GIVEAWAY: Disney junior live at xcel.

WIN A FAMILY 4-PACK OF TICKETS TO SEE DISNEY JUNIOR LIVE AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER!

UPDATE: Our winner is Stacy Ratliff of Columbia Heights! Please email us (minnesotababyinfo@gmail.com) with your address and phone number so we can verify and get you your tickets. Thanks for participating everyone, and stay tuned for our next giveaway coming up soon!

There are two ways to enter to win. Complete both and double your chances!

1. Comment on this blog post (below) with your first & last name, and city you're currently residing in. This contest is open to US residents only.

2. "Like" Minnesota Baby and share this contest on Facebook (you must click the "share" button under the contest post on the Minnesota Baby Facebook page for your entry to count). Be sure to tag Minnesota Baby!

All entries must be received by Friday, October 4th at 9 p.m. (CST). One winner will be randomly selected and announced on this blog post by Monday, October 7th. The tickets that the winner will receive are only good for the Disney Junior Live show at Xcel Energy Center on October 20th, 2013. Good luck everyone!

Mama's afternoon in tiong bahru.

Before AJ headed off to Bangkok for a week, he gave me the chance to take some "me time" for a few hours last weekend. As any busy mom knows, time spent alone is really important, in order to keep our sanity! I decided to spend a few hours at a great new spa in Tiong Bahru (fabulous area in Singapore), followed up by some solo grocery shopping (yes, I consider this to be "free time" since I didn't have little Linna tagging along).

A friend of mine told me about Nimble Knead, after she had what she called "the best massage of her life". I looked on their web site, and since their prices are very reasonable, I booked a hour-long massage and 45-minute scrub. Almost two hours of bliss for under S$150 (check their website for current promotions)... YES PLEASE! I started my day with the Tingy Tangy Body Scrub. I don't think that I have ever had a full body scrub before, so this was quite a treat. I basically got completely nude (with disposable underwear of course), lied down on the table, and had a woman named Ain scrub my body from head-to-toe! All of my newest bug bites (I have tons) got the "scratch" they desperately needed during this scrub-down:) This woman scrubbed every square inch of me. Thankfully I'm not shy, and I actually welcome a good tush/bum exfoliation (I've never experienced that before)! Although it wasn't 45 minutes of straight exfoliation, as Ain left the room a couple times, it was still incredibly relaxing. After a nice hot shower, my skin was glowing, moisturized, and ready for some more pampering.

I have had plenty of massages (it's my guilty pleasure), so I feel like I know a good one when I find it. In all honesty, Ain is one of the BEST massage therapists I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her hands are like miracle tools, and she worked the shiz out of my back during my 60-minute Thai Thai Aroma Body Massage. I actually think I groaned out loud during my massage, as Ain was able to work out the knots in my back that my husband can never seem to find. I have never had a better back massage in all my life, and find myself thinking about it daily.

Nimble Kneed is definitely a unique little spa. Their massage rooms are actually designed as shipping containers! Sound proof, they are not, but if a little noise outside your spa room doesn't bother you, then you must check this place out!

My cheese purchases at The Foodie Market Place.

After my amazing couple hours with Ain at Nimble Kneed, I sat down for a cup of coffee and a croissant at this little bakery that my French friend Jida introduced me to. It's called Tiong Bahru Bakery, and it's a little slice of heaven. I've even brought Linna here in the past, when meeting friends for coffee. The baked goods are amazing, and their lattes are phenomenal! It's a great little spot to have coffee with friends, or to simply enjoy a little time alone.

Before heading home, I stopped at this specialty market that my friend Julie from the UK introduced me to a few months ago. While it's hidden around a corner at the end of Tiong Bahru Road, it's totally worth looking for. You'll see what I mean when you get there! At The Foodie Market Place, you can buy all kind of delicious cheese, meat, pizzas, spreads, and basically all of the food items you pay and arm and a leg for at Cold Storage, or you're unable to find anywhere else in Singapore! They have these potato cheese balls that the kids love, and meat that is grass-fed and usually from Australia. The best part is the prices! I try to get here at least once a month to stock up, if not weekly.

Tiong Bahru is one of those neighborhoods in Singapore that you'd love to live in, but the family condos are really expensive! It's the perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon if you ever get a little alone time. Don't forget to make a stop at the Tiong Bahru Market too, where you'll find a great wet market, and loads of fresh fruits and vegetables!

Look for this sign on the wall outside
the market & you'll know you're at the right place!

The solution to my singapore frizz situation.

Before (photo on left) and after (photo of right) my straightening
treatment at Trimmings. No hair cut or color was done!

I have never actually wanted to race home to write about something, more than I have after my hair appointment at Trimmings today! After almost a year of living in Singapore, I have tried just about everything to keep my frizzy mane under control. On an average day in Singapore, it's around 90-degrees outside with 80-percent humidity, and my hair just can't handle it. About 98-percent of the time, I wear my hair up in what one of my friends calls a "pineapple hair" style. On the rare occasion that I even try to wear my hair down, it ends up in a ponytail after 15 minutes. When I thought I had officially lost my battle with Singapore's heat and humidity, a wonderful Asian woman let me in on a little secret!

Did you know that many Asian women's hair isn't naturally straight? Their beautiful, dark, stick-straight locks have a little help from something known as "rebonding". It's a process that leaves hair completely straight for half a year. Alright... where do I sign up?!

After doing a lot of research, and talking to other people who have done this type of hair-straightening, I made an appointment with Christian at Trimmings at Robertson Walk in Singapore. Once he did a consultation with me, Christian decided that the Mucota Dyna Argan Oil Straightening Treatment would be best for my hair type. He told me that the treatment would tame down my frizz and protect my hair at the same time. He also said my hair would be straight, even when I air dry it, AND it will stay straight in the Singapore humidity. While I was very skeptical (my hair is very challenging), I let Christian and his team work their magic. They washed my hair, applied a treatment, washed it again, blow dried, straightened with an iron, applied another treatment, washed it again, and gave it one final blow dry. It was quite the process!

It was a long treatment... about three hours.

After walking around outside in the sun for a half hour. Still straight!

Three hours later (the most time I think I've ever spent in a salon), I was SHOCKED! After simply blow-drying my hair WITHOUT a round-brush or straightener, my hair was incredibly straight, shiny, and SO healthy-looking. It was nothing short of a miracle;) Christian told me this amazing-ness would last anywhere from four to seven months. Alright, I'm incredibly impressed. But how will my naturally wavy, frizzy, BIG hair, hold up in the jungle-like tropics of Singapore?! Well, after over an hour of me walking around outside in the sun this afternoon, my hair looked exactly like it did when I left the salon... not a frizz or curl in sight! I'm still in shock.

How I typically wear my hair in sunny Singapore.
Bye bye "pineapple hair"!

The big test will come after 24 hours, when I can actually wash my hair and see how it air dries. My hair smells like a perm treatment at the moment. While this treatment is not cheap (around S$300), if it lasts as long as Christian says it will, I think it's definitely worth the money. And I think my husband will appreciate having a wife who doesn't look like the brunette version of "trailer trash" Britney Spears;) Here's to ladies being able to wear their hair down in Singapore... and feel good about doing it! Thank you Christian and the rest of the staff at Trimmings. See you again in 6-7 months!


Trimmings at Robertson Walk
11 Unity Street #02-17, Singapore
+65 6737 8512
enquiries@trimmings.com.sg


HAIR UPDATE (after a wash - 24 hours later):

(Photo of the left is me getting out of the shower, 24 hours after the treatment. Photo on the right is of me outside by the pool with my hair completely air-dried. No styling-tools were used, except a comb to brush through my wet hair. My hair is still a little "perm" smelling, but I am truly shocked!)

HAIR UPDATE (4+ months after treatment):

Photo of me and my daughter taken today - January 30th, 2014. I washed
my hair last night, and even had it in a ponytail this morning. Just brushed it out and ta-dah!

I promised an update after a few months, so here it is! It's been more than four months since I had my treatment done, and other than some hairs at the nape of my neck starting to curl, my hair is still straight. I've had four months of simply "wash and go"! I haven't had to straighten my hair, I actually stopped using my sulfur-free shampoo from the salon (I ran out a month ago), and I haven't experienced any awkward frizzy/curly regrowth. I haven't even cut or trimmed my hair since the treatment, but I think it's about time I do so because my ends are looking wicked. I'm hoping I can last another two months without another treatment, and the way things are going, I just might be able to wait! Very happy with the lasting results.

*** UPDATE (March 17th, 2014)***

Just found out that Christian (the stylist who did my first straightening treatment) is no longer working at Trimmings:( So, this weekend I made an appointment with Marcus for a second Mucota Dyna Argan Oil Straightening Treatment (my first treatment lasted almost 6 months), and a hair cut with Adrich (I haven't had a hair cut in about 8 months) at the Trimmings at Loewen Gardens. I am once again so pleased with my results! I loved going to the Lowen Gardens location (it's right next to The Pantry and White Lodge), because it's walking distance from Dempsey Hill. I got some of my grocery shopping done in Dempsey after my appointment at Trimmings, and had a glorious, kid-free afternoon. Can't wait to go back in 6 months!

Singing in mandarin with her aussie pals.

This is what happens when AJ is traveling for work: Mama Saigh and Linna head down the street to the Bryce's (our friends from Australia) for a homemade Moussaka dinner, our girls play together, and the moms enjoy some Fat Bird (the best wine ever)! Linna loves hanging out with Macee, Kyla, and Chloe. An evening at the Bryce's wouldn't be complete without the girls entertaining us with some Mandarin songs that they learned at school. Even the little ones, Chloe and Linna, joined in on the fun!

Happy willow.

Right off the One North stop on the Circle Line of the SMRT, is a fun indoor play-land call Happy Willow. It's inside the Fusionopolis center, where you'll also find food places, children's learning centers, and a little shopping. Linna loves coming here, especially on rainy days in Singapore.

Happy Willow combines the best of some of the indoor play-lands we've been to in Singapore. It has a great Play Garden where kids can climb, slide, play in colorful balls, swing, and basically burn off some energy. There's also an area for the younger kids, where they can pretend to cook in the kitchen, play with trains, and learn and explore with lots of other toys! In their birthday party area (Book Burrow), there's some arts and crafts, books and a reading area, and a coloring station for the kids too (when there isn't a birthday party in session). They also have a cafe with coffee, snacks, and meals for kiddos.

I love that the adult sitting area is right in the middle of Happy Willow, so you can watch your independent little ones as they explore on their own. I never feel like I am "too far" away from Linna while she's playing with other children, as I can always see where she is. I want to bring some of my mom friends here to "relax" and chat over our morning coffee, while the kiddos burn off some steam! Linna loved sliding into the ball pit, swinging on the hanging ball, and crawling around on this wobbly surface that they have in the corner of the Play Garden. There's all sorts of nooks and crannies for kids of all ages to explore!

The restroom is located outside Happy Willow, but it's not TOO far away (just outside the door and to the left). There's a baby changing station inside Happy Willow, but I wish they had a more convenient restroom area for those parents who have potty-trainers that are still "in training" (they ask that children who are not fully potty-trained wear a diaper). They keep this place pretty clean too, which any parent can appreciate! Every time we visit Happy Willow, Linna requests to make a stop to get a bubble milk tea downstairs, before we get on the train to head back home. We'll definitely be back to Happy Willow again soon! Don't forget to bring socks for your and your little ones. Also, they only accept cash and NETS!

She spends most of her time in here!

Big girl!

Loved climbing up to, then going down the slides!

Such a little adventure gal:)

Role-play with a new pal at Happy Willow.

She was a little apprehensive at first, but then
she was all over EVERYTHING!

Great spot for little ones to learn how to balance.

Happy Willow

Second floor of Fusionopolis
+65 6466 6300
Admission: S$18/child (2 and under) all week (3 hour play M-F, and 2 hour play on weekends)

Playful elves at west coast plaza.

Linna (25 months old) at Playful Elves.

Now that we're living on the West Coast of Singapore, I have been on a mission to find an indoor play area to take Linna to on rainy days. While shopping at West Coast Plaza a couple weeks ago, I came across a place called Playful Elves. Linna and I have been there twice now, and we love it!

Discovering.

She's magical!

While parents hang out in the cafe area, little ones can explore the Magical Play Forest and Castle in a Jungle. There is SO much to keep the little ones entertained! Linna loved playing with the Lego's and toys when we walked inside, and then she was off to play on the cars inside the race track. The first day we played at Playful Elves, we had the place all to ourselves for the first half hour or so. Linna couldn't get enough of the bouncy castle and slide! She then discovered the Magical Play Forest, where she climbed up and down all the equipment, and she was obsessed with the ball machines. Linna spent 20 minutes or so collecting the soft balls to put into her bag, so she could bring them up to the ball shooter on the higher level of the play area. She also loved watching the balls float in the little air machine thing. She went up and down the slides, always making sure Mama Saigh was nearby of course;)

They keep this place really clean, which I appreciate as a parent. The only thing I wish they would add is a restroom on site, as I would have to walk across the shopping center to take my little potty-trainer to the toilet every 45 minutes or so. The couple times we've played here, it's never been too busy, so Linna doesn't feel intimidated with so many bigger kids running around. The staff was very friendly, and made sure all the kids sanitized their hands before they went inside to play. There's also children's music playing over the speakers, which I can also appreciate as a parent. Playful Elves is a happy, colorful spot that we will be visiting again very soon. I would go on a weekday, as you can more playtime for your admission price. Don't forget to bring socks for your little one, and for yourself if you want to play along too!

Playful Elves

West Coast Plaza (2nd floor), Singapore
Admission: $20 for non-members, $18 for members
(2 hours of play on Mon-Thur, and 1 hour of play Fri-Sun)
+65 6100 0353

Terrible twos... or terrible mama?!

I feel as though we've entered the land of the "terrible twos"... AKA "parenthood hell". Our normally sweet, happy, amazing sleeper, has turned into a sassy, over-tired, frustrated little two-year-old, who will have a meltdown over just about anything.

Case in point:

Every kid cries and screams "NO" when asked if they want to go to the playground, right?!

(And this is a TAME meltdown! I think it had something

to do with the fact that she knew I was recording her.)

WTF?! This is happening a lot lately. Everything seems to be a battle... bed time, meal time, even story time. Linna wants everything done HER way and on HER time, and if we don't understand that... LOOK OUT! To be fair, I have noticed that Linna's attitude-change began around the same time we started potty training. Linna is taking her training very "seriously", because while she does still sleep in a diaper, she's started waking up after an hour-or-so during nap (normally her nap lasts 2-3 hours), and this morning she was calling for me at 7 a.m. (she normally sleeps until 8:30 a.m. or so). I feel like Linna is so well-"trained" to go to the bathroom on the toilet, that when she gets the urge to pee while she's sleeping, it wakes her up and stresses her out. My poor little girl is probably so confused:(

Of course, my mom guilt has me questioning whether or not we started potty-training her too early (she just turned two). I know that with every child, potty-training is something new that they have to get used to. Kids have accidents. They ALL do. If your kid never had one, well congrats to you on being "parent of the year". Potty-training is a learning experience. But now, I'm questioning whether or not we (I) made the mistake of putting her in a diaper during naps and night time, when she was waking up every now and then with wet training-pants/underwear. I'm wondering if Linna is just so confused about what she CAN or CAN'T pee in (diaper, underwear, swimsuit, training pants, etc.). After at least a week of having little to no accidents, Linna had accidents left and right today:( UGH!

So now, as I sit here writing this, I have a million questions running through my head. Should we just go back to diapers? The diaper life is SO much easier, but I think that would just COMPLETELY confuse her at this point. Did I create a stressed out, tired little two-year-old, by starting to potty-train her too early? I mean, now that I think about it, Linna is still sleeping happily in a crib, so even if she wanted to get up in the middle of the night to run to the toilet, she CAN'T!

I guess only time will tell, and we'll do what is in the best interest of Linna. In the meantime, I am going to feed my mom guilt a glass (or three) of wine and go to bed, with the popular saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" running through my head. Wah wah waaaahhhhhh! ;)

This girl has no fear.

Bug and I had a fun time at the pool this morning! Linna is jumping in the water all by herself, and she's learning how to dive. Her dive is completely assisted by Mama Saigh at the moment, and it looks more like a belly flop, but she loves doing it! Video of Linna's diving "skills" to come soon.

Learning new swimming skills at foss.

Linna at 7 months old (top) and at 23 months (bottom),
with one of her FOSS swim instructors, Miss Lorrie!

When we're back in Minnesota for a visit, I sign Linna up for swimming lessons at FOSS Swim School in Chanhassen, to keep improving on her swimming skills and safety lessons. I fully credit FOSS for getting Linna comfortable in the water as an infant, and turning her into the little fish that she has become!

Linna started taking lessons at FOSS when she was 7 months old, and at 21 months old Linna was able to swim on her own without wearing floaties. While she's still going strong as a 2-year-old, we signed her up for a few lessons at FOSS while we were home for two months this summer, to learn some new things that we can work on at our pool in Singapore. Linna took two classes each week for about a month this summer, and one lesson that we learned from her teachers (Miss Lorrie and Mr. Chad), was incredibly helpful.

While Linna swims well without floaties on, when she comes up for a breath, her body goes from a horizontal position to a vertical position. Linna is in the Backfloat Baby 3 class, and her FOSS teachers explained that when little ones lift their heads up in the water, their bodies go vertical... THIS is when drownings can happen. Scary stuff, and something I never really thought about, but completely understandable. So, Linna's swim instructors worked on teaching her how to roll over to a back-float position when coming up for a breath.

This is something kids are usually taught around age 3 or 4, but since Linna is swimming on her own, her instructors thought it was a good safety lesson for her to learn. We've taken this lesson with us to Singapore, and after a lot of practice, Linna is starting to master her unassisted back-float skills! With her floaties on, she's completely comfortable doing an unassisted back-float. However, we're still working on a completely unassisted back-float.

Linna with one of her classmates Paige, waiting for their lesson to start.

Here are a couple videos of Linna practicing this skill she learned at FOSS...

(Video of Linna with floaties on, doing a 

10-second back-float at our pool in Singapore.)

(This is a lesson we learned at FOSS: Having Linna

flip to a back-float when coming up for air. As you

can see, she isn't completely comfortable yet with the

unassisted back-float. Funny girl!)

(Linna at age 23 months, swimming with her 

instructor Mr. Chad at FOSS in Chanhassen.)

(Swimming with noodles at FOSS.)

(Balance and jumping lessons at FOSS.)

Can't wait to see what we'll learn next at FOSS! Many parents will agree with me when I say that FOSS is the BEST swim school in the Twin Cities.

Update on linna's "wonk eye".

Linna's "wonk eye".

Happy to report that Linna will not need to have eye surgery, wear a patch, or wear glasses (kind of bummed about that one, because kids in glasses are SO cute). I took Linna to the Singapore National Eye Centre to see Dr. Sonal Farzavandi, after we noticed that Linna's right eye starts to drift when she's tired. We call this her "wonk eye". Linna's pediatrician in Minnesota said she wasn't too concerned about Linna's eye at her two-year check-up, but since the "wonk eye" makes an appearance every day, she said we should probably have it looked at by an ophthalmologist while we're in Singapore.

Although it was VERY difficult to navigate our way around the SNEC, the doctors, nurses, and staff were so incredibly helpful and friendly. They are excellent with little ones! Dr. Sonal evaluated Linna, and then we did about 2-3 hours of testing. They had Linna look at objects both close up and far away, tested different corrective lenses on her, and evaluated the inside of her eye for damage. During the testing, we found out that Linna can't see small, simple, objects at a far distance. That part of the testing was shocking for me, but Dr. Sonal said she isn't concerned, because Linna could have just been bored, or possibly confused as to what the objects were.

They gave Linna two sets of Cycloplegic Refraction eye drops, which temporarily impair the eye muscles and dilate the pupil, so the doctor can have a better look, and do a more thorough examination. Linna was such a trooper getting her eye drops, and only whined once (thank goodness for her "wa" and "snuggles")! I'm sure the stickers after each drop helped too:)

Dr. Sonal's diagnosis for Linna is Intermittent Exotropia (AKA a Divergent Squint of misaligned eyes). I will still refer to it as her "wonk eye":) The diagnosis sounds serious right?! Of course I "Googled" the diagnosis when we got home, and totally wish I wouldn't have. The images of children with severe Intermittent Exotropia are disturbing. Linna has what Dr. Sonal calls "good control" over her "wonk eye", so she thinks it is something Linna will outgrow. We will go back to the SNEC at the end of October for some follow-up testing, just to make sure it's not getting worse. If it is getting worse, Linna will most likely wear a patch over her "good" eye.

We're very happy to have a diagnosis, and some peace of mind knowing that there is nothing seriously wrong with Linna's vision. The only downside to all of this is that Linna can't swim for THREE days after receiving the eye drops. Saturday morning can't come soon enough!

Moms' night out on sentosa.

It's not very often that my mom friends and I get a night out. Our husbands work long hours, and most of us stay home with our little ones, so when we can catch a break... we enjoy every minute! This past weekend, my friend Julia (she has a son named Marc, who is a friend of Linna's) and I went to the Oktoberfest celebration on Sentosa! We had so much fun eating delicious German sausages, deserts, and of course German beer. This is the third year the Wave House has featured Oktoberfest, and they flew in a German band from Europe, so we could all dance the night away. Oktoberfest was set up outside, right by the beach, and we enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world. I've never been to the Wave House before, and now I HAVE to go back sometime to try riding "The Wave"! Thanks to our husbands for watching the kiddos so the moms could "play" for a night on Sentosa:) We had a blast!

So much food!

I even ate sauerkraut. My dad would be so pleased!

Some Aussies that we met... sporting the German lady wigs of course:)

Julia, enjoying her Erdingers!

The Tale of the Frog Prince.

Linna waiting for the show to start!

We love Singapore theater options for kids! This week, Linna and I caught a morning performance of The Tale of the Frog Prince at the Singapore Repertory Theatre. Linna was so excited to go, and the show was really cute! The story is about Prince Phillip, who incurred the wrath of a wicked witch who cast a spell on him, turning him into a frog. Ashamed of his outward appearance, the frog prince hid in a swamp, until one day, he was found by the young Princess Rosalie. The frog prince tells her the spell can only be broken by his one true love. 

This 50-minute show held Linna's attention with fun songs that got us on our feet, dancing along with the cast. We left the theater singing songs like "Just a Little Scratch", which was really catchy! The only time the kids in the audience (and Linna) got a little "bored" was during the love song between Prince Phillip and Princess Rosalie toward the end of the show. It was lovely, but a little slow for the little ones. Other than that, Linna loved every second! I love that the cast really involved the kids in the audience. It was the perfect way to spend a rainy morning in Singapore!



The Tale of the Frog Prince

DBS Arts Centre
August 29th - September 29th, 2013
Tickets start at S$21 (excludes the $3 booking fee)

GIVEAWAY: Charlotte's web tickets.

*** CONGRATULATIONS TO NICOLE SIIRTOLA OF MANKATO, MN ***

Nicole Siirtola of Mankato, MN is the winner of a family 4-pack of tickets to The Children's Theatre Company's performance of Charlotte's Web (tickets are ONLY for the Thursday, Sept. 26th, 2013 show at 7 p.m.)! Nicole, please email us (minnesotababyinfo@gmail.com) by Sept. 25th at 5 p.m. with your address and phone number, so we can verify and get you your tickets. Thanks everyone for your participation, and stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon!

This show runs September 17th through October 27th at the CTC in Minneapolis. It's one of my favorite childhood stories, and now you can see it on stage! The story is about a farm-girl named Fern, who ends up saving Wilbur (the smallest pig in the litter) from her father’s axe. Wilbur feels like nothing bad can ever happen again, but the other barn animals know why the farmer wants to make his new pig fat and tender. Wilbur finds help in the seemingly fragile web of Charlotte the spider who weaves a path to freedom for the pig. I wish we were going to be back from Singapore to see this performance in Minnesota, but Linna and I did get to see a performance of Charlotte's Web in Singapore a few months ago.

For your chance to win, simply comment on this blog post below with your first and last name, and the city you currently reside in. This contest is open to US residents only, and please only one entry per person. You must enter by Monday, September 9th, 2013 at 9 p.m., and the winner (randomly selected) will be announced on Tuesday, September 10th, so be sure to "like" and check the Minnesota Baby Facebook page to see if you're the winner (winner will be announced on this blog post as well). Good luck everyone!

Linna's latest favorite bedtime reads.

(Papa Saigh reading "Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa" to Linna.)

"Purple Paw Prints" and "Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa" are two of Linna's favorite books recently. Papa Saigh reads these books to her almost every night, and Linna loves saying the parts of the book that she knows! My favorite is when she says "... nobody knew" (as seen in the video above).

The author of these books is a mom of three boys named Sarah Mounsey. She and her family currently live in Singapore. This is Linna's second book series by an author in Singapore, and so far we're three for three (that means they are very good)! Sarah's first book, "Purple Paw Prints", is a story about a boy named Eddie, who decided to paint his dog Oscar purple! The story follows Eddie and Mia, as they attempt to clean their dog and get into all sorts of wet and purple fun along the way. "Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa" is a story about Eddie's adventure on his magic sofa, where he meets different animal friends that jump on the sofa with him to travel around the world! If you have someone read this book to your little ones with some enthusiasm in their voice, you'll be sure to capture the kiddos' attention, as their imaginations run wild!

"Purple Paw Prints" and "Paw Prints on the Magic Sofa":

Under $15 each (under $20 each for orders outside Singapore)
Available at sarahmounsey.com and Amazon

Britax frontier 90 car seat review.

The Britax Frontier 90 car seat uses a brand new, almost fool-proof installation technology called the ClickTight Installation System. This technology allows parents to easily achieve a safe and secure installation using the vehicle seat belt throughout the life of the seat (in harness mode), without having to worry about the weight of the child. A car seat that is not installed tightly leaves children vulnerable to injury in the event of a crash. You can use this seat in harness mode up to 90 lbs., which is huge! The booster mode will take your child up to 120 lbs. 

ALWAYS, make sure you refer to your car seat instruction manual, as well as your vehicle's owner's manual to find out how to correctly install your car seat.

Britax Frontier 90
Retail price: $329.99