Review: Seven Seas Fruit Gummies - Yummy and Nutritious!

30 May 2014

We received a happy mail last week. Upon opening the parcel, my kids got more excited than me.
Because we received Seven Seas Fruit Gummies!



SO WHO IS SEVEN SEAS?

Since 1935, Seven Seas has been researching and developing the right formulation to meet the needs in supporting good health for families.  
The Seven Seas story begins with cod liver oil, and the history goes way back to the 1700s. 
(you can read more about the history here)

Seven Seas believes that a healthy life begins with good nutrition. Driven by this philosophu and back with scientific expertise, Seven Seas is committed to bringing good nutrition for you and your family since 1935. Today, Seven Seas health supplements are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In Malaysia, the Seven Seas range are available in 3 main categories:

Everyday Health Protection - Optimize Your Health
Seven Seas nutritional range is designed to support your health to ensure a fulfilled day with busy schedules and activities.

Joint Health - Stay Active, Always
Seven Seas Flexicare range is formulated to provide nutritional health for the joints.

Children’s health - Our leaders of tomorrow
Build a strong and healthy foundation for your child with Seven Seas.

(Source: http://www.sevenseas.com.my/index.php/about/)

PACKAGING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Upon opening the parcel, we saw a reusable Seven Seas bag. And in it, I also found an Activity Sheet. (more about that later).

 

And of course inside the bag, there are the 3 boxes of Fruit Gummies.

These are the different Fruit Gummies flavours.

Inside the sealed boxes, they contained the gummies packaged in plastic transparent bottles.
The transparent bottles are good for easier identification after I discarded the boxes.

The flavours names are also bold and clear with the different colours for easy identification - Red for strawberries, purple for blackcurrent, and orange for orange!

Now these are the Fruit Gummies bottles in more detailed.
Their nutritional ingredient are also listed at the back of the bottle, with clear expiry dates. I like that the expiry dates are printed on the bottles, and not on the boxes like some because I tend to discard the boxes.

  

   

Clear instructions are also printed on the bottle.

It is also printed on the bottles that these gummies are suitanle for children age 4 years & above. 

And that the recommended dose is 2-4 fruit gummies daily.

 

 To maintain freshness, all the bottles are sealed with this white thick plastic in which you need to tear it off.

SEVEN SEAS FRUIT GUMMIES FACTS

Available in packs of 30 delicious tasting gummies, Seven Seas Fruit Gummies come in three flavors, each enriched with different vitamins and minerals essential for the children’s formative years.

Strawberry Fruit Gummies contains Vitamins A, B6 and C, Blackcurrant has Vitamin C and zinc, and the Orange variant comes with calcium and Vitamin D.

All these vitamins and minerals are not only essential for good health but for children’s physical growth as well as their mental development.  Vitamin A is fat-soluble and we all know that it is vital for healthy eyes but what is not so commonly known is that it protects us from allergies.   As a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin A protects us from free radicals which damage our cells, tissues and organs. These damages can result in serious health problems when the children grow older. As an immune booster, Vitamin A keeps us free from infections such as influenza and colds as well as from viral diseases such as measles.

Vitamin B6 is another essential vitamin to keep our children's immune and nervous systems in peak condition. It is also needed to make hemoglobin which ensures that all tissues and organs get enough oxygen to stay healthy and to function properly. Vitamin B6 is especially important during the growing years as it is involved in the development of the brain.

Zinc is just as important for normal growth and development during childhood as this mineral not only supports healthy cell growth but keeps the digestive system strong and improves digestion. Children are prone to cuts and lacerations and these will heal faster with zinc which helps in wound healing and blood clotting. Zinc will also give your children healthy skin and is naturally found in muscles, eyes, liver, teeth, bones, nails and hair. Like Vitamins A, B6 and C, zinc promotes immune function to stave off illnesses and is, interestingly, required for proper sense of taste and smell! 

Children, at their critical stage of growth, need lots of calcium when their bones are forming and to keep them strong through adulthood. Children who do not get enough calcium are more prone to bone fractures and weaker teeth as they grow.  Intake of calcium alone is not enough. You must make sure that your children get sufficient Vitamin D to help in its absorption for proper bone growth and skeletal development. It is true that we get Vitamin D from sunlight but studies have shown that most children are just not getting enough of this essential vitamin and its deficiency can lead to bone-softening or rickets, a disease that is still reported in the U.S.  Here’s another interesting note; Vitamin D pumps up serotonin, a natural mood-elevating, feel-good chemical.

Finally, Vitamin C, the wonder vitamin. Vitamin C is an absolute must-have nutrient for your children. Besides strengthening their blood vessels, this wonder vitamin helps your child's gums to stay healthy, heal wounds and cuts, strengthens blood vessels, minimises bruising, form and repair bones, tissues as well as red blood cells. On top of all that, Vitamin C is a powerful immune booster to fight off infections.

(Source: http://www.sevenseas.com.my/index.php/blog/seven-seas-fruit-gummies-yummy-and-nutritious/)

MY KIDS TRYING THEM OUT

Look at how Shern grabbed the box of gummies so near to him. Khye looked at his brother doing that, and he tried to follow suit. haha.

 

 

There is no need to ask which one Shern would choose first because knowing that his favourite colour is purple, I immediately knew that he would go for the blackcurrent flavour!

This is Shern trying out the gummies. 

Ready, get set, go, into his mouth it went and immediately he gave me a Good thumbs up sign!

  

And since Khye saw his brother eating that, he wanted it too and fussed for it.
Although I knew that this is only meant for kids above 4 years old, I figured out that mainly is because kids below 4 is not supposed to have sugar, and also gummies can be a potential choking hazard for younger kids.
But to pacify Khye and also because both Shern and I was so hyped about it and I didn't want Khye to feel so left out, I cut the gummies into 4 small pieces to avoid it being a choking hazard.
And also I think a little sugar won't hurt him

And so Khye had his taste of one gummy as well, and look at him giving me his index finger which is his way to say 'Good'!! hahahhaa

   

It tasted really nice, and I know that because I popped 3 gummies in my mouth too! haha. :)

And remember the Activity Book that came with it?

It is a fun and engaging booklet which tells and explain to kids like Shern the story of how vitamins (in this case the Gummies Fruity Heroes) help to fight off the bad bacterias and viruses.
Is really a good way to let Shern understand the benefit of taking vitamins.

 

It also came with some activities (which Shern loves), like connect the dots, puzzles and such. 

I took it out with me to a cafe outing, and Shern had fun doing that while waiting for our food. Kills time while Shern had fun!

 

Seven Seas is currently running a nationwide 'Colour & Win' contest. You could let your child(ren) (Open to children ages 4-10 years old.) participate by colouring the Seven Seas Gummy Fruity Heroes on the contest form and stand a chance to win a Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Lite/Kids or other goodies. 

Please download the contest form here.

For more information about the product, please visitwww.sevenseas.com.my. 

I let Shern pop 2-3 gummies a day, but I give him different flavours, so that he gets the different vitamins.

And I don't give Khye any, for the time being (besides that one gummy!)

Overall, I feel that this is a great product because they are irresistibly yummy, and positively healthy product. (erm, minus the sugar, haha)

But I think a little sugar doesn't harm much. And it is definitely way healthier than sweets or chocolates!

Besides these, I do let Shern takes multivites too, and also Manuka honey, and all of them are sweet! haha. I guess sweet appeals to kids and imho, it is better for them to have a little sweet, than to not take any vitamins at all, unless of course if your kids is not a picky eater and eats his fruits and greens.

Unfortunately for me, Shern is a picky eater and he not only hates greens, but he hates fruits too. ;(

So I need to turn to vitamins to build up his immune system, and thus this is a great choice for us!

Let me end this post with a photo of Shern enjoying his gummy!

TO PURCHASE

- You can purchase at leading pharmacies in Malaysia nationwide.

You can also visit Seven Seas Malaysia Website for more info.

* Disclosure: I received Seven Seas Fruit Gummies  for review purpose, but no monetary incentive was received. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s).

Review & Contest: Method's range of Eco-Friendly Hand Washes - made by, and for, people against dirty™

21 May 2014

A few weeks ago, I was asked if my family are keen to try out method's range of eco-friendly hand washes. With little ones at home, there can never be too many hand washes in the house.


Who and What is method?

Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, proud brain-parents of method and the very first people against dirty™.
Ryan and Lowry and its team are the people against dirty and they are here to make products that work, not only for us but for the planet as well.

method's mission is to inspire a happy, healthy home revolution.

Method's trademark term people against dirty™, and by 'dirty', they don't just mean the stuff dust bunnies are made of. method is about more than just cleaning up our home and our body; it's about cleaning up the way we clean. They see business as a powerful agent of change: for people, the environment and our communities.



PACKAGING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I received a heavy parcel by courier, and when I opened it, there were two sturdy boxes inside. The boxes were sturdy and made of hard and thick cardboard, thus protecting the contents inside so that it was not dented or spoiled in any way.

 

And when flipped open the lids of the boxes, I was even more surprised to see another extra layer of packaging protection. There were small pieces of foam to protect the bottles so that they won't be shaken too much. Double thumbs up for packaging. 

Both my kids were as excited as me whenever we open up any packaging. 

I don't know why Khye gave me this expression when I asked them to smile. I find it cute, so his pic is here. lol. And oh, please pardon Shern's tousled hair. He had just came out from the shower. 

This is what we received. First impression, nicest hand wash packaging ever used in this household!

The hand wash bottles also came with a very nice booklet brochure.

TRYING THEM OUT AND FEATURES

First of all, let me show you in more detail how each of the bottles look like.

We received two bottles of their most popular naturally derived Gel Hand Wash - french lavender, and hibiscus flower fragrance.

 

and two bottles of their naturally derived Foaming Hand Wash - green tea + aloe, and sea minerals fragrance.

 

These are the ingredient lists of the bottles (click to view the photo larger). Ok, maybe you really need to squint a bit to be able to read those tiny words. haha. But is difficult to take a picture of the words because the bottles are transparent.

Anyway, method believes in transparency, so they disclosed all of their ingredients. 

 

 

 

And they also make recyclable PET bottles from 100% recycled plastic, thus resulting in zero waste and a 70% lower carbon footprint. Very environmental-friendly indeed. 

Shern straightaway chose the French Lavender Gel Hand Wash to try on, because purple is his favourite colour. 

 

The gel is transparent with a purple tinge and is rather liquid. It washes really well and a little goes a long way.

The smell is pleasant and floral with a tinge of lavendar scent. It smells like real lavender, and not too strong a smell. I'm glad that it does not smell like those too-sweet-lavender-candy smell.

Shern gave it a thumbs up because hand wash finally comes in his favourite colour, he said! haha

Shern also couldn't wait to try on the other scents because the bottles and colours are too pretty, and it actually appeals to my kids that they wanted to try it.

I let Shern tried the Green Tea + Aloe Foaming Hand Wash.

 

And once he tried the foaming hand wash, there is no turning back. 

He was super surprised and happy to find that it squirts out foamy 'bubbles', that was what he said!

Look at his happy face, showing me the foamy soap on his hands.

 

And Shern called on his 'lil brother to try the soap as well.

And they both together tried out the Sea Minerals and also the Hibiscus Flower hand washes.

And after that, Shern couldn't stop sniffing at his hands, lol.

 

 

Love to see both of them bonding over hand washes. Really great indeed!

 

And my cheeky little man, he is one that loves hand washing time. And he even cries at times when I needed to pry him away after washing his hands. He just wouldn't want to stop washing his hands. He just wants to wash his hands again and again.

So it is really important to find a safe hand wash for kids like him, to take care of their delicate skin.

Look at him, all wet from hand washing!

  

 

Both my kids do quite a lot of outdoor activities, such as Shern cycling and riding his scooter around the neighbourhood, or just running around the porch.

And after that they would be all dirty and you need good 'ol soap/hand wash to wash their hands, and even feet sometimes!

 

And even indoor activities, such as playing with their Play Doh, or doing some art and crafts. All these activities need hand washing after. 

 

And not even to mention the countless times my kids need to wash their hands before and after every meal AND the never-ending snack time throughout the day!

They can get quite dirty like this...LOL.

As for me, I wash my hands like 80 times a day! lol.

Ok, that is a bit far-fetch. But I also wash my hands countless times a day.

After every diaper change of pee and/or poo of Khye and even Shern, I'll have to wash my hands. And because I am a breastfeeding mum, sometimes I do need to express my breastmilk, and thus I need to wash my hands before I express milk, and also after I express milk when I wash my breastpump.

And I also wash my hands after I sweep the floors or do housework. I think you don't want to know the number of times I need to sweep the floors a day! haha. Yes, because I see crumbs everywhere left by my kiddos.

And recently I cook up a storm, so obviously I need to wash my hands before and after every meal preparation. 

These are some of the yummy things I'd dish out for the past few weeks. Please don't drool!

 

 

And I must really declare that method hand wash washes really well.

No matter dirt or oil, it cleans is away and my hands are clean after wash. 

And the good thing is that my hands don't feel dry (like some hand wash does!). So is good and I like it and don't mind washing my hands more often than I would need to!

And so, my whole family, including my hubby, loves method's hand washes!

METHOD FACEBOOK CONTEST

You readers out there can join the Clean Happy Awards at method Malaysia Facebook page!

- Just submit a photo of your best Kid Mess on www.fb.com/methodmalaysia.
- Use hashtag #cleanhappy and #methodmalaysia on your photo.
- Contest is open from Friday 30 May to midnight Friday 6 June 2014. (that's now!)
- Like the contest post on www.fb.com/methodmalaysia.
- Method will choose three photos of the kid who made the messiest, most adorable mess in the home.

TO PURCHASE

- You can purchase method's range of products at their website at www.wmsmarketing.com, or

- You can also purchase method's range of gel and foaming hand washes at leading supermarkets and grocery stores in Klang Valley.

You can also visit method Malaysia Facebook page for more info.
(You can watch the Facebook page for first notice of new arrivals and discounts!)

* Disclosure: I received method's hand washes  for review purpose, but no monetary incentive was received. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s).