books

Review: Josh & Cherie - Children Book Subscription (+ Giveaway & Discount Code!)

9:47 AM
In today's increasingly digital world, it's a common sight to see people glued onto their smartphones. I don't want to go down the slippery slope of introducing gadgets to Elise too early, so I've stocked up on a decent number of books, mostly pre-loved. I believe that children should enjoy reading from a young age as it helps with their comprehension and language ability. 

 However, the problem with buying preloved is that it's a hit-or-miss. I've bought bundles where some books came with missing flaps, creased pages and yellowed edges.

Also, there is something magical about brand new books. The crispness, the knowledge that you're the first one to read it and there won't be weird stains of unknown origin on the next page (coffee? drool?!). 

Today, Elise received a pizza box.  
Pizza for you?

It opened up to reveal a handwritten message and 3 presents tied up with string.


Hello mama, what's inside?

Let me open it up for you~


What was in the box (0 to 2 years old):

3 brand new, beautiful board books! 
This book has LARGE printed sentences so it's easy for parents to read (YES!) and for children to understand.  
There are various illustrated scenarios (one question per scenario) which you can flip up to see the appropriate response e.g.
Mommy says "Do you want peas for breakfast?" 
What do you say? *flip* "No, thank you!"

It's never too early to instill good manners in children!

This book teaches children that friends come in all shapes and sizes and they all get along. Idealistic in the adult world, but it is a children's book after all! It reminds me of a Dr Seuss book with colourful illustrations, rhymes and contrasting font sizes for emphasis.
It's an enjoyable book to dramatise and act out for toddlers. 
Elise chose to dance along to the Wheels on the Bus while exploring her book
Saving the best for the last, this book was definitely Elise's favourite. I have a few sound books which read stories out loud, but this one plays the tune of the Wheels on the Bus! Each page shows a different verse for you to sing along to. 

Elise could NOT STOP pressing the big red button! She clapped and bobbed along to the tune while flipping the pages. She was so thrilled. 
Press press press
Pretending to read...
Let's just dance!

Josh & Cherie Books:

 Started by a pair of local newlyweds Cheryl and Julius (Josh and Cherie are actually names for their future children!), Josh & Cherie Books is a premium children book subscription for children from 0 to 7 years of age. Every month, depending on the child's age, 2 to 3 books are carefully hand picked, gift wrapped and couriered.
Josh and Cherie Books
The idea came to life during a trip to a bookstore on a search for a child's gift, where they noticed that there were more assessment books than picture books! As the both of them were exposed to good books since young and grew up with the habit of reading, they wanted children to experience the magic that books provide. 

They hope to make reading exciting for children, convenient for parents and affordable for everyone with this service.

What I find unique:

1) The books are gift wrapped so children will be excited about their "presents" and want to read them. When I was a child, I received a present of a huge carton containing pre-loved Enid Blyton books from my cousin which sparked my childhood reading habit. Books are an investment. 

 2) The subscription price is cheaper than buying from the bookstores. The titles are also not readily found in local bookstores so it is unlikely that there will be duplicates. However, if you happen to already own the same book, take a photo of you giving it to a friend for a $7 deduction off your next renewal! 

 I find the pricing is reasonable for the effort it takes to search for interactive, age-appropriate books and its packaging. 

4) Suitable as a birthday gift because it's prettily packaged and educational.

5) Mandarin books are available for subscription, which is great for parents who want to introduce Mandarin to their little ones early. 


If you would like to try it out for yourself, take part in our giveaway or use the discount codes for a discounted pricing on your subscription. The book titles will be different from that which I've received as you will be receiving next month's box. 

Special Discount Codes (Valid till 31 Oct 2016):  
$12 off a 6-months subscription with JAMIE12OFF
$30 off a 12-months subscription with JAMIE30OFF 

This code is also valid for existing subscribers! Just drop them an email beforehand as they need to confirm your subscription. 

 Giveaway:
Josh & Cherie have very kindly sponsored a box of books to one lucky reader!
To enter the giveaway, simply follow the steps:

 1. Like Josh & Cherie's FB page
2. Like Days with Baby E's FB page
3. Share this blog entry on your wall (set to public)

For bonus chances, tag 5 friends after sharing the post (set to public). Leaving a comment on this post also gives you an additional chance! :) Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

** I received a box of books for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received. 
korea

The Great Escape

12:36 PM
It was a reunion between uni-mates - my husband hadn't seen his friends in years. We had a feast of chicken, both seasoned and fried, tteokbokki (sticky rice cakes) and sundae (stuffed blood sausages) at his friend's home after an entire day out in the outskirts of Seoul. 

Gatherings in Korea just do not stop at dinner. It's common to go for coffee, dessert or more drinks as a "second" round and it's followed by many other rounds. 

 Our plan was to sneak away for a drink and noraebang (karaoke) session when the children were asleep. We coaxed Elise to sleep and everything seemed perfect. My friend's wife volunteered to watch the children "Just go and have fun. If she wakes up, I'll call you. Don't worry".Closing the door behind us, the four of us strolled along the neighbourhood towards a small watering hole. The cool night breeze, the lights and sounds of the night. I felt like I was 15. We only had time to sit down and browse through the menu - "Should we order the assorted pancakes or the seafood pancakes?" before the call came. 

 We rushed back, taking the way we went, this time at an urgent pace. Before we even opened the door, we could hear her wails. The walls of mom-guilt collapsed on me. How could I even think of leaving her in a place unfamiliar to her for a night of fun? 

 Her cries were that of fear, her nose was runny and she was inconsolable. My friend's wife explained that she had been crying for 10 minutes. 

 She immediately lurched into my arms, crying and clutching my top with her tiny fingers. Hugging her close to my chest, I felt her racing heart regain its normal beat and her sobs turn into sniffles.  
Sniffy baby being comforted by her dad
I didn't get to go for my noraebang session, but I learned a lesson that there's a time for everything. One day, she won't need me as much as she does now. Until that day, she is my priority.
My husband's friend, playing with his son

general

Differences between Korea & Singapore

12:05 AM
Here're some differences between Korea and Singapore, some bad and some good.

1. Towel Sizes 

Credit: mykoreanhusband

 Bath towel in Korea = Face towel in Singapore Towels in Korea are TINY. I can never get used to to the size because it's not even big enough to cover Elise fully, much less myself. BYOT (bring your own towels) if you are heading to Korea.

 2. Meals  
It's not lunch, but breakfast!
Korea: Rice is very much a staple at meals. Breakfast is usually rice with side dishes and soup. Side dishes are stored in the fridge and is served over several days. It is also common to order a bowl of rice after grilling meat to create fried rice (볶음밥), or cold noodles (냉면).
Adding rice and other ingredients to the grill after finishing the meat

 Porridge is also made after finishing hotpots (shabu-shabu, one pot chicken 닭한마리 etc) by mixing in a bowl of white rice with seaweed and minced vegetables. It's probably to make sure nothing goes to waste.

 Singapore: Breakfast is usually kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and Milo and rice is typically eaten for lunch or dinner. Side dishes are consumed freshly on the same day and any leftovers are either kept for the next day or discarded. 

 3. Recycling and reducing waste 

 Korea: Household waste needs to be separated into different categories or the residents will have to pay fines of 100,000 won (~$125) and more. Trash won't be collected if it's not placed in the particular rubbish bag. 

 At supermarkets, bags are not readily provided. If you don't have enough space to carry your purchases, you have to either pay 100 won to purchase a large paper bag or head outside where they provide cardboard boxes which you can tape up and carry around.

 Even at cafes, you need to disassemble your plastic drink cups and recycle them accordingly. 
Credit: thedailykimchi

 Singapore: As much as I'd hate to admit, Singapore is not big on recycling yet. Recycling bins are often misused as rubbish bins and very little people bother to separate their recyclables from their trash. 

 Plastic bags are given out freely at supermarkets. There's a 10 cent discount for people who bring their own grocery bags, but the incentive is not strong enough to create a change. We do use the bags to line our rubbish bins but there are too many to ever finish using.

 4. Gift Sets 

 Korea: Ginseng concentrate beverages are to Koreans what Brands Essence of Chicken are to Singaporeans. You can't go wrong with them. However, cans of spam and olive oil are also perfectly legitimate gifts, and not cheap. It's just that I can't see Singaporeans gifting Ma Ling luncheon meat. 

 Singapore: I guess foreigners find Singaporeans strange too when we gift bak kwa or moon cakes. 

 5. Holding cutlery 

 Korea: It is considered rude to use both chopsticks and spoon at the same time. So is lifting the rice bowl off from the table, or blowing your nose into tissue during a meal. 

 Singapore: There are no specific rules or customs regarding cutlery holding, but sticking your chopsticks upright into your rice bowl may earn you a death stare from the elders because it resembles prayer offerings. 

 6. Jjimjilbangs
Jjimjilbangs: The only place where you can wear a lamb-towel on your head without looking silly
Korea: Bathhouses are aplenty in Korea and are great places for family bonding. Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons take turns to scrub each others' backs. Baths are segregated by gender but young children can follow their parent of opposite gender into the communal baths. 

 They have this dirt scrubbing service (때밀이) where you lie on a gurney, get splashed with water, scrubbed thoroughly like a fish with a rough towel until all your dirt comes out. There'll be rolls of dirt and you feel super clean. You also get a head and shoulder massage and moisturiser will be applied so you feel like a brand new person. 

 Most bathhouses are attached to a communal space where there are steam rooms, ice rooms and other facilities like sleeping rooms, a restaurant and play areas. 

 Singapore: I'm hoping for a jjimjilbang to be opened in Singapore. ㅠ_ㅠ Here's a detailed review on the whole jjimjilbang experience by a local mum. 

 7. Alcohol 
Korea: Alcohol is a given at gatherings. In my two years of working at a Korean organisation in Singapore, I drank at least once a week. During my farewell "party", the management thought it would be funny to make me wasted. 

 They succeeded and it was the worst night of my life. I puked in the train, into my bag, over my dress and slumped down beside a dirty squat toilet before a kind makcik helped me to the taxi queue. It's safe to say that incident was one of the lowest points in my life.  

According to my husband, Koreans find it easy to pour out their feelings and clear up misunderstandings after a drink (or many). Work grievances are often settled after a drinking session. 

 This happens even at family gatherings. Well... I think that once you reach that high after drinking too much, you don't even remember your name. How can value be placed on words said by people who are utterly wasted? 

 Singapore: The drinking culture is not as prevalent in Singapore as it is in Korea. Alcohol rarely ever appears during our family gatherings. It's also illegal to consume alcohol after 10:30pm in public places. Singapore is quite a nanny state!

 8. Drinking Water 
Credit: kimchi-icecream
Korea: Koreans rarely drink tap water and rely on water dispensers or stock up on 1.5L bottles for drinking and cooking purposes. Drinking water is freely available at restaurants, food courts, eating places, departmental stores and small retail stores as well. At food courts, metal cups are stored in UV sterilisers beside water dispensers whereas eating places provide small tumblers of water. 

 Singapore: Tap water is potable and doesn't have any distinctive taste after it has been boiled. More and more food establishments are charging 50 cents for a small cup of tap water. Here's a list of more than 100 restaurants which charge for water.

9. Job discrimination

 Korea: Applying for a job in Korea? Be prepared to be judged. Every single bit of information about you matters. 

 - Your looks 
Jobseekers have been known to undergo surgery just to improve their chances of finding a job

 - Your age 
A large part of Korean society is still conservative, and these conservative Koreans find it difficult to manage subordinates older than them. Same goes towards reporting to superiors younger than them. Case in point: my husband was automatically disqualified from even applying for a job at a Korean company due to his age. 

 - Your gender
Females are heavily discriminated against as companies believe that they will stop work after getting married and having babies. Laws have been put in place to stop companies from asking sensitive and personal questions, but the truth is that employers do mind.  

 - Your family background 
In Korea, it is perfectly okay for companies to know everything about your family including their ages, their occupations and even their health situation. :O  
It was only recently that Korea banned the inclusion of family information in applications for law schools. 

 Singapore: In Singapore, it seems that there are fair practices in hiring, but there are preconceived notions about certain groups of people which affect their employment chances adversely the moment the HR reads their resume. 

 At least I never needed to provide my family information when applying for jobs. 

 - Mental illnesses
Taboo topic which should not be. 

 - Race
This is a touchy issue. I would like to think that this does not apply to most employers. Large, foreign firms have strict no-discrimination hiring policies. It depends on the person hiring as well as the management.