Product Review_Philips Avent 4-in-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker_Steam_Blend_Defrost_Reheat

Hello Mummies & Daddies, good day to you! I've got here a wonderful baby food maker to share with you all today. Here with me is Baby F. posing (like a model, hahaha - just that she doesn't quite smile at my camera 'cuz she's more curious about it than anything!) along side the Philips Avent 4-in-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker, which boasts four functions i.e. steaming, blending, defrosting, and reheating.

I don't think I'll have to do any introduction on Philips Avent? Well a quick one for new parents - With over 30 years, Philips Avent has worked closely with scientists, healthcare professionals and mothers to understand babies and support parents in providing the best possible start to their baby’s life through their range of smart innovations - they are a renown brand in the baby market and honestly even before I was a Mummy, I've seen & heard of them already.

This came to my doorstep a couple of days ago, and I was definitely in delight to receive this very-new-and-latest baby food maker in the market. In the box was the machine with its jar, a small storage pot (120ml) , a spatula, and a recipe book. Come, let me show you what it does! 

Highlights of the Philips Avent 4-in-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker:

• Unique 4-in-1 design; steams, blends, defrosts & reheats homemade food.
• Steams in a healthy way - with a unique technology that lets steam circulate upwards from the bottom, making sure all the ingredients are evenly cooked without boiling.
• Steaming & blending all in one jar - easy-peasy all you need is to flip!
• Tasty & nutritious weaning recipes by Dr. Emma Williams
• Multiple meals in one go - cooks up to four meals at a time with the 1000 ml jar. Serve one meal and store three in your fridge or freezer for later.
• Easy to clean - dishwasher-safe and blade and easy access water tank.
• Beep alert notification - a distinctive beep will tell you when the food is cooked to perfection.

I really loved the weaning guide & recipe book b'cuz I'm not so much of a cook (oops, now you know my secret) so this really helps as there were definitely days i'd run out of ideas. The weaning guide is put together with the help of child nutritionist Dr. Emma Williams, to provide your baby a healthy start in life. The picture above are some of the recipes for each stages.. from pureed to chunky, for every step of the way (in zigzag order); 

• Stage 1: First tastes
• Stage 2: Soft chews
• Stage 3: Chunkier chews
• Stage 4: From one year old on

And in the instructions manual was a list of foods, the duration needed for steaming, and amount of water needed to steam - a must know!! I know not many read or go thru the instructions manual when using a new gadget for the first time. But me being me (an OCD), I just had to scan thru the book. But I'm happy I did b'cuz this is very informative!! (again, for a non-cook like me - haha). 

After running thru the recipe book, I decided to make something improvised out of the book - Chicken, broccoli, potato puree. The baby food maker actually came right on time as I was just thinking of giving Baby F. meats like chicken and pork 'cuz she's now already 9.5 months old, but it has taken such a long time 'cuz I really have no idea how to make food with such meats in it!? She's been on fish, veggies, and porridge from 5-6 months old and I think it's about time she tasted more big-girl food. Heh.

How To Prepare Baby Food? (Picture in zigzag order)

1. Decide on a recipe, pour water into the water tank (water level depends on the ingredient to be steamed - if unsure please refer to instructions manual).
2. Prepare the ingredients. Make sure you cut the ingredients into cubes not larger than 1 cm so it cooks and blends well later on.
3. Chuck the ingredients into the jar and close the lid up making sure that it is secured & locked.
4. Turn the machine on and tune knob to desired duration of steaming.
5. After steaming is complete, flip jar and lock in place and blend to your desired consistency.
6. Serve & "Bon Appetit" little one.  : )

Picture above just show you how easy it is to prepare food with the Philips Avent 4-in-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker; just cut and put the ingredients into the jar, press a button, wait it out and your food is cooked. If blending is needed all you have to do is flip it over and blend away! Its really easy lah, I literally was having my breakfast in the midst of waiting for the food in the jar to be cooked. I totally can see myself using this for steaming my own food too - heh!

Besides the steaming and blending functions, the 4-in-1 healthy baby food maker can also be used to reheat and defrost food - great for Mummies & Daddies who makes, freezes and stores baby food in bulk. You may choose to make food for immediate consumption or store in the container included, and reheat later on with the reheating or defrosting functions.

I guess that's all for my review today and I hope you like it. Thank you Philips Avent for sending me this really awesome & functional baby food (and also Mummy food) maker. It will be a great addition to my new kitchen in my new home really soon; stylish-looking, and totally space-saving since this is almost like an all-in-one machine needed to make healthy baby food.

For more information on the Philips Avent 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker, do visit their website:
http://www.philips.com.sg/c-p/SCF875_01/4-in-1-healthy-baby-food-maker
and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsHomeLivingSG/

Feel free to leave comments in the comment box below if you have any questions regarding this topic and I'll try my best to answer if it's not already stated in my blog above. Thanks for reading! : D

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Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; ) 

Fitness with Vannytelly - Circuit Workout - Exercises At Home

Back with more circuit workouts or exercises that can be done at home, by the beach, in the hotel, literally anywhere!! So no more excuses for not working out! This is kinda my favourite set of workout to get a quick one in especially when I don't have exercise equipments around.

Today we'll be doing the few exercises (no need to be in sequence):

1. Push-ups
2. Lunges
3. Squats
4. Sit Ups
5. Back Raises
6. Jumping Jacks
7. Oblique Crunch

Squats

1. Stand with your head facing forward and chest held up and high, feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, hips over knees, and knees over ankles. 

2. Keep shoulders back and maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.

3. Extend arms out straight so they are parallel with the ground with palms facing down; this would help keep your balance.

4. Start the movements by inhaling, squat downwards sending hips backward as the knees begin to bend (it's as though sitting into an imaginary chair).

5. While the butt starts to stick out, make sure the chest and shoulders stay upright, and the back stays straight. Keep the head facing forward with eyes straight ahead for a neutral spine.

6. Optimal squat depth would be your hips sinking below the knees (if you have the flexibility to do so comfortably).

7. Keep your body tight, and push through your heels to bring yourself back to the starting position.

* Start with sets of 10 squats, and then add more reps (e.g. 12 or 15) as you get used to the motion or get stronger. Focus on form first then start adding more reps. Good form is the way to build muscles and lower risk of injuries!

(a) Lunges or (b) Lunge Pulses
1. Stand with your torso (body) upright with hands by your side, or you can keep hands on your waist (however you feel comfortable). This will be your starting position.

2. Step forward with right leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent with the forward knee at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pass your ankle, and make sure your other knee doesn't touch the floor.

3. Keep the weight in your heels and exhale as you push back up to the starting position.

4. Repeat the movement for the recommended amount of reps then change legs.

(a) For lunges, you do not need to step out as far as I did in the picture above. It is correct so long as both legs are of 90 degrees. Click here if you need video instructions for Lunges.

(b) Lunge Pulse is a variation of the normal Lunge exercise - step out into the starting position as per above picture, dip down and come back up quickly in a pulsating movement. Complete 20 pulses for each leg as 1 set. Click here if you need video instructions for Lunge Pulses.

* Start with sets of 10, and then add more reps (e.g. 12 or 15) as you get used to the motion or get stronger. Always keep in good form to lower risk of injuring your knees.

Jumping Jacks
1. Stand with your feet together and your hands down by your side.

2. In one motion jump your feet out to the side and raise your arms above your head, keeping arms straight as you can.

3. Immediately jump back to the starting position.

4. This would count as one rep.

*Start with sets of 20-25 reps, and then add more reps (any amount) as you get used to the motion. This exercise can be done for as long as you can.

Plank Jacks
1. Start in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.

2.Like the motion of a jumping jack, jump your legs wide and then back together. Jump as quickly as you want, but keep your pelvis steady and try to keep your body in a straight line.

3. This would count as one rep.

* Start with sets of 20 reps, and then add more reps (e.g. 25 or 30) as you get used to the motion.

Modified Push-ups
1. Start with your hands and knees in a modified plank position. Your arms should be straight, with your shoulders above your wrists. Rest your knees on the ground, legs together, with feet in the air. This will be your starting position.

2. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor, while maintaining a straight line through your core.

3. Push back upwards, engaging your chest & core into starting position.

4. This would be one rep.

* Start with sets of 6-8 reps, and then add more reps (e.g. 10 or 12) as you get used to the motion or get stronger. If you feel that this isn't challenging enough, feel free to try out incline push-ups or even standard push-ups (click here for more info).

Back Raise (Extensions)
1. Lie face down on a mat on the floor, with hands at the side of your head and feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Lift head and shoulders up and back off the floor. Hold for 2-3 seconds then go back to starting position.

3. This would count as one rep.

4. If you don't break a sweat doing the basic move, try lifting up your legs both in the air as you perform movement #2.

* Start with sets of 10 reps, and then add more reps (e.g. 12 or 15) as you get used to the motion or get stronger.

Sit-ups
1. Lie on your back flat on the mat on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.

2. Place your fingertips behind your ears, elbow out to the sides.

3. Engage your core, exhale as you raise your body up towards your knees. Head always looking straight, do not tuck chin to your chest or pull head forward. Keep your head inline with your spine as you sit up.

4. Inhale as you roll back down to the starting position.

5. This counts as one rep.

* Start with sets of 12 reps, and then add more reps (e.g. 15 or 20) as you get stronger. Maintain proper form to prevent hurting your lower back.

** If you are unable to perform sit-ups due to back problems, you may always change this exercise to another type of core exercise like planks.

Oblique Crunches
1. Start by lying on your side with your legs curled up, on top of each other (you may llike to keep your legs out and a little bent if it is more comfortable).

2. Place the arm on the floor out and facing down, the the other arm by your side - this would be your starting position.

3. Begin by exhaling as you move your upper arm and shoulder up as if performing a normal crunch.

4. Crunch as high as you can, hold the movement for a second and then inhale as you slowly lower back down into the starting position.

5. This counts as one rep.

6. Complete the recommended amount of reps and switch over to the other side.

* Start with sets of 10 reps, and then add more reps (e.g. 12 or 15) as you get stronger. Maintain proper form to prevent stressing your neck.

Try to complete 3 sets for each exercise and work up to 4 sets if you'd like. If you are unable to do this many reps/ sets at one go, slowly work your way up. Remember to use proper form for all exercises, do proper warm-up before and cool-down after every workout; to prevent injuring yourself. A little effort a day makes a great difference in the long run - consistency is the key! 

Feel free to leave comments in the comment box below if you have any questions regarding this topic and I'll try my best to answer if it's not already stated in my blog above. Thanks for reading! : D

P.S. If you'd like to see my future posts, follow me on FB & IG.. 
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Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; )

Stroller Friendly Brunch Places in Singapore - Cafe Melba

One thing that has changed for hubs & I ever since the arrival of baby girl F. was that brunching out (or any eating out that is) usually involves some researching since many new hipster cafes tend to be quite small and needless to say, not stroller friendly. Some of you non-parents may wonder "why can't she just but her baby in a high chair?".. yes you don't know that we wished for that but just FYI young babies esp those who cannot sit on their own needs to be in a pram/stroller. It's a pain really that every weekend I'll have to look up the internet through articles and articles to figure out a place where we could take baby F. for brunch - somewhere that is spacious enough to fit the stroller and also convenient enough for us to maneuver the stroller from the car to the cafe. 

Throughout the first few months of being new parents, hubs & I have found a few brunch places comfortable for our (then) needs (yes b'cuz baby F. now is big enough to sit on a high chair) and also food yummy to our tummy. When I was pregnant I've read about Cafe Melba for being a kid-friendly place but haven't visit the place until we've had baby F. Cafe Melba is situated at Goodman Arts Centre (along Goodman Road), which is also the East of Singapore. The concept here is a little different from most cafes - Cafe Melba encompasses a green area giving the feeling of oasis away from the hectic city life. One look at this place and you will get what I just described. 

One of the other reasons I come to this place often is b'cuz business starts as early as 8:30am on weekends and breakfast is served all-day. Yay for the early-birdies!

Among the greenery and beyond the alfresco seating, a bouncy castle is set up for children to play and have fun while Moms & Dads have a relaxing breakfast - we wish! Haha... I know it' almost impossible not to run around Baby F. when she starts running around. But those of you who have older kids, enjoy!

Cafe Melba was actually inspired from (Melb)ourne and (A)sia, and I believe its brunch menu is pretty much Aussie-styled. Menu was displayed on a digital tablet which was easy to go through and place our orders. Selection of dishes were pretty decent, from savory breakfast dishes to the sweet noms - enough to satisfy our breakfast cravings!

I had the Full Melba Vegetarian Breakfast which came with eggs (of any choice), sauteed spinach & mushrooms, confit cherry tomatoes, homemade baked beans, pickled artichoke, toast & mini vegetable rosti (it's like mini hashbrowns but better, really crispy & yums!)

And for hubs as usual who always goes for the full breakfast, chose the Full Melba Breakfast. It was served with eggs (our choice), pork sausage, bacon, cherry tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, toast & mini vegetable rosti.

Prices here were pretty reasonable, cost us about $20 somethings for one breakfast main course and portion was generally big, definitely filled us up. Some other breakfast dishes ranged from $10 somethings to $20 somethings, quite a normal cost for brunch/breakfast I would say.

Usually we were given the same seat, not sure if it's b'cuz their staff prefers to allocate a certain area for families with strollers or was it by coincidence. We were normally seated indoors down the "corridor" or front of bar area, at the last few tables near the end. I liked the seating arrangement b'cuz the corners were a little quieter although you'd have to expect at least some noise b'cuz Cafe Melba's usually a busy busy cafe. I would either make a reservation or avoid the peak period if I were you, otherwise expect to queue for at least 30 minutes if you decide to walk-in for brunch.

Just the view from where we were usually seated - turn back and you'll see the bar. Turn to the side and you'll see that this place looks like a glass house, I guess basically the concept here is well thought of - like a greenhouse with lots of trees & greens surrounding this place, feels relaxing and away from the bustling city area.

I don't have a picture of our stroller against the table but here's a picture of the very smiley baby F. This was #throwback to when she was 4 months old and first time in a dress, lol. Gone were the days where she'd sit in her stroller... she's now on a high chair whenever we eat out. I would say it is much more convenient that she's able to sit on her own - one is that we wouldn't have problems going to a smaller cafe, and another would be that her stroller is now kept in storage.. hahaha - convenience! Haven't used it ever since she started sitting in high chairs.

Overall I personally really like this place and have been there with my family like at least once a month in the last few months. Food here is decent (I can't vouch for the rest of the food items 'cuz I've always ordered the same thing!), price is affordable, environment is great for the family, staff were friendly, and definitely convenient for us parents with young babies. Hey, even though it took us Westies to come all the way to the East just for breakfast - surely must have been something worth us coming back for right?

Address & Contact

90 Goodman Road, Goodman Arts Centre, Blk N #01-56
Singapore, 439053

Nearest Mrt: Mountbatten

☎: +65 6440 6068    ✉: info@cafemelba.com.sg

Hours

Monday-Friday: 10am - 10pm

Weekends and Public Holidays: 8:30am-10pm

Pictures taken from: www.cafemelba.com.sg/

So far I've only been to Cafe Melba @ Goodman Road, there's another outlet @ 1 Star Avenue which is newly open so good news for the Westies. But being said, i'm not sure if the concept is similar at their second outlet. Perhaps if you'd like you could call up to check with their staff before heading over.

For more details on Cafe Melba check out the links below:

Web: http://www.cafemelba.com.sg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CafeMelbaSingapore/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafemelbasingapore/

So that's all for today~
Feel free to leave comments in the comments box below if you have any questions regarding this topic and I'll try my best to answer if it's not already stated in my blog above. Thanks for reading! : D

P.S. If you'd like to see my future posts, follow me on FB & IG.. 
FB: www.facebook.com/vannytelly
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Promise to share more Stroller Friendly Brunch Places in Singapore again soon!
Cheers and stay tuned for more. ; )