PBK acrylic containers

So despite the high price, I bought a set of acrylic containers for our preschooler's lunchbox from Pottery Barn Kids. The description said "the tight fitting lids make them perfect to toss in backpacks or beach bags". Um... were you talking about the drinking bottles?

We've had this set for about a month now, and of course they weren't used daily - maybe once a week? Twice at most. But the lids are no longer tight and I have to put a rubber band around it to make sure it won't go loose in the bag (so much for tossing into any bag, unless you want your food rolling around in it).

It cost $16.50 for all three (the sandwich sized container & two smaller containers) plus the incredible California tax of nearly 10%, and is doing far less than the iKea containers that sell for$4.99 for 17 containers (and that I got for free while attending a church picnic). Less pretty but at least it holds its lid.

Clothing labels

Looking for a neat way to label preschoolers' clothing, lunchboxes, etc etc has been another chore for me until I came upon these labels called Stitkins.

I have tried using Sharpie markers and other permanent markers on plastic lunch containers and clothing labels which presented several problems:

(1) Plastic containers: They wash off in about 3 washes. Meaning they disappear. They start to fade with one wash. So it turns out, the markers are not really permanent after all (they're only permanent on surfaces where you don't want them to be!).

(2) Clothing labels: It bleeds as you write, so you have to write really big but the labels are really small. And what about all these brands that don't have labels to start off with? Do you mean for me to just write on the cloth??!!

(3) Shoes: Similar to the plastic containers. Doesn't last very long, especially on the crocs.

But Stitkins come in a variety of sizes, do not need ironing, and last in the dishwasher and laundry (apparently for 10+ washes. I will test exactly how long they last!). I am looking forward to NOT rewriting every three days.

Jammy Sammys

May has been a slow month. I was beginning to wonder myself if I had run out of new things to buy! But alas - after putting the kid in school, I finally had a chance to stroll through the aisles of Whole Foods without distractions (e.g., carrying a kicking and screaming two-year old) and rediscover the joys of shopping.

My current obsession is with packing preschool lunches. This is a chore and it also feels like the mom is being evaluated when the teacher notes everything you pack for your kid every day. So I was perusing the aisles for easy but healthy foods that I could pack, that the kid would actually eat. This is when I ran into Revolution Foods Jammy Sammys.

I am passionate about peanut butter. I love Reese's peanut butter cups and I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches (with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Trust me, it makes a difference). I have been this way for as long as I can remember. I can't say the same for jelly - that is, until I discovered Goober Grapes. (Research shows... this product was first made in 1968. But then, why was it so popular in the 80's?) Then my love of PB&J evolved into a desperate love affair with the Smuckers Uncrustables, which I am devouring at the speed of at least one a day, minimum.

So although preschool is a nut free zone, I couldn't help but notice this promise of snack-sized PB&J treats that are organic and supposedly healthy. The kid often naps in the car, so I convinced myself it would make for a good snack on the way back home. I couldn't wait for the day to go by, so I had to open a packet and try one for myself.

HOW WRONG COULD I HAVE BEEN?!

I think it's really difficult to go wrong with peanut butter. But this was gross. I am clueless as to why Revolution Foods is so popular with foodie moms these days. There was no creamy peanut butter texture or the sweet nutty flavor. All you get is a very bland, gooky bar that is somewhat like a mini Nutrigrain bar but I mean, I think Nutrigrain would get upset at me for comparing it to this thing. It was soft to the touch, so your fingers sink into it, but there's no cream and just a strange colored jelly. Yuck, yuck yuck! I had to swallow a full bottle of water to get the texture/feeling out of my mouth.

Is this concept truly too good to be true? Can anyone please create a lighter, PB&J version of Nutter Butter please?

Yummie Tummies

Of course despite the promise of no spams in your inbox, I get tons, and although most go directly to the trash bin, for some reason, I happened to open an ad with this picture:

OMG

Does this really work?

Unless you're an incredibly strong-willed or genetically blessed person, it seems nearly impossible to get rid of the bumps around your waist after giving birth! After months of investing in endermology (with some success but still lacking perfection), I couldn't help but get excited about this product.

The thing is, I have invested in multiple corsets etc in the past but they're all too bulky or uncomfortable to wear regularly. However, this product seemed so wearble - as long as the pictures were real, this seemed like the next best thing to a liposuction!

I finally got mine in the mail, and I can tell you I've put in additional orders in other colors (I bought white - I am adding nude and black).

Amazing!

It absolutely works - especially from the side, the muffin tops are gone. There are two lengths -regular and long - and although they say regular is long enough for most people, I bought the long so that I can wear it layered, or if I don't want the layered look, I can stick it into even low rises without worrying about it popping out. It's more effective on the side than the front, but it's absolutely lightweight, comfortable, wearable, and effective!

It can be a little warm, so I don't know about wearing this in 100 degree weather, but being in the Bay area, that's not a major concern for me, so I'm incredibly happy with my purchase.

Toilet Seats for Potty Training

What an odd topic to move to - from BB creams to potty training! Welcome to the world of being a mom...

My son has been in toilet training for more than six months now. We haven't been pushing him - last summer, out of the blue, he mentioned that he had to go #2, I sat him on a toilet seat, and voila! Life became atleast 30% better for me :)

But there has been no progress since then (actually, some backwards progress which has gotten me into trouble because now I've become lazier about checking, and he sometimes goes without letting me know) and we've had more than enough time to evaluate our toilet seats.

We started with the Baby Bjorn, which I thought was a total rip off - $30 for a toilet seat cover? Come on! But this was six months ago, and I have total appreciation for their product (it's worth every penny).

Not only are the colors fun and vibrant (we are now using the red, but we've had the blue one as well and I think there's also one with a black trim), they also work well in terms of matching any kids' bathroom. It also has a dial in the back so you can adjust the seat to fit any toilet. (I've used this on multiple toilets, but for some reason, never needed to use it.) But the highlight of the design is in the little bump (if you look closely at the picture, you can see it) in the front center of the seat. Let me tell you why this bump is soooo verrry important!

The first time we traveled after he began potty training, of course I forgot to bring the toilet seat along. With the 3,000 other things I needed to pack, the toilet seat was the last thing on my mind! We were on vacation for 10 days, so we ran into the situation where, I didn't have a toilet seat and my son would not go without one (although it had been a couple of days since)! I of course rushed to the nearest Target to find a solution, and the only thing that I could find was The First Years soft toilet seat cover.

The First Years toilet seat was half the price of the Baby Bjorn, and although I wasn't too happy with the color (not so vibrant, medium toned blue - what if my kid is a girl and doesn't like blue?!) but at the same time, not only was this "temporary", it was also half the price. When I was originally shopping for toilet seats, I didn't even think about another brand, so I was pleasantly surprised to find almost the same thing for so much cheaper. (Okay, I know I'm supposed to be a conspicuous consumer, but $15 for a more vibrant colored toilet seat? I mean, even I would think twice.)

So I bring this back with me, sit my son on the seat, and it starts doing its magic. Ah, I breathe a sigh of relief. All of the sudden, a stream of pee is flowing out the front, the relief is nowhere to found, and you have a hysterical mom trying to minimize the damage and block the flow somehow. I never had this problem at home, and then it hits me. This new toilet seat does not have the bump!!

I don't know if this is an issue for little girls, but this is definitely a huge deal for me as a mother of a boy. Had I known this, I would have been more than willing to pay the atrocious amount they charge you for overnight shipping to get the Baby Bjorn instead (the Baby Bjorn toilet seat can only be found online or at certain specialty shops - which wasn't an option for us at the time, we were on vacation).

It is such a simple thing but makes a world of difference for parents. Seriously, I know some people think the whole Baby Bjorn thing is over-rated, but after that fiasco, I am sooo sticking to brands I trust, especially when it comes to children's products!

BB creams - high end vs low end

So back to one of my favorite topics - make up.

Not that I use a lot of it. My friends repeatedly tell me they can't tell the difference. Well, who cares, I can.

But now that I'm back stateside and I don't have to cover my face with "stuff" just to go out to throw out the trash, I started looking for simpler things. While my makeup bag still has several foundation brushes to go with the multiple shades of foundation, and brush cleaners (if you're looking for one, I've found that Bobbi Brown is the most economic at a per ounce level, plus you only need a dot to clean a brush compared to the liquid types) and light powder/dark powder etc. etc.

One of my colleagues from work (and another make up junkie) recommeded a BB cream by Dr Jart. In case you aren't familiar with the Asian BB (Blemish base) cream craze... It's a skin-toned cream that's supposed to help cover up the imperfections of your skin tone. Because of this, they claim you don't have to pile on the foundations and powders on top of this, although it's just a base.

There are dozens of BB cream brands with a price range of... several dollars to several hundred dollars, but I took my colleague's word for it. Even within Dr. Jart there is a silver line and a black line. The black line is slightly more expensive ($3~5) but I couldn't figure out what was different, and I'm cautious about using less known brands so I opted for the cheaper one, just in case I decided to toss it out. This was especially so, because my aesthetician gave me a sample (I had yet to purchase) and it was supposed to be quadruple the price I was paying for the tube of Dr Jart.

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised - first of all, no skin flare ups and good cover. The texture was a bit pasty (I can't believe this is anti-wrinkle, as the packaging claims. You get wrinkles applying it, I swear, but the sample I received from my aesthetician was similar) and the smell was... oh, well, let's face it - cheap. But it did its job at a fair price. (In Korea I bought this for somewhere around 25,000 won, which is at the current exchange rate, around $18-19. However, they're selling this on the US Dr Jart website for $35.)

Not to miss out on this opportunity, Sisley, which has been making skin-toned base for as long as I've used the brand, has come out with its own "BB cream" - the Grand Ecran Solaire Visage. But this season's they've come out with a sun block (maybe because all of the major BB cram brands are SPF 30, anti-wrinkle, etc. etc. and the original Soin Teinte Phyto-Hydratant (=Tinted moisturizer, or make up base) doesn't include sunscreen) - you have the SPF 30 or SPF 10 option, in colorless, porcelain, or natural. Actually, I'm not fair skinned - even within Asian standards, but natural was too dark for me. If you like looking very tanned, then that might be an option for you. Of course, this comes with a hefty $110 (give or take, considering exchange rates - but I don't think they're selling this in the US yet) price tag, but the texture is much lighter and the smell is... well, I don't quite remember the smell. (And that's a good thing.)

So lately, I've been super quick in the morning - just my usual moisturizing routine, the Sisley sunblock, a stroke of translucent powder for the T-zone, and some mascara, and I'm off. Okay, so if I'm going out, I'll do a little bit more, but for running to the store, or even going to work (as long as I'm just sitting in the office), this seems to be fine. Honestly, I'm going to have to get this shipped to me in the US if I run out before it's launched here!

Shopping for SUVs

There must be thousands of blogs that go on and on about the pains of car shopping. Let me add one more.

So if you know me, you know that I've been agonizing over this for the past few months. Agonizing from my desk and over lunch and dinner whenever I had the chance to sit down with anyone mildly interested in cars - for the exact reason that I have little interest in cars. I mean, I need it to get around and I would like a nice ride, but I don't know anything about cars other than its shape and color and whether or not it has navigation...

So finally, we get ourselves into serious shopping mode and start collecting quotes, doing some research online, test driving, and sitting down with sales people to really get down and dirty into the numbers. It was quite an annoying experience to walk into the Mercedes dealership, because although we did wind up buying something that was totally in their price range, maybe it was the way we were dressed or who knows, but they wouldn't give us the time of day. Since when have you seen a car salesman be so stuck up and succeed in sales?

In the end, we found ourselves choosing between the '08 Lexus RX400h hybrid and the '09 Acura MDX - the Acura guy tried to convince us that the Lexus RX was actually more comparable to the Acura RDX, but I don't know the details, I just know what I like, and the fact that the RDX used the same chassis as the Honda CRV was a clear sign that - well, if I were to consider the RDX, I should just go buy a CRV...

Anyway, the problem is the body of the RX has gotten a complete revamp with the '10 model, and they will start selling the '10 hybrids in 3 months. They have a $6,000 marketing incentive going until the end of this month to get rid of the old hybrids - and the salesperson was still playing games with us ("we sold them too fast so now the price has gone back up").

The Acura dealer was more cooperative, upfront. So we whip out our Edmunds TMV quote, and he's totally willing to start with that number. I mean this was a little fishy, until we walk into the finance department. They quote us for one APR and then try to get us to sign on another. Are they crazy? (Not to mention trying to sell us loads of warranties and what not...) But btw, this site is great because not only does it give you a quote price, it informs you of the marketing promotions and incentives that dealers are getting on specific models, so you know how much room you have to negotiate.

So despite all the drama, we succeeded in purchasing our first SUV - more to come on its performance after I actually start "consuming" it...

Kids' clothing - Zutano

Not to be rude, but to be completely honest, I've returned nine out of the ten clothing gifts I've received for my son. This leads me to believe that giving clothing gifts is, in general, a bad idea. (Gift cards? Don't worry, it's not rude or impersonal. I love this!) Every mom defines "quality" and "value" differently - whether it be brand, color, design, price, etc. My sister-in-law, for example, refused to let our niece wear anything pink when she was a baby, because pink made the baby appear to be pinker (you know how newborns are kind of pinkish). A friend had an issue with where buttons were placed. I, personally, have an issue with Armani Kids t-shirts, because the neckline is tiny and inelastic, and it turns my son's face into a squinty eyed monster when we try to pull it off before putting him in his bath. (To be fair, he enjoys this and doubles over laughing after looking at himself in the mirror, but I doubt this was what they were truly aiming for).

One of the very first clothing gifts I did keep was from my husband's PhD advisor. He has two little ones himself, which gives him a leg up, but still since every mom/dad is different that doesn't explain everything. We received a set of Zutano jacket (which is more like a cotton jersey cardigan) and pants, and since then, I've spent hundreds on this brand for my son with zero regrets! First of all, the cotton is really high quality - soft, light, and thin - and perfect for babies. Secondly, they place the buttons appropriately on t-shirts! So whether they sleep on their backs or play on their tummies, you don't want the buttons to press into their little bodies. They've placed the buttons on the shoulder running sideways, plus they are not difficult to button up or open. Finally, their prints, stripes, and solids come in color combinations that easily mix & match, so when they throw up or spill on a shirt, you don't have to a) change everything they're wearing 5 times a day or b) have your kid looking like a fashionista's nightmare (matching colors, please!).

The downside is that these things are not easy to find. They used to be sold in one of the tiny shops in downtown Ann Arbor, but that store has since closed down, and I am buying them online on various sites (http://www.comfykid.com/ is where I got started, but there are many more!).

Zutano is much cuter for the under 24mo crowd - now we've outgrown this size and I'm searching for a reliable replacement. If you're searching for the perfect baby shower gift (especially for me!), have a look.

Skincare - whitening lines

This spring's keyword in skincare, at least in Seoul, has been "whitening". Since this fair skin/whitening thing is an Asian craze, I thought I'd stock up while I was still in Seoul. Good thing, because I checked on a few brands, and most of the time, the whitening lines are not available in the US.

Supposedly you're not supposed to mix and match whitening products, and using the entire regimen is supposed to make it more effective (we'll see in a few months if this is true or not), so after some soul searching and shopping around, I finally settled on the Kiehl's Ultimate White line.

Based on hours of avoiding work and surfing online reviews, it seems SK-II's whitening line is viewed as the most effective. It may also be because it's so pricy! Comparing the same products (e.g., toner, essence, lotion, etc.) it was on average 2.5 times more expensive than Kiehl's. And based on my years of cosmetics purchases? It can't really be 2.5 times more effective (assuming I continue using everything I buy before I move on to a new craze). So I settled for Kiehl's. (Although I do plan on trying the SK-II Whitening Source Dermdefinition essence at some point in my life...)

On top of the value for money (to be confirmed, if it's really effective), the great thing about the Kiehl's line is the awesome citrus smell. I've been using it for a week now and it's too soon to tell the long-term effects, but the Brightening Exfoliator definitely makes your skin look brighter immediately after rinsing. The toner is a bit gross because instead of the usual clear color, it turned out to be whitish fluid, but it soon disappears into your cotton swab.

If this effort proves to be fruitless, I will go back to relying on the one product I swear by - the La Mer Refining Facial, with pure diamond powder. Again, I'm not sure of the long-term effectiveness, but after spending time in the sun or whenever I'm unhappy with how my skin is looking, I can rely on the Refining Facial to brighten my complexion, at least for a day or two.