all i want for my birthday is…

I am turning a big 32 today + you know what else I want apart from this nasty cough + colds to go away? I wish the rain will abate + somehow for typhoon Mina to stop bringing in the unkind weather in our land! It has been rainy for several days now. Last Thursday, the little man + I was not able to go out cause it started drizzling the moment we were about to leave + it went on for several hours or so.  A lot of our plans to go out had been thwarted by the unannounced rain + we’ve been trying to keep sane locked up in our home.

All I want for my birthday is to go out + spend some fun time with my son anywhere else apart from the house! Maybe enjoy a nice lunch or snacks, stroll in the mall, let Jared ride a merry-go-round {as I’ve promised him one several weeks ago} browse through shops, splurge on some postcards + scout for a nice headphone {I meant to buy a new one as a birthday gift to myself, am just waiting for my funds to come!}. I’d also want to check out California Pizza Kitchen as I’ve never tried eating there before {plus I’ve got a P500 CPK GC I bought online months ago that I’ve been itching to use + is expiring this month}. I also have a GC for spa treatment that I’ve won online that I’d love to use, I’d love to get a mani/pedi {my toes badly need one!} or a massage is also most-inviting.

I just basically want to enjoy my day but unless the rain lets up, am facing another entire day of house arrest, which I pray won’t happen on my birthday. Oh, please….:(

image from https://www.twobostons.com

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how to keep my son safe in times of dengue

This is my entry to Techie She Lucky Blogger Weekly Giveaway Week 12. This week’s prize is $10 paypal cash credit from Sir Rob of Be a LifeSaver of Goodness.

dengue, mosquito, health, kids

Now that the rainy season + the terror that it brings, also known as DENGUE, is upon us again, I fear for my son’s safety all the time + is constantly up on my toes checking to make sure no nasty mosquitoes bite him at any given time of the day. But sometimes, even if you are always on your guard, one or two mosquitoes would manage to sneak into the room + give my son a nasty bite, which he will scratch to his heart content until his skin ends up swollen from the bite + his scratch or worse, to a full-blown wound that leaves ugly dark marks in his skin after a few days 🙁

I guess we can never totally get rid of the pesky mosquitoes in the house no matter how hard we try to keep the house + our yard clean, we live next door to a family who keeps a little swamp of sorts in their backyard which serves as a perfect breeding ground for these insects. Apart from that the other neighbor rarely cleans their surrounding + their yard is teeming with fallen leaves and other wastes that also serves as shelter for the insects. Not to mention they also keep a tiny swamp where their pet ducks play and take a bath. I know, some neighborhood, right? The hassle of living in a very rural community, really!

What with the rate of dengue cases increasing by leaps + bounds this year, not to mention the number of casualties in its wake, the dengue scare is really enough to frighten the living daylights our of every mother in this country. But as we know, worrying does nothing + the most effective way to eliminate the cases of dengue in our country is by educating ourselves about it + its preventions. Some mommy bloggers I know wrote some comprehensive + educating posts about dengue on their blogs. I also did some research + stumble upon this interesting article on SmartParenting‘s site.

Here are bits + pieces of what I’ve learned about dengue so far:

Fast facts about dengue:

  • this is an infection marked by fever which is caused by the dengue virus
  • this is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito
  • symptoms include: fever, flu, a rash + body aches which  usually start 3 to 10 days after being bitten by the mosquito
  • no vaccine is available to prevent dengue, neither is there a specific antibiotic to treat this.  A combination of  increase fluid intakes + paracetamol {to treat fever, just make sure to steer clear of aspirin + ibuprofen} is administered to infected patients

How to prevent Dengue:

  • the best possible solution is to avoid being bitten by a mosquito, but considering we live in a tropical country, it really takes huge amount of efforts to keep you + your little ones safe from mosquito bites. Also, be wary of mosquitoes during the day as Aedes aegypti mosquito are normally daytime mosquitoes.
  • You can stock up on mosquito repellant lotions + slather your little ones as often as possible, especially when they are playing outside. You can also try mosquito repellant stickers which you can easily attach to your child’s clothes or his crib to prevent mosquitoes from swarming around him. Just make sure to get the DEET-free ones or opt for a more natural alternative. {I bought a box of these repellant stickers + I’ll be posting about it soon}
  • As always, “prevention is better than cure,” so to avoid the mosquitoes altogether, make sure to keep your surrounding areas clean + dispose of anything in the yard that gathers stagnant water, especially during the rainy days.

image from https://mediworldrkr.blogspot.com

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nice to know you wednesday meme 04


NTKYW, meme

I do apologize that I am posting my questions a day late this week. This mum has been busy with offline duties that I was not able to schedule a post for this week’s NTKYW edition.

Anyway, on with our 5 questions for the week + since it is my birthday week, I have some birthday queries here that I’d love for you to answer:

  1. How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
  2. This year, what are you planning to do to make your birthday celebration different?
  3. What was the best birthday gift you received ever?
  4. What is your dream birthday celebration {you can elaborate if you wish ;)}?
  5. What are your birthday wishes for this year?
My answers:
  1. I would just normally eat out with Jared’s dad {when Jared’s not yet around} or file vacation from work so I can do whatever I fancy on my big day {which normally includes loads of dosing off, or strolling at the mall or practically doing nothing :)}
  2. I actually wanted to spend a bit of alone-time on my birthday to make it different since I scarcely get any now that I am a mum, I remember spending my last birthday doing some last minute errands for my son’s own birthday celebration {it was a good thing I managed to squeeze in having a pedicure + a much-needed haircut afterwards :)} but I guess more than anything, the most ideal will be to spend it with my little one, maybe we’d eat out + stroll a bit in the mall, which is what I am planning to do this year 🙂
  3. I guess I’ve answered this before, but my answer won’t change my Jared is the best birthday gift I’ve ever had!
  4. A dream birthday celebration will be to be frolicking in the white sands of Boracay {or any beach, for that matter}, barefoot + clad in my swimsuit {which I hope I’ll fit into again or I might just have to buy a new one in a bigger size :(} lazily lounging in the shore sipping a glass of green mango shake + building sandcastles with my little tot {who is clad in his cute swimming trunks :)}.I wish I can afford to do that one day.
  5. For this year {like most years} I wish for good health for myself, my son, his dad + my entire family. I wish for HIS guidance so I can be the best mum that I can ever be. I wish that I’d have the best birthday ever this year. I also wish that I can find more ways to earn my keep online 😉
Now it is your turn to answer these birthday questions, I look forward to reading them 😉
Nice To Know You Wednesday is a weekly online q+a where we get to know each participants a little better through their answers + insights. Grab the badges here + don’t forget to include your urls in the linky below. Visiting all the participants {which I only have quite a few, for now} is also highly recommended. Leave your comment love so they’ll visit you back 😉
That’s it for now, Jared + I need to be somewhere this afternoon so I pray that it won’t rain. If I get lucky I’ll be able to write more posts later tonight + finish some projects I have on the side.
Have a great Thursday everybody + stay safe 😉



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