SHOES...SHOES...ON SALE

So many shoes... so little time :)

VNC celebrates its MID YEAR Sale!
Satisfy your foot fetish with up-to-the-minute trends
at half the price! Get strapped with fab finds at 70% off!

Visit VNC at Robinsons Galleria, Glorietta III, Robinsons Place
Manila, TriNoma, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, Alabang Town Center,
Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM North Edsa Annex.


Sale Period: starts June 26, 2009

The Weight Is Over With Slimplicity!

Note: Re-post from Reliv website

An online obesity advocacy group leader recently revealed that about half a million Filipinos now suffer from obesity. This alarming figure is likely to get worse if we continue with our unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. Don’t wait until it’s too late! Now more than ever, YOU have the power to take control of your weight in the most effective, convenient and healthy way!

Thanks to Reliv’s Slimplicity® Weight Management System, you now have a reliable partner in winning the battle of the bulge!

The Slimplicity Weight Management System is a three-step program that helps you trim pounds and inches without losing muscle tone and sacrificing nutrition.

Just follow these three simple steps and you’re off to a great start to a new YOU!

1. Replace your lunch with a delicious, filling Slimplicity shake, rich in essential nutrients and fat-eliminating ingredients.
   
   
2. Take two Slimplicity Accelerator capsules an hour before mealtime to help suppress your appetite, activate metabolism and boost your weight loss.
   
   
3. Tune in to healthy living by adding more steps to your day and eating healthy and well-balanced meals.

Shake Those Pounds Off for Good!

What makes Slimplicity shakes so powerful are these supercharged pound reducers:

• 10 grams of soy protein – keeps you feeling satisfied and helps build lean muscle.
  
  
• Advantra Z – burns fat, develops lean muscle and increases metabolism without escalating your blood pressure or heart rate.
  
  
• Tonalin - trims the fat, decreases appetite and helps you maintain weight loss once you reach your goal.
  
  
• L-Carnitine – helps your body burn more fat and boost stamina and endurance.
  
  
• Plus: Inulin (FOS), ChromeMate®, CitriMax®, OptiZinc®, and essential vitamins and minerals.

Speed Up Your Weight Loss!

Aiming for faster results? Make sure you take two Slimplicity Accelerator capsules an hour before mealtime to maximize these powerful ingredients:

• Hoodia Gordonii - suppresses your appetite so you eat less, feel energetic and lose excess pounds.
  
  
• NeOpuntia® - a fiber-filled fat blocker that binds fat to help you prevent bulges.
  
  
• 7-Keto® - stimulates a more youthful, active metabolism.

I am a Reliv product user and distributor too, contact me or leave a message here for inquiries/orders.

Stay fit, stay healthy...

Handling In-Laws

There is a saying that goes that people cannot choose who their parents will be.

And this saying goes true too to not being able to choose who your in-laws will be.

As befitting the Filipino customs, there is another saying about marrying a would-spouse’s family, not just the spouse himself or herself. Old Filipino traditions tell of stories about how a would-be groom worked hard for the would-be bride’s family: working in the farm, getting water from the well and other tasks requiring heavy physical labor.

These are not being done today though.

A priest officiating a wedding once enumerated the three things that can break a marriage: money, in-laws and unfaithfulness or infidelity.

I have no doubt a lot of couples can relate to the in-laws problem since there are a lot of meddling in-laws around town.

Let’s face it, in-laws may mean well and they are probably concerned about their children and their spouses but there are times that they come across as domineering, all too-knowing and yes, downright evil.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter to them that they act as such, especially when they go on power trip, but they just say they have the best intentions for their actions. Do they really? Or do they just want to be the wedge that comes between the relationship their child has with his spouse?

I have heard of a lot of horror in-laws stories from friends. I cringe when I listen to them tell how they felt bad, humiliated and insignificant.

Some of these horror stories are:

Being called selfish and saying water meter is being watched for consumption (nagbibilang ng tubig)...tsk, tsk. I wonder how can one really count the use of water?

Questioning why two-year old kid is still being spoon-fed during meal time by nanny....

Brothers or Sisters-in-law eavesdropping to what is being discussed among family members to be reported to the higher-up, AKA parents-in-law...

Living with a mother-in-law who has the tendency to instruct maids to look in the daughter-in-law’s cabinets or rooms for her bed sheets and blankets...

Mother-in-law telling her son that his wife is evil...

Mother-in-law accusing her own son and wife of stealing old cassette tapes and native baskets/hampers.

Mother-in-law telling daughter-in-law that she's interested with the family home because she came from the squatters' area. This is really mean...

Mother-in-law telling the daughter-in-law's helpers that she's "maluho" or extravagant when it is the contrary.

Mother-in-law telling daughter-in-law that she's glad they (her son's family) were gypped in an investment scam. How can a mother say that to her own son...

The list will go on and on if I continue to write what happens between sons/daughters-in-law and their parents-in-law.

Back to the previously enumerated three problems that can make or break a marriage regarding money: financial matters.

It is very hurtful to hear a mother-in-law state that no financial help was extended to her when returned checks bear her name. A lot of times, it's all about the money. Do they still expect their son to give the family's income to them?

There are no right and wrong way to handle these kinds of situations. It all depends on how one can really hold on to the “beatings”.

For me though, one of the best ways to handle this would be to put distance: physical, emotional and social distance.

What about you?

Clinique's 3 Steps To Great Skin

I have been using Clinique products for years. When the opportunity to go to a Clinique event came up, I knew this was an opportunity that I know I absolutely cannot pass up because I believe in these products.

I went to the Clinique event looking forward to what will be done with us and the other mommy bloggers who also signed up with the invite. And I can say this is one of the most organized and cool events I've been to.

First we had the Skin Type Analysis.

We underwent a skin type analysis during which a Clinique product specialist asked questions about our skin. I answered the questions and later knew what the type of skin I belong to. I have a SkinType 2 which is characterized as dry and dehydrated.

Then we were instructed to do the 3 Step Skin Care System

Step 1: Cleansing with Liquid Facial Soap

Step 2: Exfoliation with Clarifying lotion

Step 3: Moisturizing with Dramatically Moisturizing Lotion

These 3 step skin care I have continued to use till this day. I have noticed a dramatic change in my skin. My skin is now clearer and glowing. I even feel that my skin has become radiant.

Clinique products are 100% fragrance-free and have been formulated for Asian skin. These are also allergy-tested.

The results are more than satisfying and positive. My sisters noticed the change in my skin too.

I love the results I got from these Clinique products and that goes to say, hubby does too.

When To Toss It Away

I was checking my dresser the other day, found out I have cosmetics, perfumes, lotions, hair gel and even facial foam wash that I haven't used yet. Now that I consider myself a low maintenance mom, these things will take months before it gets consumed. And I don't usually wear make up plus I'm so lazy to do beauty rituals before I go to bed. Problem is, I don't know if I have to toss them away or I can still give some to my friends or sisters. Good thing I came upon this article from Good Housekeeping.

Face Makeup

Toss-it time: Six months for liquids; two years for powders
Insider info: You increase the odds of bacterial growth — and, hence, of breakouts or irritation — when you repeatedly dip your brushes and fingers into liquid foundation. Also, as it ages, foundation can go on unevenly, creating a streaky, inconsistent finish. “Oils rise to the top, and the consistency thickens,” explains New York City makeup artist Mathew Nigara. Powders present less of a problem because bacteria can’t grow where there’s no water. However, over time, powders with botanical ingredients like aloe or jojoba can become harder to blend and are more likely to crumble, as their trace amounts of water evaporate.

Mascara

Toss-it time: Three months
Insider info: “A mascara tube is a dark, wet environment — the perfect breeding ground for bacteria,” says New York City optometrist Andrea Thau, O.D. “Preservatives in a mascara only work for so long.” Dr. Thau knows from firsthand experience: She once developed a sty from a makeup artist’s mascara wand. Plus, three-month-old mascara is a non performer. “It’s chalky and powdery, and any lengthening or thickening fibers often separate from the fluid, so the mascara stops going on in a smooth, even coat,” says makeup artist Cristina Bartolucci. To avoid hastening the demise of your mascara, never pump the wand — that pushes air into the tube, causing it to dry out faster. Instead, slowly draw out and twist the brush to scrape the tube’s interior and pick up product.

Eyeliner and Eye Shadow

Toss-it time: Liquid eyeliners, three months; cream eye shadows, six months; pencil eyeliners and powder eye shadows, two years
Insider info: As they do with mascara, bacteria tend to flourish in liquid-eyeliner tubes, and the product dries out. Pencil eyeliners have a longer shelf life because you can create a fresh, clean surface each time you sharpen them. (Just be sure to regularly sanitize your sharpener with rubbing alcohol.) Powder shadows, like pressed powders, are less prone to contamination because they, too, lack water (if you wet them, toss after six months). But aging eye shadows have performance issues: They get packed down, making it harder to pick up pigment with your brush.

Lipstick and Lipliner

Toss-it time: Lipstick and gloss, two years; lip liner, two years or more
Insider info: Lipsticks’ water content makes them potential mini reservoirs of bacteria. No surprise, they also dry out with age, says New York City makeup artist Tina Turnbow: “They no longer look creamy on the lips.” Long-wearing formulas may have an even shorter life span since they often contain ingredients that evaporate more quickly than creamier formulas. Pencil lipliners, like eyeliners, may last a little longer since putting them through a sharpener removes the old surface.

Nail Polish

Toss-It Time: One to two years
Insider info: When polish expires, the consistency turns gooey or stringy. Formulas are especially sensitive to temperature extremes and humidity, so avoid storing in the bathroom.

Skin Care

Toss-it time: Acne creams and other over-the-counter products that contain drugs are FDA regulated and usually carry expiration dates. But cosmeceuticals (products claiming to have anti-aging and skin-changing benefits) are not regulated, and once they’ve been used, they shouldn’t be kept for more than six months — or, if they’re in pump bottles, a year — says Wilson.

Insider info: “Some ingredients [such as vitamin C, retinol, and hydroquinone] degrade even more rapidly if they’re left in direct sunlight or exposed to air,” says Tina Alster, M.D., a Washington, D.C., dermatologist. Less frequently — but more alarmingly — certain products can actually become more potent over time, says Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, M.D. The reason: Active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid become more concentrated as their bases degrade, separate, or evaporate. And when proportions change, your skin may get irritated. To prevent problems, store cosmetics properly, discontinue use after six months, and look for products that come in a pump, which helps keep air out. Another option that’s starting to hit shelves: special jars that dispense creams through a tiny hole or slit when you press the top (an internal “floor” rises with each push).

Sunscreen

Toss-it time: Six months
Insider info: Sunscreens are FDA regulated, and though they usually have expiration dates of at least one year, that date indicates the purchasing time frame. When you open a tube, water may start evaporating, causing the formula to eventually become unstable. Once that happens, the ingredients are no longer evenly distributed, so you may get a lot in one dose, but nearly none in another. Protect your tube by storing it out of the sun.

Hair Products

Toss-it time: One year
Insider info: Always close the caps of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products tightly. Otherwise, water and air can get in, breaking down the formulas or causing them to separate. (Good news for hairspray users: Aerosol cans are the best product protectors going, so sprays should stay good even longer.)

Fragrance

Toss-it time: Two years — or potentially many more
Insider info: “Eau de toilettes and perfumes can last for several years, as long as they’re kept out of humidity and sunlight,” says Robert Gerstener, co-owner of Aedes de Venustas, a New York City fragrance emporium. “Both of these elements can alter notes in a fragrance, which will then change the overall scent.”

Simple Stay-Fresh Secrets

1. Wash and dry your hands thoroughly before putting your fingers into a product.
2. Avoid reinfection. Stop using all eye makeup if you have an eye infection and lip products if you have a cold sore. The exceptions: lipsticks, lip liners, and eye pencils, which can be shaved clean with a knife or sharpener. (Just cleaning with a tissue won’t suffice.)
3. Smell your mascara when you first purchase it. If you recognize that scent, you’ll know when it goes bad: Expired mascara often takes on a funny, chemical odor.
4. Choose a cotton-tipped swab or disposable sponge to apply makeup to a pimple — and avoid double-dipping. Going back and forth from the product to the affected area with your finger or a sponge can lead to contamination.
5. Try to use labels, stickers that “remember” when a product was first opened and alert you when it’s no longer wise to use it.

8 Smart Ways to Reduce and Reuse

Go for eco-friendly living, here are some ways:

1.

Reach for Reusable

One microfiber cloth can take the place of 60 rolls of paper towels before it needs replacing — and is gentle enough to use on nearly all surfaces (even eyeglasses). Keep a few handy for absorbing spills, wiping down counters, de-streaking mirrors, and more.

2.

Mug Around

Bring your own travel cup to your favorite java joint: Most places will fill it for you, and often at a discount. While you're at it, start carrying a refillable water bottle.

3.

Be a Jughead

If your program won't take milk or juice cartons (and your taste buds won't mind), try switching to brands that use plastic jugs, which are much more recyclable.

4.

Hug a Tree, Virtually

Before you hit the "print" button for that party Evite or Web driving directions, consider your options: Could you print on the back side of paper you've already used once? Jot down just the address if you're going to a familiar area? Or maybe use the "note" feature on your cell phone? If you prefer not to print double-sided, the backs of cut-up, once-used printer sheets make excellent by-the-phone notepaper.

5.

Refill 'Er Up

Many cleaning products are available in large jugs for decanting into the smaller spray bottles. Also, look for concentrated cleaner refills for which you can reuse the old spray bottle and just add the water, and "ultra" strength detergents, which save packaging because you get more laundry loads out of the container.

6.

Switch Your Portable Power

It's hard to find a program that recycles one-use batteries, whereas rechargeable ones can and should be recycled — and never sent to a landfill, since they contain cadmium. Plus, you'll be buying less, since you can easily charge up the reusable kind many times before they die.

7.

Dry-Clean Greener

You may already bring reusable bags to the grocery, but here's a way to waste less at the dry cleaner, too, put your clothes on a handy bag.

8.

Bulk Up

For foods that come in hard-to-recycle tubs (yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, margarine), get the largest-size container and dole into smaller reusable ones as needed. Then, use the tubs for freezing leftovers (just don't microwave in them, as most are not designed to handle the heat and could melt). Other uses: stashing desktop odds and ends, as planters for growing herbs, or kids' crayon storage.

Source: Good Housekeeping

More Laundry Tips

As I am in the laundry business, I always look for ways to improve our services by trying new products, surfing the net, reading forums among moms and clipping magazine articles. I came across an old magazine with TLC for textiles as one of its articles. Here are some more tips on washing and drying the softies in your home reposted on this blog.

Clean Dingy Curtains

When the weather permits, take down drapes, curtains, or sheers and shake them outdoors to remove surface dust. Then machine wash at the highest water level, adding window coverings after the tub fills so they can move about freely. Remove from the dryer and hang immediately. After washing sheers, dip them in a solution of 1 cup Epsom salts and 1 gallon hot water, and hang them over a shower rod or towel bar to dry. You won’t have to iron them.

Wash Slipcovers

Presoak washable fabrics in cool water with regular detergent for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash on the delicate cycle, then dry on the lowest heat setting. For a smooth fit, put slipcovers back on furniture while just slightly damp. Hint: Use a wooden spoon to tuck fabric into crevices.

Perk Up Pillows

Check care labels, but in general it’s safe to wash polyester- or down-filled pillows two at a time in the machine on the gentle cycle for 2 minutes. (Be sure to check seams on feather pillows for any gaps and mend openings, or they may burst when immersed or during the spin-dry cycle.) Toss a couple of clean tennis balls into the dryer with pillows to plump them up. Hand wash foam cushions in the tub or sink with a mild detergent and warm water. Air-dry.

Launder Comforters and Blankets

For cotton, rayon, or synthetics: Presoak or use a prewash spray on badly stained items. Then wash on the delicate cycle (check label for water temperature; if not specified, choose cold-water setting) for about 5 minutes with regular detergent and oxygen bleach, if safe for the fabric. Put in the dryer on the gentle cycle, or line dry. For down-filled: Wash separately using a mild detergent and the delicate setting. Thick comforters may need an extra rinse cycle to remove all the soap. Add a clean sneaker to the dryer load to help down fluff back up.

Towel Care- use mild detergent when washing them.

Quick Touch-Ups

• Refresh pillows, comforters, and curtains by putting each item, along with a fabric softener sheet, into the dryer on the air-only setting.

• Mop up pet hair, light soil, and debris on washable slipcovers with a slightly damp microfiber cloth; use a lint brush on silk or delicate textiles.

• Dust off drapes, cushions, and fabric-covered chairs by vacuuming on a low setting (use upholstery attachment).

Potter's Ridge Tagaytay Visit

Sometime last year (after Christmas), we visited Tagaytay again. Since Tagaytay is the nearest out-of town gate away (took us 2 hours to get there), this is the fave destination of my kids. And for the first time, we tried Potter's Ridge, a newly-built hotel located at km.67, Aguinaldo Highway. There, we met the very gracious owner Marissa Potter. She gave us a generous discount for our rooms and even joined us for dinner, chatted how she spends her retirement benefits building the hotel and the story behind each painting or decors around the place. All the staff are efficient and friendly too. I was informed that the hotel is being maintained by 19 staff. How's that for multi-tasking, he he...

By the way, they also grow their own veggies here, talking about eating organic food...

This is such a cozy place. My kids enjoyed our stay here during the freezing month of December...

the dining area with the view of the lake

my son having tapcilog and hot chocolate for breakfast...


family room


deluxe room

for inquiries, visit http://pottersridge.net/

Red Ribbon Sugar-Free Cakes...

No birthday celebration is complete without a cake in our home. And not just an ordinary one but a Red Ribbon cake. Recently, Red Ribbon launched its newest addition of must-try products, to the delight of my weight-conscious friends or in my case, a diabetic member in the family...

Layers of chocolate cake covered with luscious Belgian chocolate icing and lavishly topped with chocolate powder, chocolate swirls and almond slivers. No sugar added chocolate cake.


Light and heavenly chiffon cake with luscious mango bits in cream cheese layers topped with mango slices. No sugar added Mango Passion.

For delivery, call 8-7777...

Historia De Un Amor

This is a very timely song...a story of great love.

Ya no estás más a mi lado, corazón.

En el alma sólo tengo soledad.

Y si ya no puedo verte,

¿Por qué Dios me hizo quererte?

¿Para hacerme sufrir más?

Siempre fuiste la razón de mi existir.

Adorarte para mi fue religión.

Y en tus besos yo encontraba

El calor que me brindaba

El amor y la pasión.

Es la historia de un amor,

Como no hay otro igual.

Que me hizo comprender

Todo el bien, todo el mal.

Que le dio luz a mi vida,

Apagándola después.

¡Ay que vida tan oscura!,

¡Sin tu amor no viviré!

Es la historia de un amor.

You're no longer by my side, my love

And in my soul I have only loneliness

If I can no longer see you

Why did God make me love you?

To make me suffer more?

You were the reason for my existence.

Adoring you, for me, was religion.

In your kisses I've found

The warmth that gave me

The love and the passion.

That's the story of a love.

Which has no equal

That made me understand

All the good, all the bad

That gave light to my life

Then turned it off.

Oh what a dark life!

Without your love I will not live!

That's the story of a love.

* Historia de un Amor (Spanish for "a love story") is a song about a man's old love written by Panamanian songwriter Carlos Eleta Almaran. It was written after the death of his brother's wife. It is also in the soundtrack of a 1956 Mexican movie of the same name. The song tells of a man's suffering after his love has disappeared. (info from wikipedia)

Mommy Bloggers' Get-Together at Burgoo...

After weeks of staying at home, I finally attended a bloggers' event. This time it's mainly a get-together. A good friend, Racquel arrived from Germany. We met and dined again in Burgoo at the Podium. And for the first time, I've met Salen and Aileen. As usual we had endless chats while enjoying the food. Plus the non-stop picture-taking. A Burgoo crew instantly became our official photographer using nine different cameras...and I tell you, it's not even tiring to smile.

Thanks Racquel, we really had a great time.

mommy-bloggers' get-together (pic from Rachel)


mommy-bloggers havin' fun... (Salen, Rachel, moi, Chats, Jane, Dine, Myrna, Julie, Noemi, Aileen and Racquel)

My 39th Birthday...

Last March 18, I turned 39. As I was about to check on my kids, I was surprised to see these...


the banner (in their messy room, ha ha)


the cards, gifts and my kids' names on the heart shaped paper


the birthday poster


pop-up card made by Nicole


personalized birthday card


a note from Bea


a shampoo and bath soap from Gabbie


Nicole's gift

They really made me so happy. I didn't know they were up to something when I tucked them to bed and kissed them good night. Two days after my special day, they gave me another gift, a notice from school that my kids are awardees for Academic Excellence and would be receiving medals on Recognition Day. I couldn't ask for anything more...Thank you Lord.

Facts on Asthma

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by inflamed, swollen and narrowed airways, making breathing difficult. Although no cure has been found for asthma, it can be controlled.

If you are asthmatic, you have sensitive airways that react to certain factors such as stress, infection (flu, common colds), dust, mites, feathers, cigarette smoke, and changes in the weather. These can trigger the swelling and the narrowing of your airways.

What causes Asthma?

No one really knows exactly what causes asthma. In asthma, the irritation of your ultra sensitive airways results to the three changes:

• cells in your air passages produce excessively thick and sticky mucus that tends to clog your airways
• your air passages swell or become inflamed
• the muscles in your airways constrict and tighten

These changes cause your air passages to narrow or constrict, causing difficulty in breathing, wheezing, and tightness in the chest.

What do you do in case of asthma attack?

• take only asthma medications prescribed by your doctor
• do not take cough medicines
• if your attack is caused by a bacterial infection, take the appropriate antibiotics prescribed by your doctor.
• if your symptoms persist, or you are experiencing a moderate attack or a severe one, get emergency help right away.

What to do to minimize or prevent an asthma attack?

• take controllers (as prescribed by physician)
• know the signs and symptoms of an incoming acute asthma attack
• know what trigger your asthma attack
• avoid triggers

What are the sign and symptoms of an incoming acute asthma attack?

• coughing a lot during exercise or even during rest after exercising
• shortness of breath
• wheezing when breathing
• tightening of the chest

What triggers an asthmatic attack?

There are numerous causes that "trigger" your asthma attack. However, these can be divided into three major groups:

Allergens - the largest group includes common "triggers" like pollen, molds, mildew, cockroaches, feathers, and dust mites.

Irritants - this group are found in common household items such as acrosol sprays, cleaning products, and perfumes. Tobacco smoke, air pollution and industrial chemicals also belong to this group.

Physical Conditions - this group includes exercise, weather changes and emotional stress. It also includes viral infections like common cold and flu.

How do you know you are having an asthma attack?

Asthma attacks may start suddenly, or may take days to develop. Attacks range from mild, moderate to severe.

Mild-to-moderate attacks - are more common. There is a feeling of tightness in your chest and you may start coughing and spitting out mucus or phlegm. You may also feel restless or irritable and have difficulty sleeping. You oftentimes make a whistling or wheezing sound when you are breathing air in and out, which may be due to narrowed air tubes.

Several Attacks - during severe attacks you may become breathless and may have difficulty talking. Your neck muscles become tight as you breathe. Your lips and fingernails may have a grayish and bluish color. Your breathing becomes more forceful, usually accompanied by the upward movements of your chest.

Source: Department of Health

Dealing with Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a general term that refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by a variety of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

Often pneumonia begins after an upper respiratory tract infection (an infection of the nose and throat). When this happens, symptoms of pneumonia begin after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of pneumonia vary, depending on the age of the child and the cause of the pneumonia. Common symptoms include:

• fever
• chills
• cough
• unusually rapid breathing
• breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds
• labored breathing that makes a child's rib muscles retract (when muscles under the rib cage or between ribs draw inward with each breath)
• vomiting
• chest pain
• abdominal pain
• decreased activity
• loss of appetite (in older kids) or poor feeding (in infants)
• in extreme cases, bluish or gray color of the lips and fingernails

Sometimes a child's only symptom is rapid breathing. Sometimes when the pneumonia is in the lower part of the lungs near the abdomen, there may be no breathing problems, but there may be fever and abdominal pain or vomiting.

When pneumonia is caused by bacteria, an infected child usually becomes sick relatively quickly and experiences the sudden onset of high fever and unusually rapid breathing. When pneumonia is caused by viruses, symptoms tend to appear more gradually and are often less severe than in bacterial pneumonia. Wheezing may be more common in viral pneumonia.

Some types of pneumonia cause symptoms that give important clues about which germ is causing the illness. For example, in older kids and adolescents, pneumonia due to Mycoplasma (also called walking pneumonia) is notorious for causing a sore throat and headache in addition to the usual symptoms of pneumonia.

In infants, pneumonia due to chlamydia may cause conjunctivitis (pinkeye) with only mild illness and no fever. When pneumonia is due to whooping cough (pertussis), the child may have long coughing spells, turn blue from lack of air, or make a classic "whoop" sound when trying to take a breath.

Description

Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by different types of germs, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Although different types of pneumonia tend to affect children in different age groups, pneumonia is most commonly caused by viruses. Viruses that cause pneumonia include adenoviruses, rhinovirus, influenza virus (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and parainfluenza virus (which causes croup).

Incubation

The incubation period for pneumonia varies, depending on the type of virus or bacteria causing the infection (for instance, respiratory syncytial virus, 4 to 6 days; influenza, 18 to 72 hours).

Duration

With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia can be cured within 1 to 2 weeks. Viral pneumonia may last longer. Mycoplasmal pneumonia may take 4 to 6 weeks to resolve completely.

Contagiousness

The viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia are contagious and are usually found in fluid from the mouth or nose of an infected person. Illness can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes on a person, by sharing drinking glasses and eating utensils, and when a person touches the used tissues or handkerchiefs of an infected person.

Prevention

Vaccines can prevent infections by viruses or bacteria that cause some types of pneumonia. Kids usually receive routine immunizations against Haemophilus influenzae and pertussis (whooping cough) beginning at 2 months of age. (The pertussis immunization is the "P" part of the routine DTaP injection.) Vaccines are now also given against the pneumococcus organism (PCV), a common cause of bacterial pneumonia.

Children with chronic illnesses, who are at special risk for other types of pneumonia, may receive additional vaccines or protective immune medication. The flu vaccine is strongly recommended for kids with chronic illnesses such as chronic heart or lung disorders or asthma, as well as otherwise healthy children ages 6 months through 19 years.

Because they're at higher risk for serious complications, infants who were born prematurely may be given treatments that temporarily protect against RSV, which can lead to pneumonia in younger children.

Doctors may give prophylactic (disease-preventing) antibiotics to prevent pneumonia in kids who have been exposed to someone with certain types of pneumonia, such as pertussis.

Antiviral medication is now available, too, and can be used to prevent some types of viral pneumonia or to make symptoms less severe.

In addition, regular tuberculosis screening is performed yearly in some high-risk areas because early detection will prevent active tuberculosis infection including pneumonia.

In general, pneumonia is not contagious, but the upper respiratory viruses that lead to it are, so it is best to keep your child away from anyone who has an upper respiratory tract infection. If someone in your home has a respiratory infection or throat infection, keep his or her drinking glass and eating utensils separate from those of other family members, and wash your hands frequently, especially if you are handling used tissues or dirty handkerchiefs.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your doctor immediately if your child has any of the signs and symptoms of pneumonia, but especially if your child:

• is having trouble breathing or is breathing abnormally fast
• has a bluish or gray color to the fingernails or lips
• has a fever of 102° Fahrenheit (38.9° Celsius), or above 100.4° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius) in infants under 6 months of age

Professional Treatment

Doctors usually make the diagnosis of pneumonia after a physical examination. The doctor may possibly use a chest X-ray, blood tests, and (sometimes) bacterial cultures of mucus produced by coughing when making a diagnosis.

In most cases, pneumonia can be treated with oral antibiotics given to your child at home. The type of antibiotic used depends on the type of pneumonia.

Children may be hospitalized for treatment if they have pneumonia caused by pertussis or other bacterial pneumonia that causes high fevers and respiratory distress. They may also be hospitalized if:

• supplemental oxygen is needed
• they have lung infections that may have spread into the bloodstream
• they have chronic illnesses that affect the immune system
• they are vomiting so much that they cannot take medicine by mouth
• if they have recurrent episodes of pneumonia

Home Treatment

If your doctor has prescribed antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia, give the medicine on schedule for as long as directed. This will help your child recover faster and will decrease the chance that infection will spread to other household members.

Don't force a child who's not feeling well to eat, but encourage drinking of fluids, especially if fever is present. Ask the doctor before you use a medicine to treat your child's cough because cough suppressants stop the lungs from clearing mucus, which may not be helpful in some types of pneumonia.

If your child has chest pain, try a heating pad or warm compress on the chest area. Take your child's temperature at least once each morning and each evening, and call the doctor if it goes above 102° Fahrenheit (38.9° Celsius) in an older infant or child, or above 100.4° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius) in an infant under 6 months of age.

Check your child's lips and fingernails to make sure that they are rosy and pink, not bluish or gray, which is a sign that the lungs are not getting enough oxygen.

Source: kidshealth.org

Time to Organize

Organizing Paper Clutter

Do you have heaps of financial papers in your house? Bills, receipts, credit card statements, tax records and investment files may have piled-up last year. Now is the best time to start arranging your records with these easy and useful organizing tips.

Throw away the unnecessary. Before doing anything else, you must know how to segregate your papers. Commonly, you can divide them into three. One is for records you need for less than one year, another for papers up to 5 years and then last is for documents you will need to hold on to indefinitely. For example, do you really need to keep your ATM withdrawal slips or your credit card receipts? It would be good practice to keep a record of these things and when it is validated by your monthly statement, you can already shred and throw them away. After a year or so, you can already toss out your credit card statements and utility bills (unless needed for business).

Keep what you need. There are however some papers that you need to keep for more than one year but less than 5 years such as tax records. You should also keep canceled checks and payment records for mortgage, insurance and other loans.

Set a place for your papers. More often than not, the reason why people get overwhelmed by papers is because they don’t have a place to put them in. You should have a designated area where you immediately put the paper after you have received it. It can be a folder, drawer or a cabinet. Preferably, the area where you intend to keep your papers is located near a table or desk so that you have a place to maintain your records and consolidate your statements. Also, keep your birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, property deeds, and other important records in a secure but accessible place so you and your family will always be able to get to them easily if the need arises.

Have a system. When organizing a file system, you want to keep it as simple as possible. You can divide your papers into categories. For example, you can segregate the papers as either tax-related or non-tax related, or by account type (credit-card statements, mortgage statements, bills, etc.) or by expense (deductible business expenses, contributions to charity, and so on) or by financial goal (housing, retirement, college fund, etc.) or even by the facets of your life. This may require more time at first, but in due course, it will save you time.

Deal with the backlog. Once you have a system figured out, you can now tackle the piles that you have accrued. You shouldn’t take on this job all at once. Instead, do small amounts at a time. You can set aside 30 minutes a day sorting old papers while watching television or listening to the radio.
A little organization goes a long way. It will not just save you time and money but it will also give you peace of mind.

Source: Nestle Club website