Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Can an Hour makes a difference?


March 28, 2009, at exactly 8:30 pm most parts of the country switched off electricity power to observe Earth Hour, a social activity to raise awareness of climate change and global warming.Reports said that Philippines had the most cities went dark for Earth Hour. I am proud to say that I am one those who participated. According to DENR, it saved 560 megawatts of electricity which is equivalent to cutting down roughly 330 tons of carbon dioxide emmission. An hour does make a difference.

Earth Hour was launched in Australia in 2007 as a global event involving the voluntary shut off of electricity in homes, offices, public places, and commercial establishmentsfor one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm to express support for environmental issues. .

Earth Hour is really a symbolic act. We should be practicing energy conservation and environmental consciousness every day and in any way we can. In our own simple way, each of us can contribute to being more conscious about our impact on the environment.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Plan the best gift for Mom

I know Mother's Day is still far but it would be best to start thinking what's the best gift to give. Especially that I have so many friends who are Mom already, different Moms have different personalities

I tried reading online and different magazines about the best gift to give. Here are some suggestions:





Corporate Mom: Slim leather briefcase, planner, coffee tumbler







Mom on the go: Big bag where she can bring to any affair, water bottle, handy notebook, wallet where she can put some of hercards







Mrs. Senti: A very nice pen and a journal, mug with colorful designs, since she is the keeper of the family photos and letters a keepsake chest is best







Practical Mom: Give her something she can use everyday and for a long time. Dinner plate set, soup and dessert plate set or luncheon plates




We can now start planning where the best store to buy or we can shop online. It doesn't matter if our gifts are expensive or not as long as we give with love and sincerity. It's always the thought that counts.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

What to do when your child is injured

As soon as our child learn to walk, he is prone to accident. We start seeing cuts, scratches, and bruises either in his arms or legs. It would be best to be prepared and have a first aid kit within our reach.

The most common wounds to kids when playing are:

Abrasion - this normally happens when child love the slide at the playground. An abrasion is where the upper layer of the skin is rubbed as a result of friction. What to do: Wash injured area with soap and water. Put antiseptic ointment on the abrasion. To protect the wound from exposure to dirt which may lead to infection, cover it with a sterile fressing or bandage.

Burns - it is cused by heat. What to do: Let cool water run on burned area or apply cold compress. If it has redness, pain, minor swelling but without blisters it's only first degree burn and first aid is allowable. Never apply toothpaste which most Filipino usually do, it can cause infection.

Cuts and laceration - cut is an opening or breakage of the skin while laceration is an irregular cut. What to do: Before we inspect our child's cut make sure that hands are clean. Wash the area with soap and warm water. For cut wounds that are bleeding hold the injured part up higer that the heart. You may also apply pressure on the cut by using a clean cloth.

It is important to have a first aid kit inside the house or car. Here are the most basic that can be found inside the first aid kit.

-sterilize gauze
-adhesive tape
-antiseptic wipes
-bar of soap
-antibiotic cream
-hydrogen peroxide
-tweezers
-sharp scissors
-safety pins
-calamine lotion
-thermometer
-alcohol
-disposable instant cold packs
-adhesive and elastic bandage in different sizes

Monday, March 16, 2009

How much do we care about our health?

Wealth doesn't only mean how many house and lot a person has or how many luxury cars he has. We all grew up on a saying 'Health is Wealth'.

As parents being financially stable does not assure that we can give a brighter future to our children. Aside from teaching them good values, staying healthy is the most important. Children doesnt only need good education they also need someone who will guide them. Not only until they finish their studies but until they have their own family and that's us.

In recent study, people who had healthy habits lived an average of 14 years longer than people who didn't. With these simple steps we can add up years to our lives.

1. Eat fruits and vegetables - they provide fiber and minerals that help lower down blood pressure. Help lower LDL cholesterol by replacing food high in saturated fat. Soluble fiber may also block absorption of cholesterol from other food.

2. Exercise regularly - lowers blood pressure by 10 points in as little as three to four weeks, raises HDL and lowers LDL, and stimulates bone growth.

3. Don't smoke - prevents exposure to damaging health effects of smoking such as: temporarily increased blood pressure, narrowing of blood vessels which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, and diminished bone mineral density.

4. Lose extra pounds - lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of developing hypertension. It can reverse prediabetes, in some cases with as little as 5 percent loss of body weight. It also increases HDL while reducing LDL and total cholesterol.

By adding years to our lives we will not only be seeing our children's success but also our grandchildren.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Reward technique for our kids


Does giving rewards motivate our childrento behave and do their best all the time? Some parents use reward system as their way to discipline their children. It can help develop good habits.

Personally, I give rewards to my kids whenever they earn achievement from school. Like if they belong to the top 10 of the class, they can ask anything as long as it's within the budget. We can still reward our children without spending money. For good behavior, I give rewards like hugs and kisses, encouraging words, or extending their hours for playtime.

Whether rewards are effective or not to our children, it's important that we explain why they have to behave so they'll understand the reasons why they have to follow the rules. As parents, we have to be careful that our reward system will not result into bribery. It is a challenge!



Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Marriage: A work in progress

I enjoy reading magazines about family and marriage, one of the articles said "Marriage: A work in progress". I continue reading it and I realized that there is something in common with my marriage and the article.

My husband and I started as a friend. We've been hanging out with common group of friends before we started dating, up to now we remained the best of friends. We can talk about anything and everything to each other.

As a couple we support each other and face life together but I believe that it's important to have an individuality. Our society is used to see women staying at home performing domestic responsibilities. As modern woman, I continue to grow and pursue what I want. I agree that we have to love ourselves first so we can love others.

Marriage should be constantly evolving with both parties adjusting to one another. Both should work hard to appreciate and understand each other deeper. We must continue to know each other and learn to deal with our differences. Just imagine how nice to share a life with someone.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Shopping for a Preschool

Children of today are really advanced when it comes to learning. As young as 3 years old children can recite english alphabet, can count 1 to 10, can identify color and shape, some can even do addition and subtraction. Aside from those what else do we look into a learning center for our little ones.

I enrolled my four year old daughter in a learning center near us. It is not an expensive school nor they have a state of the art facility. Before she was a little bratty, but when I enrolled her she learned to get along with other kids and be creative, learned values such as sharing and cooperation. She can now tie her shoelace, she always say 'please and thank you', and has become more confident.

During the formative years, it's important that children is taught of values which will be building blocks of their character such as respect, self-confidence, creativity, and resourcefulness. As parents, we want our children to have an opportunity to explore their potentials.
Today's baby steps are tomorrow's leap of success.