New Baby, New Stroller

I chanced upon a picture of a bob revolution stroller today and it reminded me that we need to buy a new stroller again by next year. When Z was still a baby we bought not one but two strollers. The first stroller was a mistake – it was too bulky for us to carry around. We didn’t have a car then and just going around the metro lugging that huge stroller made us just want to stay at home and not go out. So we bought another stroller and this time it was foldable like an umbrella.

Unfortunately, by the time we bought it Z was already adept at walking and he outgrew it so fast we didn’t have the chance to use it that much. Anyway, both strollers are already at loan with our relatives so I don’t think we can use it anymore. That’s the reason why when the baby comes we have to buy another one. I hope this time we choose the right one the first time.

The Quest for Reliable Batteries

Before I became a mother I never thought I would be needing so much Batteries!  Having a boy meant we need batteries for his remote control cars, hotwheels set, and toy trains.  Aside from that I also spend money on buying batteries for my digital camera.  How else would I take pictures of my son everyday without those?  For over five years I must have spent thousands on batteries alone.  If only I knew I could have saved a lot by buying high quality batteries like Button Cells then that’s what I should have done in the first place.  At first we thought we could survive by buying non-rechargeable batteries the way we used to when we’re still single but these batteries don’t last long on our son’s Thomas train set, do they?  So we thought we got wiser when we finally bought our first set of rechargeable batteries – only it was a brand we hadn’t heard of made from China.  The batteries were fine at first but pretty soon we found ourselves charging it almost every single day.  We thought it was  normal so we continued using it until we got so exhausted charging it that we didn’t bother anymore.   Now poor Z plays his Thomas train set manually, without batteries.

When we bought batteries for our digicam we still made the same mistake.  What can I say we learn real slow. hihi  Now I remember the brand – it was Newstar – and the salesman who sold it to us was all high praises to it.  It was way affordable than the known brands so being the frugal couple that we were we bought a battery brand we have never heard of – again!  A month or two later my camera would show the bright red battery low icon every time I put a newly charged battery.  We didn’t get it at first or we just refused to accept that we were duped once more.  We even thought it might be the camera that was broken.  We were forced to accept the bitter fact that our batteries failed us again after I bought a new battery that was non-rechargeable to test if my camera was broken.  It worked smoothly and never did the low battery icon appear.  So finally we bought another set of batteries for our camera and this time we went for a reliable brand, went straight to the counter to pay it, and refused to talk to any salesperson who might change our mind again.  So no our battery is still running smoothly and we’re still amazed at how reliable it is.  Hubby can take videos of himself onstage for an hour and I don’t hear the complaints I used to hear from him anymore.   So now we’re really wiser and wouldn’t think of buying another unknown battery brand ever.

Ekomini – Teaching Kids to be Money Smart

Kids nowadays are so hooked to computer games.  I don’t blame them as computer games can be so entertaining.  But what if there is a computer game that teaches your kid to save and invest their money?  Now if such a game do exists I wouldn’t mind if Z gets hooked on it since financial literacy is one important knowledge parents have to impart on their kids.

Fortunately, this kind of game I’m talking about do exists.  Ekomini is an interactive piggy bank because unlike your traditional piggy bank it can be attached to the computer.  Now, how cool is that?  Once connected to the computer the kids can then track their savings.  What’s cooler is it comes with an online game called Ekominiville that teaches the kids the value of savings, planning for purchases, investing and donating to charity and social causes in a cool, non-boring way.  Since the makers of the game know the importance of parents teaching their kids personally about managing their money this game comes with a parental interface that let’s the parents do just that.  So this is actually a game that both the kids and the parents can play!

Ekomini is only priced at  $39.9 and is recommended for kids aged 6 to 12.

Term Life Insurance – Is it For You?

Recently I was able to take a quick look at a term life insurance quote and was shocked that it was affordable. Unlike life insurance, term life insurance is much cheaper. So if you can’t afford life insurance at the moment then term life insurance is good enough to help your family financially in case something happens to the breadwinner. Term life insurance is ideal for the breadwinner so his/her family can cope financially if the breadwinner suddenly dies. If you have a high risk job like that of a fireman where your life is constantly in danger then you should never think twice about getting term life insurance.

Family Memoir

I have come across this picture of the Royal Family at Daily Mail yesterday. I can’t help but sigh at how beautiful this picture is. This picture was taken back in 1957 when the Queen Elizabeth was still a young mother and before the time of digital cameras.

Isn’t that such a nice photograph? Neither one was facing the camera but it was still a beautiful photograph. My family must have at least one photo like this before Z grows up. It certainly beats those pictures taken at the studio where everyone is forced to smile and to remain frozen while waiting for the flash.

By the way, there’s this anecdote regarding this picture. See the little prince and princess? They are holding a book there but they were supposed to be fishing instead of reading. However, an overzealous cook cooked the fish they were supposed to catch so that’s how they ended up with a book in a pond. You see? Even a day in the royal life isn’t all that perfect. LOL!