Get a Grip Mommy #3: Elizabeth Arden's 8 hr Lip Protectant Stick Review

Winters found their way to Mumbai finally..yay! the shawls and sweaters and boots will find their time to shine.. even if it is only for a few weeks..*sigh*

Endless cups of teas and drowning in cocoa butter cream, touching my nose to feel the nip in the air (nose becomes an unofficial thermometer)..bliss! bliss!! bliss!!!

What goes a 180 degrees though are my lips... even though i make a conscious effort to NOT lick them, or breathe through my mouth (blocked noses anyone?)..they still dry out like they took a trip to the north pole!

I knew it was time to buy a lip balm.. just go to a chemist and get one in a nice fruity flavor..did i do that? NO! why? same old same old.. too bored.. so instead of spending 200 bucks on it, i decide to visit a mall, i like to pamper myself sometimes..like a reward for making it without prozac.

So i picked up a lip balm for 800 bucks.. Why?  It had won awards.. lip balm - AWARD - WINNING.. yes, there is such a category!

But that's not all. it also does all of the below:

• Treats your lips to Eight Hour® Care.

• Helps moisturize, soften and smooth lips.

• Relieves chapping and cracking.

• Helps guard against the damaging effects of UV exposure with SPF 15.

Presenting, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Creme Lip Protectant Stick..( even the '8 hr' is copyrighted, that says something? doesn't it? :-/) Don't eye roll.. drum roll!

Ok, fine, i know i am trying too hard to justify a LIP BALM and you might still not be convinced, so below are the pros and cons:

The good part:

1. It does NOT have an overwhelming fruity smell..just a faint clove oil aroma which is extremely gratifying.

2. It does NOT need to be reapplied after every cup of tea, lips still feel smooth and supple and hydrated.

3. Lipstick application over it is smooth. Not patchy, not slippery.You know the feeling of trying to paint a waxy surface.. it DOES NOT do that on your lips.

4. does not feel sticky or heavy on lips at all. has it ever happened to you that you start speaking with exaggerated lip movements because the lipgloss you applied so darn heavy that you have to make a effort to move your lips? No, well, i can give you a dozen of lip glosses to try out then!

5. It is not a tub, not a tube..it's a STICK.. See, i was done with tubs..very inconvenient and always thought the tube retained too much of product to throw away.. quite a miser i am like that! No, i just like to stretch my penny.. like every other middle class educated Indian does!

6. the packaging and product look so dull and fragrance so non inviting that my little one does not consider it a toy..Phew!! That is a BIG PLUS if you have a toddler rummaging through your bag at every given opportunity.

The Bad part:

It is expensive :(

For me, it was totally worth it.. does it's job really well and i don't have to worry that my son would smother it on the walls anytime soon. Did i mention SPF?

Totally Worth it!

BTW: Arden Beauty was my all time favorite perfume.. it was so 'me'..was heartbroken to hear it got discontinued... If anyone at Arden is listening, please get it back..pretty please!

Sudocrem - A story of love realised

The great thing about friends is that they introduce you to some really good products which you blindly abuse, leading to the worst thing, which  is that, you realize how good the stuff is only after you finish it to the brim.

Honestly, i was gifted a big jar of sudocrem and it seemed to work fine for my baby's rashes.they never seem to spread much and the rashes barely lasted more than a day or two. So, i assumed (yeah, stupid right?) that this is the way ALL anti -rash cream work - till the day Sudocrem was gone - Over-

This turned out to be like a  relationship 'mills and boons' are made of -  guy does not give girl her due- she leaves one day unannounced- he panics- realizes how incomplete his life is without her- goes to search for her and wins her back....ONLY i bought her back- literally.

Here's why this relationship is for keeps:

1. IT HEALS - yes, i tried others while i could get my sudocrem back.. but the rashes didn't budge, they grew- PAINFUL for my baby..till i slathered sudocrem again.
2. the fragrance has a calming effect on me- call me weird BUT it does contain lavender oil which is known to calm nerves down and acts as a great antisceptic.
3. I have used it on me for the rashes due to the sanitary napkins and it WORKS!
4. I have used it on my baby for mosquito bites and it helps dry it out.
5. Used it when i had minor burns, zits and skin abrasions - IT WORKS!

I understand that there might be better creams out there that work or that suit your baby..i didn't find any better than this...like it was made for me and my baby..

So, if you are still looking for 'The One' , please give sudocrem a chance, it might be just what's been missing from your life.

Like a fairy tale ending, 'And We lived happily Ever After'.

P.S: it did come with a huge price tag - INR 775 for 125 gms from firstcry.com. But worth every bit of it!

Little one has discovered 'Fear'

Quote by the Buddha; A silent prayer for my son and everyone out there

 I always thought that 'fear' was a learned behavior. that till i don't teach my little one what fear is, he would be a dare-devil raring to go! for example, i assumed that only when i started to resort to 'dhuan wala', 'gabbar singh' or 'green goblets'  who would eat my baby up or take away his favorite toy if he didn't behave, he would not know what fear is. And i had decided long ago that i would not use these characters to make him do the right thing. I would reason it with him instead. hmm...hello, first time mommy, remember?

 Suddenly, no i could see it coming.. but i chose to ignore, thinking it would be a one off thing, but now my baby fears things..things that he loved once..i agree he always cried when the pressure cooker would whistle but these days; the diaper changing rooms, lifts, darkness and gulp! a bath  will make him cling to me and scream like his pants were on fire!! I mean, he took to swimming like a pro and now he cries every time i bathe him.. and what's with the claustrophobia? he was in an absolute dark, confined space for 9 months!!!these places should feel like home to him!! The shrieks in the lifts and diaper rooms are so scary that if you ever heard it, you would definitely call the ambulance!

I was wrong about the whole 'fear' business. Even if i don't teach him to fear..he will still learn.. and guess what, it's a part of his emotional development.. it's true.. negative emotions emerge between 7 to 12 months..no wonder my happy - go -lucky- decided it was time to be cranky - go - scream y.

So i have decided to 'mommy up' about it and make him feel safe in the 'fear zone' and when he is ready, we will start breaking down his fears one by one..( looks like this is going to be a long list)

To anyone who wants to know more about these development, am leaving you with a few excerpts:
 

Emotional Development in the First Six Months

• In the first month or so, crying is the only way a child can voice feelings of displeasure. By the third month, however, crying may cease and make way for real outward displays of emotion. Smiling will become a way to communicate. By four months, she gets even better at communicating needs, and begins to notice other people's emotions, too. When someone seems happy, she may smile, or if anger is shown, she might become upset. At five months, a baby may laugh for the first time, show preference toward familiar people, and demonstrate emotions through facial expressions. At six months, a child will start to imitate a parent's actions and emotions.

Emotional Development in Months Seven through Twelve

• At seven months a child might start to show fear. Between eight and ten months, a child will show facial expressions that correspond with basic emotions, and stranger anxiety will be in full force. Towards the end of the first year, he will show signs of independence, and continues to show every emotion he has. It isn't until his second year that a child learns to somewhat manage his feelings.

Emotional Development in the First Six Months

• In the first month or so, crying is the only way a child can voice feelings of displeasure. By the third month, however, crying may cease and make way for real outward displays of emotion. Smiling will become a way to communicate. By four months, she gets even better at communicating needs, and begins to notice other people's emotions, too. When someone seems happy, she may smile, or if anger is shown, she might become upset. At five months, a baby may laugh for the first time, show preference toward familiar people, and demonstrate emotions through facial expressions. At six months, a child will start to imitate a parent's actions and emotions.

Emotional Development in Months Seven through Twelve

• At seven months a child might start to show fear. Between eight and ten months, a child will show facial expressions that correspond with basic emotions, and stranger anxiety will be in full force. Towards the end of the first year, he will show signs of independence, and continues to show every emotion he has. It isn't until his second year that a child learns to somewhat manage his feelings.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4578422_infant-emotional-development.html

Emotional Development in the First Six Months

• In the first month or so, crying is the only way a child can voice feelings of displeasure. By the third month, however, crying may cease and make way for real outward displays of emotion. Smiling will become a way to communicate. By four months, she gets even better at communicating needs, and begins to notice other people's emotions, too. When someone seems happy, she may smile, or if anger is shown, she might become upset. At five months, a baby may laugh for the first time, show preference toward familiar people, and demonstrate emotions through facial expressions. At six months, a child will start to imitate a parent's actions and emotions.

Emotional Development in Months Seven through Twelve

• At seven months a child might start to show fear. Between eight and ten months, a child will show facial expressions that correspond with basic emotions, and stranger anxiety will be in full force. Towards the end of the first year, he will show signs of independence, and continues to show every emotion he has. It isn't until his second year that a child learns to somewhat manage his feelings.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4578422_infant-emotional-development.html

Emotional Development in the First Six Months

• In the first month or so, crying is the only way a child can voice feelings of displeasure. By the third month, however, crying may cease and make way for real outward displays of emotion. Smiling will become a way to communicate. By four months, she gets even better at communicating needs, and begins to notice other people's emotions, too. When someone seems happy, she may smile, or if anger is shown, she might become upset. At five months, a baby may laugh for the first time, show preference toward familiar people, and demonstrate emotions through facial expressions. At six months, a child will start to imitate a parent's actions and emotions.

Emotional Development in Months Seven through Twelve

• At seven months a child might start to show fear. Between eight and ten months, a child will show facial expressions that correspond with basic emotions, and stranger anxiety will be in full force. Towards the end of the first year, he will show signs of independence, and continues to show every emotion he has. It isn't until his second year that a child learns to somewhat manage his feelings.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4578422_infant-emotional-development.html

Emotional Development in the First Six Months

• In the first month or so, crying is the only way a child can voice feelings of displeasure. By the third month, however, crying may cease and make way for real outward displays of emotion. Smiling will become a way to communicate. By four months, she gets even better at communicating needs, and begins to notice other people's emotions, too. When someone seems happy, she may smile, or if anger is shown, she might become upset. At five months, a baby may laugh for the first time, show preference toward familiar people, and demonstrate emotions through facial expressions. At six months, a child will start to imitate a parent's actions and emotions.

Emotional Development in Months Seven through Twelve

• At seven months a child might start to show fear. Between eight and ten months, a child will show facial expressions that correspond with basic emotions, and stranger anxiety will be in full force. Towards the end of the first year, he will show signs of independence, and continues to show every emotion he has. It isn't until his second year that a child learns to somewhat manage his feelings.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4578422_infant-emotional-development.html

Bum Chum Cloth Diaper Review

Ok..I know i said i would not want to try out Indian MCDs (Modern Cloth Diapers) but curiosity set in and i decided to pick up Bum Chum cowboy diaper. This diaper is, much like the Flip system, A cover and an insert.
What sealed the deal for me was, i quote 'The snap-on inserts are made from a absorbent micro fiber with bamboo cotton as the top layer, making them a perfect choice for the hot Indian summers. Bamboo is particularly suitable for babies with sensitive skin or those prone to frequent diaper rash as the fabric is known to have anti-bacterial properties. Bamboo fabric is also known to keep cool in the summers and remains soft after every wash.' Yeah well!



The Good Part is that:

1. The cover is made of TPU which is better than PUL as it is a softer frabic and higher up on biodegradability. ( this info is from other bloggers so i am assuming someone has bothered to actually research and make my life easier)
2. the cover has really cute designs...Yeah, it's a very valid point!
3. it has a snap on buttons for the insert which keeps it in place. ( this was not a problem with Flip..but brownie points for thoughtfulness)
4. all the bamboo jargon, if its true..Yay!!
5. The price, i paid INR 799. Flip would cost 500 bucks more.
6. it is a high rise fit.. i am neutral about it..i don't see any particular advantage or disadvantage..but will keep that as a positive point so that some positive vibes are generated on this page..ooooooooooommmmmmmmm!! ( oh that reminds me, has anyone tried Om Ved brand for kids? I use a few products, must review them. Note to self) 

The Bad part however:

1. The insert bunches up after two pees so the insert which should be covering the entire genital area like an undie, starts to resemble a G  - string..ok, maybe it's an exaggeration but pretty close.
2. If your little one has pooped on the G string insert then the entire cover will be splattered in poop and all in between too.
3. My baby is on the lean side, so not matter how hard i try, i do not get a snug fit on the legs. So if poop splatters, it's time for my hubby to change the bed sheet!
4. I don't know if it is TPU or just low quality to blame but when i unbutton the diaper, it feels that the buttons will just fly off the cloth if i use some force..it's a diaper change, it's a rough game..not a diamond necklace being set for a dame.
5. The idea for these cover + insert diaper is that you don't have to keep changing the cover every 2 -3 hours, just replace the insert. Economical + less laundry = happiness! Only not quite with this diaper! It has this fancy elastic band inside ( to hold the insert) which invariably gets soaked in pee and i HAVE to change the diaper as a whole..totally beats the point!

Bottom line: If you are using Flip, Bum Genius, Charlie banana etc..stick to it. If you have bought this diaper, try to use it with the flip insert..it works well..

Which has got me thinking, will there ever be a time when we won't have to think over and over before purchasing an Indian brand. And not be disappointed? And should these 'made in china', sold in India products be called Indian brands? missing the 'Made In India' tags..missing our pride of workmanship..missing our 'Indian- ness.'