Proud To Be A Mommy Blogger!

Being a Mommy Blogger is not an option but a matter of choice, it I something that I want to do. We are the ones accountable for the things that we choose in life and whatever outcome one may have, at the end of the day, it is still all about our decisions in life and how we stand by them.

I am Loree, 37 years of age and a mother of 2 dotting kids and a devoted wife to Jon. I have been blogging for almost a year and I find it productive than doing something else during my spare time which I don’t have much. If you are among my friends, you will notice that you can rarely hear me say odd things about people because I find it rather annoying than amusing unlike others, plus the fact that it is a waste of time and energy. Why am I saying all these? Well because for once in my life I cried over a very immature statement about me from someone who does not know me other than from what they superficially see.

Someone actually commented about the way I dress and the way I look from head to toe... This person has been my constant critic ever since and her comments does not matter to me in any way, until today. I dunno how this day was different from the others but she did it, she got into me.

I admit that I am not a good dresser as compared to some girls; I don’t have much passion for clothes, that is. Having been a part of family with 3 brothers and no sisters, I didn’t even know how to put make up on until late 2007! Imagine that! Really funny but that’s how I am. I am a very good candidate for the show Fashbook and other shows that offer a super duper total make over, but hey, that’s changing who I am. I have been like this from the start and changing who I am will also change whoever that I am being used to. Even putting a lipstick takes so much effort for me, that is how simple I am. Now, having said all of that, I didn’t know that how I dress will matter to some people which I think is pretty stupid; nevertheless, it affected me, a lot this time.

As I have said, I am a Mommy blogger and not a fashion guru. I should have chosen to be fashion blogger instead of what I am right now if I intend to please other people. What I share in this site is mostly about family who are my utmost priority in life. If you still have some free time, you may want to browse through my old posts and you will see that I don’t have much pictures here as much as my kids does, that is because I started blogging to share with my readers how we are as a family and not to share something about fashion, clothing and the like.

Although I am pretty contented of who I am right now, I can’t help but wonder why there are people such as this person. Nonetheless I still talk to her. I still consider her as one of my peers and I will still extend a helping hand if she needed one.

Our choices define who we are and we must not be dictated to becoming someone else we are not even familiar with. Our happiness should not based on what others people say but on what will give us pleasure and satisfaction in life. And if the time comes that they will take blogging away, I will still be a MOMMY… It is something that no one can take away from me…

I AM A PROUD MOMMY BLOGGER!!!

When I Feel Frustrated

What is Frustration?

Frustration is a form of poorly expressed anger.

At one point in our lives we all came to a point when we got frustrated maybe because of family, friends, colleagues, boss, acquaintances, work, or maybe because of some uncertainties that life has to offer, or for whatever reason one may have, it is something that we all have in common.

Being frustrated entails a whole lot of emotions and reactions including, but not limited to anger, rage, silence, defiance, confusion and a whole lot more. It is not easy to deal with this complex emotion particularly if you are in a position in which you are incapable of containing yourself because it might cause more harm than good.

There maybe times when I am unable to control how I feel and during these crucial moments, here are the things that I usually do…

I usually send the message across the individual by talking to the person.

I write, write and write (which is also the reason why I have so many pending posts! LOL)

I walk away (if talking does not resolve things)

I find time to talk to someone (a trusted person who will understand my level of frustration)

What I usually do not do is to put justice in my own hands (just kidding LOL!) But kidding aside, I have least control of myself and previous to learning about anger management, I was a mess. Turns out, it is not a problem with the world, but a problem on how I look at the world. The whole thing cleared out the moment I understood what the problem was. And to impart with you all what I learned about my frustrations, here are some itsy bitsy things that you might find useful whenever you feel frustrated.

Do a “Counter thought”

Example: “this person is so mean that she says the most hurtful words ever, I hate her!”

Counter thought: “it’s good that I have good friends who make me feel that I am worth their time, this girl only has a few and she doesn’t even know if she can trust them.”

Breathe deeply and count when you feel a bout of frustration coming on.

Look for the triggers that cause you to feel frustration and from there look for ways on how you will attack a situation.

Sometimes, bad thoughts confuse your mind but it's not your fault! Evaluate your family, friends, and the people around you, and stay away from people that make you feel negative or unhappy.

Another good thing to keep in mind:

Prepare for the worst but hope for the best - the former makes you sensible, and the latter makes you an optimist.

When we contribute a little love in this world and plant it to every person's heart, there is no way that we can stop that from growing... I hope and pray that we can all work together to make this world a better place to live in for our kids, for the future generation... =)

18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

18^th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Now on its 18th year!

On February 21 to 24, 2013 at the Clark Freeport Zone. If you are free this coming weekend and have left the date unoccupied, why not drop by Clark Field Pampanga and witness the 18^th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival. This is a 4 day event that will showcase everything that flies, literally!

Below is a shot taken from last year's event...

The Balloon Fiesta hopes to fuel the passion of flying to both the young and the old to help move the aviation industry forward. It also hopes to create jobs and business opportunities by promoting Tourism.

This year’s feature will include the Breitling Jet Team, the premiere civilian jet team who will be showcasing their stunts. It will be a fun filled day of activities that includes Paragliders, Hot Air Balloons, Sky divers and the L-39 aerobatic jet team. And on Friday and Saturday, there will be a 2 day all OPM Music festival.

Event Schedule is as follows:

Ballooning

Breitling Jet Team

Aeromodelling

Kite Flying

Aircraft Precision Competitions

 Paragliding

Skydiving

Gliders

Ultralights

Rescue Demonstrations

Tickets

You can get your tickets at the gate during the event or thru SM Ticketnet outlets. Each ticket is PhP 250 or you can also visit the site Balloon Festival 2013 for more information.

Urinary Track Infection invades again!

I have been fighting yet another battle with Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). I don’t have the burning sensation when urinating but I have this on and off fever which has been ongoing for the last 2 days, not to mention my aching back which makes it hard for me to stand and walk. As far as I know, UTI has been more prevalent with women because we have a shorter urinary tract as compared with men. While most of the occurrences of UTI in women are not that severe, it often causes severe pain at the back like what I am experiencing right now.

What Causes Urinary Tract Infections?

The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina, which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel upward, causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.

Another cause of bladder infections or UTI is waiting too long to urinate. The bladder is a muscle that stretches to hold urine and contracts when the urine is released. Waiting too long past the time you first feel the need to urinate can cause the bladder to stretch beyond its capacity. Over time, this can weaken the bladder muscle. When the bladder is weakened, it may not empty completely and some urine is left in the bladder. This may increase the risk of urinary tract infections or bladder infections.

Those people who are especially prone to developing UTI are those who have had previous UTIs and those who are Diabetic and especially prone are pregnant women.

Antibiotics (medications that kill bacteria) are the usual treatment for bladder infections and other urinary tract infections.

Tips for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections

Drinking plenty of fluids (water) each day will help flush bacterium out of the urinary system.

Emptying the bladder as soon as the urge to urinate occurs also may help decrease the risk of bladder

Vitamin C makes the urine acidic and helps to reduce the number of potentially harmful bacteria in the urinary tract system.

Cranberry juice is often said to reduce frequency of bladder infections, though it should not be considered an actual treatment.

Although urinary tract infections are common and distinctly painful, they usually are easy to treat once properly diagnosed and only last a few days. When treated promptly and properly, UTIs are rarely serious.

My (not-so) Happy Valentines Day!

It’s Valentine’s Day, one of the special days for most lovers and those who want to be in love. Probably the most special day for those who will receive proposal and for those who are getting married. Yes, most Filipinos actually celebrated this day with a flaming red color. We Filipinos are very romantic and passionate, which is why this is a very special day for most… but not for me. I am into some domestic issues and it’s affecting everything. I don’t despise this day, don’t get me wrong… It’s just that I’m getting tired of some things. And I’d hate to admit but I do think that the statement “when it rains, it pours” is true. I have been having issues at home, in the office and almost on all aspects in life. I’m in a situation where I least wanted.

So, instead of spending this day at the corner of our house, I decided to dig into my DVDs and find me a good movie. I don’t feel like watching anything until I stumbled upon my Ally McBeal collection and decided to spend the day with Ally.

Meet Ally...

For most of you who are not familiar with this series, it was set in the fictional Boston law firm Cage and Fish, begins with main character Ally joining the firm (co-owned by her law school classmate Richard Fish) after leaving her previous job due to sexual harassment. On her first day Ally is horrified to find she will be working alongside her ex-boyfriend Billy Thomas, who she has never got over - and to make things worse, Billy is now married to fellow lawyer Georgia, who later joins Cage and Fish too. The triangle between the three forms the basis for the main plot for the show's first three seasons.

Below is the cast of the series... let's see if you can find Billy =)

Ally has her ups and downs and no matter what she’s into, she’s still incomplete. Kindda like the person who is always in constant search for something/someone that’s never there.

I would like to share with all of you some of the most unforgettable lines in the series.

“I like being a mess. It's who I am.”

“However much I know otherwise part of me has always felt that life has no real meaning until you get to share it with somebody. Maybe that's what I'm afraid of: my life finally taking meaning or suddenly becoming void of it.”

“If you see me walking with someone else,

It’s not because I like his company

It’s because you’re not brave enough to walk beside me…”

“I have a friend who refuses to get a pet because he says in the end they die and it's just too hard... maybe it's the same with relationship.”

“There are some people who meet that somebody that they can never stop loving, no matter how hard they try. I wouldn't expect you to understand that, or even believe it, but trust me, there are some loves that don't go away. And maybe that makes them crazy, but we should all be lucky enough to end up with somebody who has a little of that insanity. Someone who never lets go, someone who cherishes you forever."

“The wrong ones can’t hurt you. It’s the right ones.”

And the undying line that came from the love of her life, Billy…

“I did love you. Problem was you couldn't recognize it. Love is wasted on you because you'll always be unhappy, that's why I left. You may go through your good times, but we both know the place you'll always go back to. I couldn't have pulled you out of your world; you would have pulled me into yours."

                                            

It’s still a good thing out of a thousand wastes that I watched some of Ally’s misfits because I now feel somehow that I am blessed to be the person that I am. That no matter what happened in the past, I am still the same person that I used to be. I have always been grateful for all the things and people that I have in my life. Although I am in a less of a favorable situation, I still am happy that I have some good things going on in my life…

Turns out, it’s not too late to have a Happy Valentine’s Day… so I thought, why not spend the rest of the day out with the kids… =)

Photos were taken at Hungry hippo in Pacita Complex, San Pedro, Laguna

Happy Valentine’s Day to All!!!

Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign

Pope Benedict XVI Says He Will Resign

Sad over the news that the Pope will be resigning effective February 28, 2013 because of advanced age. This is the first time that I have heard of a Pope who will be resigning… Sad. Cardinals are saying that before Easter we will have a new Pope. According to news, the cardinals will be meeting after the resignation to choose a new leader for the Church.

"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," the pope said, according to the Vatican.

After his resignation, Benedict, 85, will probably retire to a monastery and devote himself to a life of reflection and prayer, he said. He will not be involved in choosing a new pope or in guiding the church after his resignation, Lombardi said.

Benedict was born Joseph Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, in Marktl Am Inn, Bavaria, a heavily Catholic region of Germany.

He is the sixth German to serve as pope and the first since the 11th century.

God Speed to Pope Benedict XVI...

 

Meningococcemia

Lately, the term Meningococcemia has been buzzing around. Although there were no confirmed outbreaks, being a mom with a talent to panic, I tried reading and researching on the danger of the said infection.

Here are the things I would like to share about what I found out about Meningococcemia…

 What is meningococcemia?

Meningococcemia is a bacterial infection of the blood due to Neisseria meningitidis. This bacterium is most famous for causing meningococcal meningitis which may also be present in meningococcemia. Bloodstream infections are sometimes called "blood poisoning" or septicemia. This is concerning because it is more contagious and typically infects older children and adolescents.

How we get Meningococcemia

As I have read, this type of infection, as like many other infections is transmitted through respiratory secretions. Good example of this is when someone sneezes or coughs out. The secretions that comes out of the mouth carries these bacteria and if one is unlucky enough, may enter through the nose or mouth.

Children 5 years old up around 15 years of age may be especially prone to this disease. As children age, they slowly gain immunity to meningococcal strains by coming into contact with milder strains of the bacteria. However, because this immunity is imperfect, there is still possibility for adults to get meningococcemia.

What are the symptoms of this disease?

After an average incubation period of three to seven days (range one to 10 days), infected patients initially experience fatigue, fever, headache, and body aches, similar to those experienced by people with influenza, including swine flu or bird flu. Shaking chills may be present. Rash is common and appears like small red dots associated with low platelet counts or a bleed into the skin associated with vasculitis. The rash may appear anywhere on the body, even on the palms or soles or inside the mouth.

In addition to the rash, physical examination reveals a fast heart rate and often a low blood pressure and other signs of shock. Laboratory examination shows increases in white blood cell counts and may show low platelet counts. The bacteria may spread to the heart, causing myocarditis. In severe cases, multiple organ You can also check out my post about Hand, foot and mouth disease to see the difference.

systems may fail, including the kidneys, lungs and airways, liver, or heart. Uncommonly, the bacteria may cause a low-grade bloodstream infection with fever, joint pain, and rash that lasts one to three weeks.

If you are inflicted with this type of disease, intavenous antibiotics are needed to treat Meningococcemia. The laboratory will test the bacteria to see which antibiotics will work best, but treatment will need to start before the results of these antimicrobial sensitivity tests come back. Therefore, doctors usually select antibiotics that are known to work against most strains of N. meningitidis.

Meningococcemia can be prevented in several ways. People who have come into close contact with an infected patient should strongly consider taking antibiotics to reduce the risk of disease. These antibiotics are usually given in pill form, although sometimes a shot is needed if the organism is resistant to common oral antibiotics. Close contact usually means household contacts, day-care or child-care contacts, or those who have been exposed to potentially infected saliva in the week before the patient got sick. The antibiotics eliminate carriage of the bacteria and may also be used in the final step of treatment for infected patients.

I tried to get some pictures of those that are affected by the disease but I couldn’t bear posting the worse cases in my blog, so I just picked out the milder ones… You may want to check them out just so you can see how extensive the damage can be for kids… Made me so sad to see those that are afflicted…

For me, still, prevention is the best cure. Getting our body in good shape as well as the kids’ will go far. Vitamins may still be the utmost need for kids especially vitamin C since the body is unable to generate this type of vitamins.