Comforting a crying little one .....

Cry baby Originally uploaded by photosavvy

What makes a baby cry? Hunger? Needing diaper change? Unable to fall asleep? Illness? Or is it just a simple need for mami's attention? There is absolutely no harm in picking your baby up and giving him/her a gentle hug and rock in your arms. This will make him/her feel safe and secure. In fact, most babies love rhythmic motions, so try rocking or swaying him/her gently. You can also try playing some soothing music - funkimama has tried, and it did work wonders. 小寶寶無原因地哭, 我們應該怎做好? 但媽媽當然要先檢查清楚小寶寶哭的原因, 因小寶寶還未可以講出自己為何哭呢, 所以, 要看看小寶寶是否太熱? 肚子餓了? 小尿片濕了? 生病? 還是, 只是想媽媽注意他/她呢? 如果只是想媽媽注意的話, 妳可以先抱一抱他/她, 等他/她感覺安全和受到保護, 而大多數小寶寶都喜歡別人輕輕地搖晃, 妳或可以播放一些溫柔的童謠, 甚至, 媽媽可以一邊輕輕搖晃, 一邊哼着屬於妳們的歌曲, 小寶寶很快就不哭了!

Tips on preparations for a baby's bath

Baby bathing, originally uploaded by almoko.

Before undressing your little darling, ensure you have everything handy for an enjoyable and uninterrupted bathing session. Make sure you have a clean towel or cuddle robe, baby bath, shampoo, basin, clothing, creams, cotton pads and diapers all ready. Closed the door and windows beforehand and check that the water temperature is comfortable. Water too hot or too cold can chill or burn your baby. Make sure you do not bath your baby right after a meal. And the most important thing of all is to never leave your baby alone in the water. Finally, get those rubber ducks ready and have fun! 各位媽咪, 如要幫小寶寶洗澡, 記謹要先預備好以下物品才開始啊! 包括要有: 嬰兒沐浴露, 嬰兒洗頭水, 大浴巾, 小沐浴膠盆, 小寶寶的衣服和尿片, 記得要先關好門窗, 否則, 小寶寶很容易着涼呢, 另外, 媽媽一定要先試好水的溫度才放小寶寶入水中, 因為太熱和太冷會燙傷和凍傷妳的小寶寶, 而最重要一點是, 千萬不可留下小寶寶獨自在浴盆內, 因他們太小了, 很容易滑入水中和弄傷自己的, 所以, 一定要注意呵!

Baby care - night time feedings

always tuck me in at night Originally uploaded by J-Rose

Did you know that babies do not physically need night feedings when they reach a weight of 5.5kg? This is good news for those first time parents who are unsure if their babies are getting enough to eat. So if your babies prefer to sleep through the night, then by all means don't wake them, let them (and you too) sleep through.

各位媽咪, 其實你們知不知道, 原來當小寶寶體重有5.5公斤時, 是不一定需要食夜奶的, 對第一次當媽媽及有懷疑小寶寶在晚上睡了後會否肚餓的妳, 是不是一個好消息呢? 所以, 如果當妳的小寶寶是選擇一覺睡天光的話, 請妳不要弄醒他/她了, 讓他/她睡過飽飽吧, 妳也可以趁這機會好好的睡過夠, 休息一下呢

sex and the city - the movie

Ever since the start, funkimama has been a big fan of Sex and the City, and the recently released movie is an absolute sensation. The witty dialogues, the fashion, the scenes, and the twist and turn of each character's lives, are all totally well put together. Although the movie is some 2.5 hours long, it has left funkimama wanting more!

Sex and the City documents a social change - a society filled with independant, smart, funny, beautiful women single or not, all enjoying life to the fullest. They work hard and play even harder, go through ups and downs in life and still standing tall.

Let's give a big toast to today's independent women.

photos courtesy of Sex and the City Movie

不知從何時開始, funkimama成為Sex and the City的一位小影迷, 而最近上映的電影版本, 絕對令人驚喜, 生動鬼馬的對白, 令人目不暇給的新穎時裝, 每位主角的不同性格及生活態度, 均能集中在一起, 雖然電影長達2.5小時, 但對funkimama來說卻覺得太短呢!

這套Sex and the City反映了社會上一些改變 - 女士們已續漸變得更為獨立自主, 精明, 風趣幽默, 無論是單身與否, 她們會令自己活得自在, 享受生活, 她們努力工作之餘同時亦努力玩樂, 面對在人生所遇到的高潮低潮, 也能坦然面對, 有拿得起放得低的情操

大家為我們現今的獨立自主女性舉杯吧!

Time out for yourself

policeman doing yoga, originally uploaded by Sylvain Deleu.

When work gets a bit too much, take some time out to relax, like this policeman. Go on, you deserve it. If it is only a minute or two of relaxation will help you re-focus and re-fresh. If you work in an office, take your arms up in the air and give yourself a nice long stretch, this does a lot of good to your spine. Or rotate your feet discretely under your desk to give those joints a well deserved work out. Or just take a break and walk around the block. If you are a stay at home parent, then take a nap when your kids nap. Let the housework wait until after you have had your break. You will be more productive after this small break. Do come back and check out my other posts a while later with simple office exercises.

Soothing teething pain

Children Originally uploaded by valeriekyp

When your little one is teething, try giving him/her some gentle massage on the gums for immediate relief. Some theories suggest a link between diarrhoea and teething, a simple diet of congee (rice cereals) and steamed apples may be a solution. This diet help restore and stabilise baby's digestive system and is well tried and tested amongst Asian parents. Try it! 大部份小寶寶出牙仔時, 都會牙肉痛和有腹潟情況出現, 這時媽媽可以幫小寶寶按摩一下牙肉, 舒緩痛楚, 除此之外, 可以煮一些米粥和蒸煮後的蘋果給小寶寶吃, 這兩種食物有穩定胃部的作用, 有幫助舒緩腹潟功能, 大家可以試試

Healthy living specialty shop 新生農社

Funkimama has recently found potted fresh Thai Basil here in HK. Now she can just pick this sweet tasting herb from her own "garden" everytime she makes a Thai dish.

This great little shop called "Healthy Living Specialty Shop" is one of funkimama's found treasures. They stock a large variety of organic food fresh and dry fruits, vegetables & snacks, as well as potted herbs such as Rosemary, Mint and Basil. They have a choice of 3 different varieties for Basil alone. And the staff members are very friendly and with indepth knowledge of what their products are all about.

This store also operates for a very worthy cause: They provide shelter, training, rehabilitation and work for the mentally disabled persons. This motivates funkimama to purchase more from them as a way to supporting this worthy cause while benefiting from their freshly grown produce.

They have 5 shops in HK currently, they also offer ecotourism too, click on their logo here to go to their web-site:

Tai Wan KCR Station Concourse

East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station

Nam Cheong West Rail Station Concourse

Tuen Mun West Rail Station Concourse

Discovery Bay Plaza

Here is the phone number of their head office: T. 2332 4343

Kadoorie Farm & Botanical Garden 嘉道理農場暨植物園

If you are looking for a place to get away from the hussle and bustle of the city with your family - this is great. The Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens is located in the centre of the New Territories. Set up in 1951, the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Gardens has several scenic sights and natural formations to take your breath away. The entire place is a living legacy of the Kadoorie brothers.

To make it on foot is the best yet also the most difficult option due to it being a 148 hectare farm. The other option of transport within the premises is the shuttle bus that takes you from the Farm Produce Sales Counter and tours around the farm, stopping at significant attractions.

You can buy organically grown vegetables and fruits and potted plants from a souvenir shop within the premises called the Farm Shop too.

This is one of the greatest places for a family outing here in Hong Kong. Young children get an opportunity to observe and learn about nature and animals at an early age. On top of that they get to run around in an outdoor environment to spend their abundant energy. You can be sure that they will be sleeping tight that very evening.

For Visitors Information and directions on how to get there, click here.

Immune System Booster - Warm Lemon Water 檸檬水 - 簡單天然排毒方法

For those of us living in a city, daily exposure to city pollutants is unavoidable. Walking through busy streets with buses and cars flying by, travelling on crowded subways during peak hours means that our immune systems are constantly put to the test. This may leave us feeling drained and tired at the end of the day, when our bodies utilise our stored energies to expel potentially harmful substances.

As parents, every minute counts and we cannot really afford to feel run down. Here is a simple and natural recipe for those wanting to boost their immune system:

Lemon Water

(Warm/Cold) 1-2 slices freshly cut lemon Warm/cold water This highly effective drink and all natural drink takes no longer than 2 minutes to prepare. Place the slices of lemon in your cup, use a spoon to squeeze out some of the lemon juice. Pour warm/cold water over the lemon, serve immediately. An alternative to lemon, if you prefer, is lime. You may need to use 1/2 lime per cup as the limes are usually smaller in size. Enjoy!

檸檬水 - 每天早晚一杯增強免疫力 預防勝於治療 - 每天早晚喝一杯檸檬水，就算發現喉嚨痛一喝痛楚都馬上消失。檸檬帶有大量維生素C, 還有抵抗病菌，抗氧化，防癌功效, 有效幫助身提高天然免疫力。 製作方法很簡單， 在杯子內放2-3片檸檬， 用匙羹擠出檸檬汁，然後沖入温/冷水即可。 如喜歡易可用青檸代替檸檬，大概每杯用半個青檸。

Clove Tea please

photo by bitzi

Yes, you are right, cloves are one of the most important ingredients in this warming winter drink called mulled wine which skiers love. Actually, they are a whole lot more than just that …..

Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen clove tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to Indonesia and are harvested primarily in Zanzibar, Indonesia and Madagascar. The buds are picked by hand when they are pink and dried until they turn brown in color. Cloves are about 1.2cm long and 0.5cm in diameter and with their tapered stem, they resemble tiny nails. This is how their English name is actually derived – from the Latin word clavus, which means nail. Although cloves have a very hard exterior, their flesh features an oily compound that is essential to their nutritional and flavour profile.

Cloves are warming, stimulating, anodyne and anesthetic (topical). They also possess preservative properties. Apart from using this wonderful spice in cooking, cloves have been prescribed by western herbalists to ease toothaches. This spice has been extensively used in Ayurveda and Chinese herbalists as painkillers, or for bringing warmth and circulation within the body. Cloves contain significant amounts of an active component called eugenol, which is said to be useful in removing toxicity from environmental pollutants. This component is also anti-inflammatory. Cloves are an excellent source of Manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin C, omega-3, calcium and magnesium.

Cloves can also be used to aid digestion. If you are feeling a bit blotted after a meal, make yourself a cup of Clove tea. Immerse yourself in the wonderfully warming aroma of this beautiful herb whilst sipping the tea to aid digestion:

Cloves Tea 5-10 buds of whole cloves, Freshly boiled water

Place the cloves buds inside a cup and pour freshly boiled hot water over it to fill the cup. Cover the cup and let the infusion work its magic for about 15 minutes. Ready to use.

A note of caution: Although the above Clove Tea Recipe is generally safe to use by most people, do not consume large amounts of cloves or use this tea for a prolong period of time without first obtaining a medical opinion. Do not use clove tea on your child until your pediatrician approves it.