Long lost pals

This weekend, I was so excited and happy at the same time because I was able to talk with my two special friends back in high school. I lost touch with them when I got married. It's been twenty years since I last saw them. You could just imagine the excitement that I felt when I talked with them over the phone via an overseas call. The two of them are in L.A. as of this time. I am so grateful that with the help of internet and cell phone, I was able to find my dear friends. It has a bonus because I was able to see some of our classmates and friends too in the Friendster. Thank God and thank humanity for the wonderful breakthrough in communication technology.

Self reliance

First time parents tend to be more protective. As much as possible, these brand new parents would not want anything wrong to happen to their child. Is it bad to be very protective? In some ways, YES. As in any cases, anything that is not done in moderation is always bad. Over-protectiveness is often the reason why many children, especially here in the Philippines, become very dependent on their parents. A lot of parents teach their children about self reliance a little bit late. Let us not underestimate the capacity of our children. Do you know that even at a very young age, you can actually teach your kid on self reliance? Yes, by merely teaching your baby a simple task as in holding his feeding bottle, you are teaching him on how to be independent. Simple household chores are often the training ground on independence. Of course, there are some exceptions. You could easily depict if the situation really calls for your help. Try teaching your kid not to be totally dependent on you most of the times. I bet that as your child grows, you will see the benefit of how your child practice independence at an early age.

Remembering NINOY AQUINO

Today is August 21. the whole Filipino nation is commemorating the 25th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino. Who is Ninoy Aquino? A lot of young people today do not know him. He was the most controversial critic of Marcos regime. He was known for his message that the Filipinos are worth dying for. The question is are we really worth dying for? I hope that our leaders would be reminded of the good deeds of NINOY AQUINO. I hope that our greedy leaders would realize that when they die, they cannot take all the material things with them. I hope that these greedy leaders would stop robbing our poor economy. Let NINOY be a reminder to all of us that there is hope despite of all the hardships and crises that the Philippines is facing. Let there be a stop to this senseless conflict in Mindano which have caused lives of many innocent people. Let there be peace in our country. Let it start with me and you. Let us all be a hero in our own little way.

Stay away from me: I'M ANGRY

Did you ever feel so mad? I bet all of us did in one point in our life. I bet that given a chance, you would not want to get mad. Aside from the fact that when you are angry, you will look bad and your mind is not at peace. What do you do to manage your anger? Do you shout at the person or do you inflict harm on them? A lot of people are alarmed when they are mad especially those who have violent tendencies.

Anger is an emotional state that may range from minor irritation to intense rage. The physical effects of anger include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Some view anger as part of the fight or flight brain response to the perceived threat of pain. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively and physiologically when a person makes the conscious choice to take action to immediately stop the threatening behavior of another outside force.

It is very important that a person knows how to deal with anger. A lot of techniques have been considered to minimize anger. One is to stay away from the person who cause your anger. The more you see and feel that person's presence can only aggravate your anger. If you cannot get rid of him, you may try counting silently from 1-100 or until you feel that you are not that angry anymore. If you think that you have some violent tendencies when you get angry, try to help yourself by asking God's help that you may eradicate anger in your heart. With god, nothing is impossible. It is always right and good karma to always think good and do good towards your fellow.

Say NO when you have to.

Have you ever turned down a person? The feeling is quite heavy right? Sometimes, I have this tendency to say yes to almost everyone. I hate seeing people get disappointed in anyway. As much as possible I want to please everyone. I know that it is very impossible. One way or the other we would have to tell others that we simply cannot give everything or agree with them all the way. This has been my problem ever since. My eldest brother would always remind me never to let people hanging. I hate turning down my suitors because I hate seeing them sad and down. I just let them get tired of me. My brod would simply tell me that I have to be frank and blatant about my feelings. The more I prolong their waiting, the more I inflict pain on them. I gave that suggestion a thorough thought and he was right after all. I started being honest with my feelings. I am not God. I cannot simply please everyone because I'm just human. As always, it is very right to be open about your feelings and about yourself.

Come on, don't be shy.

Most Filipinos are noted for being timid and shy. Even in school, I have observed that most of my classmates would rather keep quiet than ask questions to our teacher when we were asked if there are no questions on the topics that she had discussed. I noticed that very few would actually ask questions. Our silence was taken by our teacher that the topic was well understood. But the moment the result of the exam came out, my God , the result was at total dismay. This timidity by most Filipinos is a negative trait that we must all work very hard to overcome. Even my kids are very timid most of the times. I would always remind them that I was not raised like that. The world needs outspoken people to be able to develop and improve. What would happen to our world if all of us would just nod on our leaders on anything that they say? I know that silence is just a manifestation of our desire to be perfect. We fear that people might laugh at our weaknesses if ever we ask question. Pride holds us back. We are afraid that others might think that we are just plain dumb. We are afraid to be labeled us weak. This is my goal in life. I want my children to be outspoken and forget about shyness. . I want them to ask intelligent questions. When one asks, he does not just exist in this world. He is curious of the world around him. No one can fool him in any manner. I want to start with my own children. I want them to know and realize that it is not right to keep quiet all the time. if you think that you are right, stand up and speak up. For all you know, a lot of people have already benefit on your simple query. An inquisitive mind is always synonymous to desire to learn things which are obscure to you.

Is White really beautiful?

A lot of advertisements on whitening products and services are proliferating these days. They can be seen and read in all forms of mass media. Celebrities are widely utilized to endorse such products and services. The sales result proved that such technique is very effective. Have you ever wondered why whitening products are very in demand in the market? Well, obviously many Filipinos want to achieve a fairer skin. Filipinos have this notion that being white is tantamount to being pretty. Everybody wants to be beautiful. Who does not?

Personally I have nothing against people who want to have a fairer skin. If being white can help boost one's self esteem, why not? We must be very particular though in taking whitening pills and using whitening products. There are some instances wherein a negative reaction on a certain product occurs. It is best to consult a certified dermatologist on what product will suit your skin type. An ounce of prevention is still better than a pound of cure.

Remember that external beauty fades in time for they are merely superficial, what matters most is the inner beauty for it lingers.

Should you tilt back your head to treat a nosebleed?

I have this habit of reading newspapers which are a month old already. I do this to be able to pick up some news and information which I can blog on and share with others. As I was scanning the newspaper, my attention was caught by the header "should you tilt back your head to treat a nosebleed?" I got curious because I have two daughters who are frequent nosebleeders. Whenever their noses bleed, I always ask them to tilt back their head and I would pinch their nose bridge gently for 10 seconds. As I read the article written by Anahad O'connor in the Manila Bulletin's Lifestyle section issued last July 22,2008, it says that it is not adviseable to tilt back one's head to treat a nosebleed. According to the author, medical experts say that what most people know about nosebleed is wrong. Tilting the head back, a technique widely considered first aid can create complications by allowing blood into the esophagus. It risks choking, and it can cause blood to travel to the stomach, possibly leading to irritation and vomiting. O'connor also added that the American Academy of Family Physician says that the best treatment is to sit down, lean forward and keep your head above your heart, whech lessens the bleeding. Leaning forward also helps drain the blood from the nose and keeps it from the esophagus. Moreover, a report in the British journal BMJ says you can stop the bleeding by using your thumb and index finger to squeeze the soft tissue just below the bridge of yur nose for 5 to 10 minutes. A cold compress or ice pack placed across the bridge of the nose can also help.

The bottom line of the author's article: never treat a nosebleed by leaning your back.
Geez, I've been doing that to my children for quite sometime. Now, I know better. I hope you will do the same too.

Gaining Weight After Giving Birth

Did you ever tell yourself that you look like a walking refrigerator after giving birth? Yuck! That's the exact word that I uttered when I saw myself in the mirror after giving birth. All the curves in my body are gone. Humps were very visible in my body and worst I got stretched marks in my tummy. I told myself that I should have listened to my mother when she told me not to scratch my tummy even if it gets so itchy while I'm pregnant. But I can't help it so the remnants are very visible. Do not think that I'm so vain but I just wanted to look good for myself and for my husband as well. You need not to be beautiful for others but for yourself only and for the ones who mean most to you.

Actually, I did not do any diet regimen nor reduce my food intake but I was surprised to see myself fit into my old clothes again and when I weighed myself, I actually lost twenty pounds already in just four months after I gave birth. My secret? Breastfeed your baby. It wont do you any harm. You can save a lot of money. Imagine the high cost of formula milk nowadays. You also spare yourself from the effort of waking up in the middle of the night and sometimes in the wee hours of the morning just to prepare the feeding bottle of your kiddo. Breast milk is the best for your baby too. In my own children, I observed that they are not sickly. They are alert and healthy. Thanks to God. There is also a bond that sticks us together that no matter how many times we misunderstood each other, we easily patch things up.

If you are pregnant and afraid of gaining unwanted pounds, do not deprive yourself of the proper food and nutrients. You have a baby to feed inside your womb. Don't worry if you gain weight a little during pregnancy. As long as you are a hands on mom and you breastfeed, you can get rid of those fats with no sweat at all.

Laughter is still the best medicine

Are you a little edgy these days? Do you worry so much about everything and anything? Do you feel that you look older than your age? Well, I guess it's about time that you take my best prescription so far...LAUGHTER! Yes, you read it right. Still, laughter is the best medicine. Do you know that when you frown, you are actually giving our dermatologist a problem and job as well.

An aging face is characterized by both wrinkling and sagging. In order to have a more youthful appearance many times we turn to the cosmetic surgeon to correct the sagging aspects of the face. We also look to other invasive procedures for the wrinkling aspect such as laser resurfacing, deep acid peels and Botox injections. As we are all aware, these aggressive procedures carry risks. Also, they can often leave us with an unnatural appearance. So there, I'm pretty sure that as much as possible you would not want to look older than your age and you would not want to spend if you can actually avoid spending. I bet that you would do anything just to preserve your youthful look. Before you go into that stage, why not try the immediate remedy first. Avoid stressing yourself. Avoid frowning too much and avoid those people who make you frown and down. Laugh when you feel like laughing. It will bring delight to your heart and your looks as well. Remember that when you laugh, the whole world laughs at you. But when you cry, you cry alone. Stay beautiful and healthy.

Why do I blog?

Before I started blogging, I was a bit reluctant If I will pursue this. Why? Because the whole blogging thing is totally alien to me. I never heard of it or read about it. Others may ask where in the world was I hiding all these time. Funny but the truth is, the last time that I used the computer was I think fifteen years ago. That was when I was doing my thesis back in college. I remember that before you can operate a computer, you need to install DOS (Data Operating System if I am not mistaken). There is no mouse yet. You have to press control something to execute a command. Lucky you people who are now enjoying the comfort and ease of the present innovation in computer. Maybe, I am not on the techie side thus I was so behind in terms of technology. This may be the reason why some of my children do not think that I am that smart because they know something which I don't. But I believe that it's never too late to learn things as long as one is very much willing.

As for blogging, I can't remember the number of times I ask my sister-in-law (she's my mentor by the way) what is it all about. She just told me (I want to mention her name but I haven't ask her permission yet so I won't ) that blogging is just like a diary that you keep everyday. You can write about anything that you see, feel or think about and that's it. Plus, you can earn MONEY from it. The latter actually made me think twice. I woke up one morning telling myself that it's about time that I subscribe to one of the internet services. I have to grow as a person. This blogging thing is the first step.

Yesterday, I was reading the newspaper that my husband brought home. I came across an article written by Jaye C. Bautista. It was an article about techie mommy talks. Actually, the article has two parts. My face lit up as I read the article because it talks about blogging. According to Jaye, gone are the days that moms just stayed at home and take care of their kids. Now, they can stay at home, learn and earn at the same time. Moms now can blog. According to Jaye,Wikipedia lists a blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") as a website usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, such as blogging is the actual action of maintaining or adding content to a blog.

According to Jaye,a working mom (and once again she quoted, working mom applies to all types whether they work FROM the home, IN the home or OUTSIDE of home) has her stresses but found out that the nice way te relieve these stresses is by VENTING. And blogging seems like the perfect avenue to take this to. She found out the comfort in it and so do an increasing number of people.

Now, I'm pretty sure that I'm on the right track. I am actually doing something which I really enjoy. I found the perfect avenue to impart whatever knowledge I know and have ( I hope you are picking up something from me). I just have to be patient before I could earn the way my sister-in-law does. Now, I can actually talk about anything under the sun. It's a great way to release the day to day stress.

Happy blogging everyone!

Parenting technique shown in a drugstore

I was in one of the outlets of Mercury Drug the other night. I ran out of vitamins for my children. While I was waiting for my turn to be served, my attention was captured by the monitor displayed just right in front of the counter. My attention was caught by some parenting tips on how to raise a polite child. I'm number 15 and the pharmacists are currently attending to number 7. I opted to watch the video clips. The video showed some helpful tips in raising a polite child. First, it says that parents must practice what they preach. They must set a good example to their children. Next, teach your child to say thank you. It's best to teach your kids while they are young so that when they are already old, they will not depart from it. Let them appreciate small things and big things. They must not laugh at others disability. Let your children realize that a NO is a NO. Be consistent and firm. Maintain an open communication with your child.

I would say that videos of these sort being shown in public places such as a drugstore is a good move by the management. This is very beneficial to the would be parent and parents. A lot of mistakes in parenting have been committed everyday. It's never too late to start educating the people. I hope that other public establishments will follow what mercury drug is doing.

Discovering your child's potentials

I am a believer that everyone of us is created with innate talent. It' s just up to us to discover it.

My second child, MATT, was 10 when he showed interest in basketball. Our house is situated near the basketball court in our village. He will always play basketball there whenever he has free time. One afternoon, my husband took Matt in Alabang Town Center to buy some stuff. When they got home, my husband was telling me that our son is so interested in joining the MILO BEST. MILO BEST is a school of some sort which specializes in giving children proper training in basketball. It has six levels. They saw the advertisement in the mall that Milo Best is having a regular classes in San Beda Alabang. Matt was so persistent in joining so my husband decided to enroll him the following weekend. He was enrolled in MILO Best. In level 1, he did not get an award. He still wanted to continue with the program so we enrolled him again in level 2. We were so surprised to see his improvements during the session. During graduation day, he was awarded as best in free-throw. In level 3, he was the most defensive man and in level 4, he got the Nilo Verona Award which is a very prestigious award given to excellent students. All of my son's achievements in basketball really make us proud parents. Now, Matt is in his third year in high school at San Beda Alabang. He is a varsity in basketball. Out there he enjoys what he loves most, playing basketball. We are just hoping that he will be able to fulfill his dreams someday and finally make it to the PBA.

08-08-08

Do you believe in lucky numbers? Fortunately or unfortunately, we Filipinos are great believers of sheer luck. This is evident by the thousands of Filipinos betting in Lotto. They are hoping that they will hit the jackpot prize and be an instant millionaire without shedding a single sweat.
Today is August o8,2008. Most Filipinos believe that this is such a lucky day for it occurs just once in a hundred years. Some expectant mothers who are about to give birth today is very positive that their babies who will be born today are very lucky.
Chinese believes that number 8 is such a lucky number for it has no end and circles mean money.
Personally, I believe that we must not be very fatalistic. It's not bad though to believe in luck but we must also exert an effort and do our part in attaining our goals. If we will just sit and relax the whole day, no such luck would ever come out.

Washing Clothes

Washing clothes is a task that every woman must know.

It is still preferred that you wash your delicate clothes manually. There are certain fabrics that are so meticulous that when they are put in washing machine, there is a possibility that its original fabric will not be maintained. If you have time, you can wash with your bare hands. This method does not only preserve your clothes but can save electricity considerably. Women in the rural area use this method in washing clothes.
For most women on the go and who want to save time and energy, they prefer to use washing machine. You just have to sort out your clothes according to color and fabric. You have to avoid overloading your washing machine so that it can function better. Knowing the capacity of your machine ensures better performance.
I believe that it's not only the woman who must have the knowledge in washing clothes. Men must know this task so that they will not depend solely on the woman. At present, household jobs are no longer sexist.

multi-tasking

Are you ready for these? These are just some of the household chores that a woman has to do everyday of her life once she gets married. That is of course If she will not hire a maid. Here in the Philippines, most middle-class family start their family without a maid yet for financial reasons. Truly, a woman's job is so vast. Her duties and obligations with her family seem endless. From the moment she exchanged her vow to her husband, she submits herself to a tremendous and arduous task. Truly, a woman is an unsung hero. We must all pay tribute to our mothers for giving herself wholeheartedly and unselfishly to her family. Kudos to all the women out there! You're such wonderful creation of God.

My four angels

I have 6 kids. I got two boys and four girls. In my 16 years of motherhood, I can say categorically that it is a lot easier to raise girls than boys. Girls are so easy to handle notwithstanding the fact that I am a girl and I understand very well how girls think and act. Also, I have so much fun dealing with my daughters. Girls are more expressive than boys in so many ways. Also my girls are more diligent in their studies. They can easily balance their time between playing and studying. I am still hoping that I could see some improvement in my two sons' attitude towards their studies.

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Two Faces of Malnutriton

In an episode in the regular television series in ABS-CBN hosted by Karen Davila last week, malnutrition was thoroughly tackled. This has made the public more aware that malnutrition does not only occur on underweight people but also to the overweight ones.

As always, the underweight has captured the limelight and earn the sympathy of the viewers. It is so depressing to see people who are so skinny because they have nothing to eat and feed their body. Poverty has been pointed as culprit since time immemorial. Children from a very large family are the often victims of malnutrition. Government never ceases to look for ways on how to alleviate poverty and help the poor here in the Philippines but to no avail. Again, graft and corruption among few individuals are the obvious reasons why the allotted help for the less fortunate never reaches the hands of the needy.

What captured the interest of the viewer is the reportage on the overweight children and why they are classified as malnourished. Mal is tantamount to bad thus malnourished is badly nourished. Parents of these overweight children mistook the heaviness of their child as healthy. Parents thought that as long as they are able to make their child eat, that's already enough. Sometimes, they are not aware that they are feeding their children with the wrong food. The proliferation of so many fast food restaurants contribute greatly to the problem. Children often eat food that are served in these fast food. These food are proven not good for a growing up child. The three basic food groups must be present in a child's diet. Parents tend to follow the caprices of their children when they only want to eat food that are sold in the popular fast food. Parents want to see their children eating so to be able to make their child eat, they follow their desire.

These problems were clearly tackled in that particular episode. Viewers could easily grasp the message that the program want to convey. I hope that more educational programs will be shown to the viewing public so that our social problems will be minimized. I am a believer that educating our people is the key for a more developed nation.

Honesty

Honesty as the song says is such a lonely word because everyone is so untrue. We hear a lot of stories about dishonest person, political figure and social ones. We see so many problems on graft and corruption in government that root from dishonesty. Have you ever wondered how our world will look like if everyone is honest? Wow, that would be a great world to live in indeed. There will be no more wars, no conflicts, no hatred and greed whatsoever. That would be an ideal world.

A lot of great pretenders have been victims of their own scheme. When one is dishonest, he seems to have lost his peace of mind. He can't function normally and he is always anxious because he is afraid that his pretensions might be unraveled. That is the greatest dillema of great pretenders and dishonest people.

How I really wish that this world would be free from dishonest individuals. Let us spare our society with more graft and corruption problems.