. I don't want to spoil it for you by revealing what it is, but it wasn't what I expected. 7/10, would have been higher if the ending was better.

Book 5: One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
Synopsis: A story about four women, living in One Fifth Avenue, and how their lives intertwine and the dramas that unfold due to money, success, greed.

Review: I don't like her style of writing. It was a bit too shallow for my liking. After reading so many crime fiction, I thought it would be a refreshing change, but I didn't like the book. The only thing I did like, was the happy ending. Nuff said. 6/10.

Sigh, now I have nothing to read... Looks like it's back to Borders this weekend.

Tough Parenting Decision

Yesterday afternoon when I was at lunch, my mobile rang.

I looked at the caller ID and it was my baby's child care centre calling!

My heart started to beat so fast, all sorts of thoughts were going through my head at that time.

"Hello"? I said.

"Hi! Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with Eva"! Said the carer.

*phew* I breathed a sigh of relief.

"There's a boy celebrating his 2nd birthday and his mum brought in a chocolate cake. I was wondering if Eva could have some?" she continued.

There I was, forced to make a tough decision on the spot.

Was she ready for chocolate? She was only 14 months old. On the other hand, I didn't want her to be the only kid there not having any, it would break her heart and make her feel left out.

So in the end, I relented and said "OK, she can have a SMALL PIECE"! I felt like I had compromised my principles of not giving her junk food, and I still don't know if I made the right decision. Maybe I'll never know...

What would you have done in a situation like that?

Understanding Women...

Being a newbie mum, it's a good opportunity to share with you a glimpse into the world of married life, what it's REALLY like once the "honeymoon" period wears out, and FIVE tips on how to maintain a long-lasting loving relationship with your husband (or BF / fiance if you're not married yet) :P

1. Nagging - Avoid guilt trips!!! Women (like myself) tend to make men feel guilty when trying to discourage them to do something.

Example of conversation between wife to husband:
"Honey, why do you need a new pair of shoes? You just bought a new pair last year! Do you know people everywhere are losing their jobs? The economy is going downhill! Can you start saving some $$$ or not?!"

Now... this will result in the man becoming "deaf" all of a sudden and you will just get his "ignore" mode i.e. SILENCE. My advice, give-and-take. If your man needs a new pair of shoes, and there's a good reason for it, let him buy it! Don't GUILT TRIP him! If you feel there's a valid reason to stop the purchase, state your reasons and discuss / decide it together.

2. Housework - The best way to sort this out, DO IT TOGETHER! That way, everything is shared, there's no need to argue over who does what, and it's a fun way to get the chores done! Especially cleaning the toilet, everyone hates it, so why not share the pain? For better or for worse, right? :)

3. Dining - I recommend dining out at least once a week, to break the routine of cooking + washing up. Also, it's nice to get all dressed up, and keep the romance flame burning. And when I say dining out, I mean nice cafe, not dingy takeaway joint! Unless you have a crying baby on your hands, then this may not be a good option for you!

4. Money - I think it's good to be open and upfront about this issue. Some couples like to "hide" their bank balance information from their partners. Some feel that it's taboo to even share what their income is... I totally disagree with this! How can you do financial planning, and manage your household budgets (read: mortgage, etc) when you don't know what your financial limitations are? I'm not saying you have to open a joint bank account, but you should at least let your partner know how much savings you have! That old saying "My money is my money, and your money is my money" does not hold true, OK! I have seen FAR too many couples break up over money, it's not worth it.

5. Trust- At the end of the day, you have to trust your partner. Trust that they won't stray, that they won't betray you, that they won't take you for granted, trust that you're good enough, have faith that you'll make it through the ups and downs. Because if you can't trust your other half, then the foundation will not be strong enough to hold it together in the long term. Please do not resort to things like setting up fake Facebook accounts to try to "spy" on your partner, or worse yet, secretly read their emails / facebook messages / SMSes etc!!!

And guys, if you're reading this, please take note of these tips as well, it may just be the make or break in your relationship!!!!

But... Ignore this post if you're JUST NOT THAT INTO HER!

Or.. if you prefer subtle hints - bring her to watch this :

He's Just Not That Into You

Website:
http://www.facebook.com/roadshow-films-au

Now showing, at the movies :)

Cricket match

Every Australian I've met so far is passionate (read: CRAZY) over cricket!

And they get shocked when they come upon someone who doesn't know anything about the game (i.e. ME!)

Anyway, got an invite to the company's corporate box - what better way to learn the game than from first class seats?

So now, I actually know what an "Over" is, how a "Run" is scored and how a "Wicket" is lost!

Good eh!

In a nutshell, an over consists of 6 bowls, i.e. the bowler bowls 6 times in 1 over. This match, each team had 50 overs, so there was a total of 300 bowls.

If the batsman misses the ball and the ball hits a wicket, the batsman is out and a wicket is lost.

Then a new batsman replaces him.

If the batsman hits the ball, he can make a run, to the other end. Depending on how far the ball flew, he can make a few runs. The important thing is not to get caught out, i.e. the catcher throws the ball back before he reaches the white line on the other end.

Hence the score is Wicket lost / Total runs.

Makes sense or not? Tried to explain in somewhat layman terms, maybe confusing yah.

Moving on to some pics of the event:

- My ticket stub, all crumpled now.

The stadium - full house! We were seated not too far away from the Member's Pavilion. As you can see, hot day with temperatures touching 40 degrees!

The players - Australian team batting first.

Gatorade car comes out during water breaks (Every 6 overs!)

Sorry, pics a bit blurry, taken with low quality camera phone :)

Oh, CNY is just around the corner, and I decided to darken my hair to cover up the previous colour which has grown out quite a lot... Looks a bit TOO dark now, maybe I'm just not used to it. Hopefully it will fade slightly and then it will be just nice.

Used the Loreal Casting Creme Gloss in Darkest Brown. Not bad! Ammonia-free! Would recommend to anyone who likes to DIY hair colour.

Differences between Australia and Malaysia

Since we migrated here in March last year, I've noticed lotsa differences between the Msian and Aussie way of life.

Sure, you have the standard shops closing at 5 pm vs 10 pm, eating out is expensive, they have 4 seasons vs humid all-year-round, labour is expensive, everything is freaking expensive!

BUT today, I received a mail from Sydney Water - on water restrictions! What's that you ask!? Well, Australia in general is a commodity-based economy, and one of the commodities is agriculture. And because the country suffers from large bouts of drought (when it rains, everyone jumps for joy!?!), there are water restrictions imposed.

Anyway, the mail was a reminder on restrictions for watering plants. IF the plant is NEW, then you can water them with a hose for 28 days, must have trigger nozzle. Also, it can only be done BEFORE 10 am or AFTER 4 pm. In cheesie's words... What Turf!? No information provided on process for watering not-so-new plants!

The other thing, this news article from the Sydney Morning Herald... again, What Turf?!!??!

The little adjustments we make.

Some of the things I miss from back home:
1. Mom and mom-in-law to help take care of Eva
2. Watching movies in the cinema
3. Shopping malls that close at 10 pm
4. "Dai chows!!!"
5. Mamak / Banana leaf rice
6. Zara, MNG, Topshop, Forever 21, o_O
7. Cheap shoes
8. Cheap labour!!! (Costs AUD300 bucks for an after hour plumber to come over! wtf??)

Some of the things I appreciate here:
1. Fresh produce - lots of organic stuff available!
2. Weather in summer (hate winter!)
3. Parks, beaches, all the outdoorsy stuff
4. Markets
5. Large selection of cafes
6. Suburban life

Can't believe it, Eva's turned 1 already!!! My new year's resolution:
1. Be a better mum
2. Take better care of myself (read: go gym 3x per week, cook more, eat healthily)
3. Get a permanent job
4. Be more patient, don't sweat the small stuff
5. Socialise more