There were a couple of holidays the last few weeks, and we took the opportunity to visit different places, and one of them is the Malaysia Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Malaysia in Malay) in Shah Alam (sometimes also called Bukit Cahaya Agriculture Park or Bukit Cerakah).

We planned to cycle in the park and to visit the Four Seasons Temperate House which the girls went in 2010 during the ‘winter season’.

We brought along Zaria’s bike since she still needs her training wheels, and rented the 3 other bikes for us. As there were a long queue for the cheaper adult bikes, we took the more expensive ones, which cost about RM10 per hour (while the cheaper one is a Ringgit or two per hour).

The girls did well, riding on the hilly path, when the slopes got too steep, we all pushed our bikes up hill. When it’s a down hill ride, they all went zooming down. We had many rest and snack stops along the way. When the going got a bit tough and when it got too hot, Zaria would complain and nagged at us, “Whose bright idea is it to come here?”

We cycled all the way to SkyTrex Adventure Park, and then the little one got too tired and grouchy so we took the shuttle bus back to the visitor centre. Shuttle bus is provided for free, and it goes between the Visitor Centre and SkyTrex Adventure Park. They allowed bicycles to be loaded onto the bus which is a plus point.

We returned our bikes and parked Zaria’s bike at the bicycle rental place; and then went to have lunch at the small eatery at the visitor centre.

It was a super hot day, but they girls still wanted to visit the Four Seasons Temperate House which is on another path different from SkyTrex. We decided to walk there.

We found some ‘propeller seed’ along the walking path.

We were told the Four Seasons Temperate House was closed on that day, because they were working on the change of season there. Just our luck!

Instead we went to the Observation Tower, and spent some time there.

The girls with their bountiful energy can still ‘exercise’ at the Exercise Park.

Me? I took a nap beneath the Observation Tower.

Although it was a hot day, and we worked out the whole day with all the cycling and walking, the girls still had lots of energy to take photos of their surrounding.
I’m always amazed at the energy they have!

The park is actually a very good place to spend a day at, however, like all Malaysia public facilities, the toilet there is horrendous! The one that we visited had not been washed for ages, there were fossil like poop found in all the toilet bowls! BUEK!

We’ll still go back again though, just try to avoid using the toilet. We want to bring the girls to SkyTrex and the Four Seasons Temperate House next round.

Note :
Entrance fee to the Park is
RM3.00 for adult and children 12 years and above
RM1.00 for children 4 to 11 years old

Even before the girls were born, I had started using natural product. My work trips to US would not be complete without a visit to Whole Foods Market; and every time I enter a organic shop locally, I love glancing at the natural skin care and toiletries.

Since the girls’ arrival, the house has more bottles/tubs of natural product, their shampoo, soap, lotion, sunblock, as much as I can, I’ll get those made with natural or organic ingredient. My only concern buying these product was price. The price difference of a bottle of natural shampoo vs a mass produced shampoo locally is huge!

Then, my friend recommended me iHerb.com, a web shop selling such a wide range of natural product, I get high just glancing!

These are some of the bigger brands you can find on iHerb at a fraction of the local retail price for these same product.

Badger
They are famous for their balms and sunscreen.

Credit from Badger

Weleda
The girls first toothpaste was their Children’s Tooth Gel.

Credit from Weleda UK

Nordic Naturals
Famous for their Omega oils.

Credit from Nordic Natruals

These are the product that I’d been buying before being introduced to iHerb, and they are very costly locally (I can only get Nordic Naturals from Singapore though).

Since being introduced to iHerb, I’d bought 8 times from them, taking advantage of their free shipping promotion. I bought toiletries, supplements, tea, lip balms, and even Homeopathy remedies.

The shipment is via normal airmail, and sent in boxes. These were my last loot.

Each box was well padded, came with 1 or 2 free gifts (so far I’d received pens, jams, tea bags).

The previous purchase was more to stock up toiletries for the girls and myself.

For bottles of liquid, normally they are wrapped in zip lock bags. One of the shampoo bottle leaked but it did not wet the rest of the items shipped in the same box.

Now iHerb is giving out free international shipment via DHL global mail, if you purchased USD$40 and above and the combined weight of the items is less than 4lb. (I normally break my orders into many 4lbs to enjoy free shipment) and items normally arrive in 2 weeks after order is placed.

If you are ordering for the first time, enter this code when you check out JIK325, you’ll get USD$10 off on your first order! Or you can just click on this link to start shopping.

(No, this is not a sponsored post, I’m sharing this with you, so you can also enjoy natural product at a cheaper price.)

Tell me which little girl does not like to be a hair dresser??

Barbie Hairtistic Cut & Style fulfill this love that little girls have.

Zara : Maa, we need adult’s help with this Barbie. It’s not easy for us to put the hair extension on.

Playing with this Barbie will require us to participate. Helping the girls to put in the hair extension.

Zara has been trying to learn how to pleat hair, what better way to do this and learn with this Barbie?

After pleating (with some of my help), it can be worn as a braid.

Or Barbie looks just as dashing with her hair all let down.

What the girls like most about the Barbie? The scissors which actually make sounds like a real hair dresser’s scissors snipping hair.

Zara was pretending to cut Barbie’s hair, and then remove the hair extension, which mean, Barbie’s hair length actually got shortened!

The set comes with some accessories for the hair.

It gives the girls a chance to be a hair stylist and they love it!

Due to the ever increasing need for professionals capable of designing, implementing, and operating wireless networks, Cisco is offering the CCNP Wireless certification. This Cisco certification process places a strong focus on the principles and theories of wireless networking. Achieving the CCNP certification ensures that professionals have the technical skills needed for assessing and applying network business demands into specifications that are a part of effective network installations. If this sounds promising to you, take a look at three steps you can take to earn this credential and enter this exciting sector of the IT world.

Step One-Work experience. In order to obtain the CCNP certification, you need to have a current CCNA Wireless certification. This ensures that you have a fundamental knowledge of wireless technology before taking on this more advanced skill-level.

Step Two-Participating in the recommended training. There are several courses that will greatly help in your preparation for the certification exams. In addition to learning new content from course work, exam engines from companies such as Testslive.com offer impeccable training for the types of questions (and their correct answers) and test format that you will have to deal with on exam day.

Step Three-Going through the exam process. At this point, if you have taken the above steps, you should be confident in your ability to pass the certification exam. By this time, you have diligently prepared by gaining work experience, attending classes, and had very effective practice with resources like Testslive that will provide a seamless process on the road to gaining your CCNP certification.

**GIVEAWAY CONTEST IS CLOSED**

And the week has come!

Here is another giveaway from Barbie!

You’ll be able to design Barbie’s clothes with this set.

Barbie is giving away THREE SETS of Barbie Design and Dress Studio to THREE of my readers.

To win one of these, leave a comment on this post with your email address.

In the comment, answer the below question :
What comes with this Barbie set?

(hint, read previous Barbie Design and Dress Studio review, Here and Here.

AND

Complete this slogan : I love to win Barbie Design and Dress Studio because…

Giveaway is open to Malaysia readers only. This will start on September 15th and will run until September 22nd 2012.

One week after the end of 22nd September 2012, Barbie will choose the winner, and then it’ll be announced here; and the Barbie Design and Dress Studio will be sent to the lucky winners!

Good luck!

I’ll let Zara tell you about Barbie Design and Dress Studio.

(mind her spelling)

She asked how she should design her clothes, I told her she can always use the stencils, or just draw with freehand. So here is she doing this.

At the end of every ‘print’ she put on the dress, she showed to me and asked if it was ok. Here is the completed dress.

The front.

The back. (Yes! you can design the back too)

She was very excited to remove the completed dress from the ‘frame’.

And then dressed Barbie up.

She did another one a day later, which looks like this.

It was fun going through this with her… She has kept 2 dresses to be designed together with Zaria.

Note : The giveaway competition for this Barbie will be held end of the week, so come back and join in the competition to win yourself a set of this.

Here is another set of Barbie we got, Barbie Design and Dress Studio!

Girls were so excited. Zara immediately ‘chuped’ (Malaysian slang : booked) this set. Telling Zaria she can have the Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday and she will own this set.

This set is retailing at RM99.90 at major toy and department stores nationwide. See what comes with it?
♥ 3 design markers in pink, black and purple
♥ 2 design stencils
♥ 1 sheet of beautiful stickers
♥ 5 real fabric dresses

Zara has decided that Zaria can have the white dress to design while she’ll have the rest.

These dresses are all ready to be designed by the girls (using the design markers, stencils, stickers).

After drawing the design on the dress and/or sticking stickers on it, you can just tear along the perforated line and then get the dress out; and it’ll be a new dress for Barbie!

In the next post, you’ll see how Zara did her designing and her telling you about her Barbie’s experience.

Watch out as well for a Giveaway of this Barbie Design and Dress Studio during the 2nd week of September!

**THIS GIVEAWAY COMPETITION IS CLOSED NOW**

Here is another giveaway from Barbie.

You’ll expend Barbie’s wardrobe with these…

And you’ll also get a new Barbie. TA-DAAA.

All in this box.

Barbie is giving away THREE SETS of Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday to THREE of my readers.

To win one of these, leave a comment on this post with your email address.

In the comment, answer the below question :
How many sets of clothing and how many pairs of shoes does this Barbie set come with?

(hint, read previous Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday review, Here and here)

AND

Complete this slogan : I love to win Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday because…

Giveaway is open to Malaysia readers only. This will start on August 17th and will run until August 24th 2012.

One week after the end of 24th August 2012, Barbie will choose the winner, and then it’ll be announced here. Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday will then be sent to the lucky winner.

Good luck!

Check out how the girls play with their Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday set.

They spent time checking out what came with the box. Deciding who should go first.

Zaria being the youngest, got to change Barbie’s clothes first (see the smile on her face for getting to go first).

Some of the clothes are a little challenging for the 5 1/2 to put on for Barbie, so Zara took over.

Zara : Maa, do you like Barbie in this?
Me : It’s one of my favourite.

Zaria: Jie, you need to put on a pair of shoes for Barbie (tried to put it on, but struggled)

Zara : (help out) Maybe we try this pair instead

……

Zaria the fashion diva at home said Barbie needed to have a bag.

…….

Then it was fashion show time. Barbie wearing all the beautiful clothes from Barbie Fashion Combo Holiday set.

Zara : All the clothes have to be back on the mannequin after the fashion show ma.

Zara : There ma.

…….

And then, Zaria decided Barbie should be robbed. o.O”

I overheard this conversation at the hypermarket the other day at the milk powder aisle.

“This one (brandX) is high in DHA, this is good”, said Mom A to her husband.
“Why is DHA so important?” asked her husband.
“DHA helps to build brain cell, so we should pick the milk powder with the highest content of DHA for our baobei now.” replied Mom A.

Looks like they have not heard about Gangliosides. I went over and started talking to them. (Do you realize it’s very easy to strike a conversation with other parents when we are all looking at/buying the same thing?)

I told them about Gangliosides, which a lot of parents are unaware.

Yes, DHA is important. It is a key building block of brain cells. But Gangliosides are also very important, as they help brain cells connect.

I showed them the pack of Anmum Essential I was planning to buy, showing them that it contains both DHA and Gangliosides.

I told them I didn’t know about Gangliosides earlier, so I was also like them, concerned only about DHA content. But now I know Gangliosides and DHA work hand in hand, one to build, the other to connect, and together will deliver a better outcome.

“Wa, so many things inside. Does it taste good?” asked her husband, not quite convinced.

“Nice. Very creamy!” my girls who was playing with their toddler answered (the girls, especially Zaria, like to ‘look after’ and play with toddlers nowadays.).

Mom A decided to buy a box to try, I don’t know if this will be her toddler’s Growing Up Milk eventually, but at least she will be making an informed choice.

Watch this TVC if you haven’t, so that you too are aware of what DHA and Gangliosides can do.