Do any of you ever take vitamins? Frankly, I dont. Being on the heavy side, my doctor advised me not to anymore. He even tells me I need to go on a diet! My kids actually are on multi-vitamins with iron and Vitamin C. Edil uses an anti-stress multivitamin. Nope, he doesnt needs to use Tadalafil, thank you very much :). The only thing that really gets me going is to really eat foods that are healthy and have a lot of fiber on it. I started what seemed to my nth time to lose weight and I think this is really it! I have lost 5lbs in two weeks and while it is slow - Im taking it off slowly but surely! Healthy and smart choices!!!

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How can I tell if my toddler has allergies or just a cold?
Because the symptoms of nasal allergies (also known as allergic rhinitis) are much like cold symptoms — runny nose, watery eyes, cough, nasal congestion, sneezing — it can be tough to tell the difference. There are some telltale signs of allergies, though. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does it seem like your toddler always has a cold? (Colds usually wind themselves down in a week to ten days; allergies don’t.)

• Is your toddler’s nose always stuffy or running?

• Is she constantly wiggling, wiping, or pushing her nose up in what doctors call the allergic salute?

• Is the mucus that drains from her nose clear and thin (as opposed to yellow or greenish and thick)?

• Does she seem to sneeze a lot?

• Are her eyes itchy, red, and watery?

• Does the skin under her eyes look dark or purple or blue (doctors call these allergic shiners)?

• Does she breathe through her mouth?

• Does she have a dry cough?

• Is her skin irritated or broken out in an itchy red rash?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, there’s a good chance your toddler is allergic to something in her environment. Kids with nasal allergies are also more prone to ear infections, asthma, and sinus infections.

What causes allergies?
An allergy is a special immune reaction to a substance in the environment. When a child with allergies comes into contact with one of these substances, known as an allergen — either by touching it, breathing it, eating it, or having it injected — her body views it as a dangerous invader and releases histamines and other chemicals to fight it off. These chemicals irritate the body and cause symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, and coughing.

Possible allergens include food, drugs, insects, animal dander, dust mites, mold, and pollen. Depending on the type of allergy, it can cause respiratory symptoms (allergic rhinitis), skin symptoms (like eczema), or intestinal problems (from food allergies, for example).

When it comes to nasal allergies in babies and toddlers, these are the most likely culprits:

• Dust mites — microscopic organisms that thrive on human skin flakes (nearly 85 percent of allergy sufferers are allergic to dust mites)

• Animal dander — those white flaky specks (shedding skin and hair) on cats, dogs, and other furry animals

• Molds — fungi found in wet, damp places such as bathrooms and basements

Some children are allergic to down and feather pillows, or chenille or wool blankets. And while most experts don’t think children can be allergic to tobacco smoke, it can certainly make their allergic symptoms worse.

A child inherits the tendency to be allergic, but not necessarily the specific allergies. For example, if one of your child’s biological parents has hay fever or pet allergies, there’s a 50 percent chance that your child will have some sort of allergies as well. That probability jumps to 75 percent when both biological parents have allergies. Family members may differ widely in the kinds of things they are allergic to.

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What to expect at this age
Most of the time, your grade-schooler acts like a “big kid” who knows how to control herself. But, in fact, she’s still hard at work learning to make her way in the world, and testing her own autonomy and the limits of your authority. That means from time to time she may flout your directives and push the limits you impose. And despite her seeming maturity, your child’s emotions can still get the better of her, and she may turn on a dime from a happy-go-lucky kid to a pouting, defiant rebel.

When your child crosses the line or gets too worked up for her own good, sometimes the best way to nip the behavior in the bud is to remove her from the activity at hand and give her some quiet time alone, better known as a time-out. This discipline method is a great, non-punitive way to shape behavior. The key is knowing how and when to use the technique. Six strategies for making the most of time-outs:

What to do
Understand what a time-out is — and isn’t. If you don’t think of a time-out as punishment neither will your child, and that’s as it should be. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to help your grade-schooler cope with common frustrations and modify her behavior. While your child is in a time-out, she’s on her own, so don’t check on her every few minutes or try to cajole her into drying her tears. And although at times it may require superhuman effort, try not to scold, yell, or speak angrily — the point is to just let her sit in solitude for a few minutes. Quiet time alone allows your child to switch gears and calm down if she’s gotten worked up. Just as importantly, it gives you the chance to step aside and not get caught up in your child’s struggle. The goal of a time-out is to defuse and redirect an escalating situation in an unemotional way, and to teach your grade-schooler to behave without setting a negative example, the way yelling does.

Time the time-out. When it’s called for, impose a time-out swiftly — as immediately after the transgression as possible. In fact, if you sense that your child is winding up, call a time-out before she blows. By this point, your grade-schooler understands what time-outs are all about, so you might even ask her if she thinks she needs some time to calm down. Use an old-fashioned kitchen timer to track the minutes; most experts agree that a minute a year is a good rule of thumb (so a 7-year-old would serve seven minutes). If you leave your child in time-out longer than that, she’s likely to shift her focus from calming down to being angry and resentful, which counteracts what the time-out is supposed to do. If your child’s progressed to the point where she accepts time-outs without too much struggle, ask her how much time she thinks she needs and have her set the timer herself. This lessens the indignity she’s probably feeling (something that matters a lot to an intense, “spirited” child) and gives her some measure of control over the situation. Eventually, she may even call her own time-outs (but don’t hold your breath).

Choose the right place. Some experts recommend sending kids to their bedroom for time-outs, while others suggest a less entertaining environment (like a bottom step or a chair in a nearby room). Keep in mind that the purpose of a time-out is for your child to gather herself — you decide where she’ll best do this. Whatever you choose, find a time-out spot removed from the activity that set your grade-schooler off. Don’t put her somewhere frightening — if she continues to act out, it’s okay to close her bedroom door, but locking her in her room or banishing her to a dark pantry or basement may well be fodder for future therapy. Remember: You want to calm her down, not scare her into submission.

No matter where she serves her time, encourage your child to experiment with self-calming techniques. One advantage of bedroom time-outs: If looking at a book, listening to some music, or drawing a picture of her feelings helps your grade-schooler wind down, she’ll learn how to get her temper under control by herself — a skill that’ll come in handy during school hours too.

Be consistent. Decide — when you’re not angry yourself — what actions merit a time-out. If you use time-out too often, you’ll dilute its effectiveness, so save it for the tougher problems — aggressive acts such as hitting and throwing toys, or open defiance. Then find a quiet moment to discuss with your child the time-out policy in your family, letting her know where you’ll give time-outs, for what reasons, and for how long. Once you’ve outlined the rules, stick to them. Being wishy-washy, or offering lengthy explanations or third and fourth chances, will only invite protests. Your grade-schooler needs to know exactly what to expect, and she needs to know that she can’t wheedle her way out of it. “You hit your brother, so you’re going to have a seven-minute time-out right now,” is all you need to say.

Follow up. When the time-out is over, address the transgression that put her there in the first place. If she tackled her brother when he declined to share a toy, for instance, have her tell you what she did wrong and apologize to her sibling. Also ask how she’ll handle the situation next time. Don’t yell at her, don’t lecture her, and don’t give her a big hug now that it’s over. She may be remorseful (and you may even feel a little guilty for banishing her), but rewarding her with positive reinforcement at the end of the time-out may actually encourage future misbehavior.

Give your child plenty of time-in, too. Just as time-outs discourage bad behavior, “time-ins” reinforce good behavior. If you find yourself constantly imposing time-outs on your child for getting into scrapes with her little sister, for instance, make every effort to “catch” your grade-schooler getting along with her too. Then tell her, “What a great job you’re doing playing with Zoe. I love it when you’re kind to her!” The more effort you put into time-in, the less you may need to enforce time-out.

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Why it happens
The technical name for your child’s fascination with the word “no” is “toddler refusal” — and the simple fact is that toddlers say “no” because they can. “They’ve just found out that they have a will, and they want to exercise it,” explains Susanne Denham, professor of developmental psychology at George Mason University and author of Emotional Development in Young Children.

This phase often comes on suddenly, leaving parents perplexed over their toddler’s newfound defiance. Mike Lynd, of Redwood City, California, says his first child, Meredith, began saying “no” when she turned 2. “All of a sudden,” Lynd says, “everything was ‘no.’ And she’d wind up to it in this funny way — ‘Nnnnnnnnnnno.’”

The stage can disappear as quickly as it appeared, too. “One day Meredith opened her mouth,” Lynd says, “and instead of ‘No,’ out came ‘Mmmmmmm I don’t know.’ And that was the end of it.” While waiting out this trying stage, though, you may want to experiment with some coping strategies.

What you can do
Offer choices. “Twos, twos — everything comes in twos these days!” groans John Raeside, father of 2-year-old Abby. You’ll be tired of it too, before this phase is over — but offering a limited choice is absolutely the best way of avoiding a showdown with your toddler. “Do you want to wear the white shoes or the red shoes today?” “Do you want juice or milk?” “Okay, time to choose! Do you want to put away your blocks or your stuffed animals?” Two choices are enough at this stage, and this technique can be used for everything from getting dressed to solving playdate disputes: “Do you want to play nicely with Timmy, or do you want to play by yourself?”

Counting sometimes works with indecisive toddlers: “I’m going to count to ten and then you choose, or I’ll choose for you.” Your toddler will likely become decisive once you start the countdown. (Save this counting technique for last resorts because it loses its power if you use it too often.)

Offer the appearance of options. To make this work, you have to keep two important facts in your mind: You know more than your toddler does, and virtually everything can be turned into a choice. Say, “Do you want to get out of the car now or play for two minutes and then get out of the car?” Either way, she gets out of the car. Or say, “Do you want to put your sweater on frontward or backward?” And since you both know she’s not going to put her sweater on backward, what you’re doing here is using humor to break the tension (and yes, if she calls your bluff, you have to let her wear it backward). Either way, she thinks she has a choice.

Teach your toddler other responses. One of the reasons toddlers say “no” so much is they don’t know very many words. Help your toddler expand her vocabulary by turning “no” into a game: “What’s the opposite of ‘no’?” (That one’s easy.) “What comes in between ‘no’ and ‘yes’?” (Maybe, perhaps, and possibly.) “What’s a nicer way to say ‘no’?” (”No, thank you.” If your toddler’s very verbal, try, “No, thank you very much, I couldn’t possibly.”)

You can make a “no” response less automatic (and maybe even get a “yes!”) if you set up a situation in advance with a silly question: “What would a bird say if you said, ‘Mr. Bird, would you like a worm?’” When your toddler responds with, “Yes!” you follow up with: “And what would you say if I asked you if you’d like a hamburger?” With any luck, by this point your toddler will be giggling too much to rebuff the hamburger.

Use “no” sparingly. Your toddler might be spouting “no”s in part because she constantly hears the word directed at her. If that’s the case, try to cut back on your own use of the word and use alternatives to “no” whenever possible. One tactic is to replace the word with other phrases more specific to the situation at hand, like “It’s not safe to play on the stairs, let’s play with your blocks instead,” “We don’t hit the kitty,” or “Use your indoor voice, please.”

Stand your ground. There will be times when, despite your best efforts to avoid or distract, you end up in a showdown with your toddler. If she stops in the middle of the street and refuses to move, for example, you’ll move her, and quickly. But safety concerns aren’t the only reason to be firm. “A toddler has a will — but she can’t always be exerting it all over the place,” says developmental psychologist Denham. “It’s just too messy.”

It’s perfectly appropriate at times to say “This is not a time when I can give you a choice. There’s no choosing now. I know that you don’t like this, and I’m sorry, but this is the way it’s going to be.” You might even pull rank: “I’m the mommy, that’s why.”

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Edil and I were discussing what are our long term plans in terms of acquiring a house. And since we know nothing about mortgages or home equity loans, we decided to go online and use the tools that MyHomeLoanMortgages offers. You can use their mortgage calculators and ask advice to help you make the best choice on getting a home loan.

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Your child has an innate sense of how much food his body needs to grow and be healthy, and it’s up to him to decide what he’s going to eat. The best thing you can do is to provide a wide variety of healthful foods in a positive, relaxed environment so that mealtimes will be enjoyable for everyone. Here are some specific tips on how to handle a picky eater:

• Serve a variety of good foods for your toddler to eat at each meal. When you do offer a new food, simply place it on your child’s highchair tray without making a a big deal about it. Make sure the food you choose is age-appropriate.

• Introduce new foods one at a time and in small amounts. Instead of offering an entire meal of unfamiliar foods, for example, offer standard fare or favorites along with something new. Always offer a meal that includes at least one thing you know your toddler likes. And try to schedule a new food when you know your child is hungry — a snack of mango slices when he has the afternoon munchies, for example.

• Use toddler-size portions. A serving of bread for a 1-year-old is only 1/4 slice, and a serving of rice, potatoes, or pasta is only about 2 tablespoons — much smaller than an adult serving size.

• Understand that some children’s palates are more sensitive than others’ and they simply won’t like the texture, color, or taste of some foods. That’s why a child might claim to dislike a food he has never even tried. Likewise, some children may reject a food because it reminds them of a time when they were sick, or because they have some other negative association with it.

• Look for ways to boost the nutritional value of the dishes your toddler enjoys. Add some wheat germ or tuna to his macaroni casserole and little chunks of fruit to his favorite cereal, for example.

• Resist the urge to offer sugary foods in an effort to get your toddler to eat more. You want to develop his sense of culinary adventure, not his sweet tooth!

• Minimize distractions at the table. If a sibling is running around nearby, or a cartoon beckons from across the room, your toddler may have trouble maintaining interest in the food being served. Try to make meals relaxed and quiet.

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Did you know that the little details sometimes make or break the whole deal? This is true even if you talk about clothes, events even furnitures. The littlest details make the greatest accents! take for example, door handles. I personally believe they can make doors become highly fabulous and downright boring. They make great conversation pieces as well.There is even a web site solely dedicated for door furniture! Yes, there is. It is so aptly named Door Chic (www.doorchic.co.uk) and I seriously suggest you take a peek of their website if you are redecorating, renovating or even building your new home. Like me, for example, we are moving into a semi-furnished home and the owner was gracious enough to allow to have some modifications done on the house. The main doors are sliding ones but we need to have doors installed for the rooms.

Since Edil and I have come to a decision to have the house have a contemporary feel, it goes that the door handles carry the style as well. The door handles at the Door Chic site are even categorized by style - I love it!

I personally like this Walton style door handle. What do you think?

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We have been without a maid since January and we are now into March and thankfully, we are still surviving. I cant say we are are thriving though, just really trying to stay afloat. I just realized that without the maids, my kids, most especially my seven-year-old is really helpless. He leaves his clothes, his things where he thinks he is most likely to find them. He misplaces everything and is very very whiny with every single chore I let him do. Something needs to change soon I know.

So I came across this article over at BabyCenter and I need to try if this will work with Matthew.

Any suggestions?

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We are going to be on the move soon! I cant believe it, we will be on our own! Provided that we will have to rent, but still, the thought of really being on our own is such a tremendous achievement for us already. We will moving into the province so it will be huge change for us. I hope we can adjust well and adapt. Im just uneasy with all the mails I need to redirect from Manila to the provinces. The townhouse we live in currently doesnt have secure mailboxes so im sure I will lose some mail.

I plan to get nice mailboxes for the house we are moving into though. I have always wanted a nice house with a pretty gate with a traditional looking mailbox. Think of it as looking pretty much like this:

Isnt it nice? These are called curbside mailboxes. They not only SECURE my mail but thay are of the finest quality too! They are made of rust=proof aluminum, and comes with a lock and key option. Plus, it looks so cute right?

You can get these at SeattleLuxe.com and they come in 32 different finishings!

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Do you know Neil Crespi? This is according to his blog (http://neil-crespi.spaces.live.com/): “Neil Crespi might not sound like an American name, but it definitely is owned by a true blue Californian guy whose interests range from political issues to sports and showbiz. And this wide range of interest makes Neil Crespi’s writings filled with intensity and enthusiasm that you seldom find in a 24-year old above-average guy. His range of interest is pretty wide so you wont get bored reading what he writes. I assume he likes to write about everything under the sun as well.
You can see his writings scattered on his many blogs, like this one (http://neil-crespi.blogspot.com/) :”Meeting new people and making friends have always been the things that I really love to do. And with the Internet’s powerful ways of drawing people together, great online interactions have never been this fun and easy. My family and friends consider me as a strong-willed person. I never back down on anything. “What Neil Crespi wants, Neil Crespi gets” has always been the label attributed to me.”

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