… cooling my heels and my head just now while doing myblog.   Cooling my heels because we just came home from shopping for shoes….cooling my head because my son threw tantrum when I refused to buy him the shoes of his choice because I did not like the its material.  Actually, I still  asked him to choose another pair but I believed his mind was already set on that style and I can no longer persuade him to look around for a different pair.   He then went home empty handed and  resented my refusal.  On the other hand  his sister was contented with the shoes she picked for herself, although initially, I was not sold to idea because the shoes looked bulky and of masculine style.  It looked like more of boxing shoes that I teased her that it is not perfect  however, her whims prevailed over my inital objection.    Oh well, no recourse but have their way afterall, she is the one going to wear it and their taste is different from mine.   Generation gap, I believe…..  My son on the other hand was sulking on our way  home but I just let him sulked till he realize that he needs a shoe and will definitely come to me anytime soon. 

We had bought two shoes (one for my daughter and my eldest son), well, tomorrow for sure,  we will be going out to go round of shops for shoes for my sulking son….

And hopefully he will be able to make the right choice.   He better make up his mind fast because I might change my mind! 

Tonight we will make good of our promise to our two children that it will be shopping time.   We will be shopping for shoes this time.  But choosing the right shoes for our feet is not as easy as pointing on the display rack or just because it is fashionable or the design is good.  Our feet evolved for flexibility and strength and not to only be stuffed into shoes.  We have to remember that good shoes are part of of the good care our feet deserves.   I’ve been telling my children to choose shoes for comfort and function rather than style.  Because wrong shoes can can cause or aggravate foot ailments.  So,  right shoes can prevent foot problems and wearing the right shoes is vital to foot care.

Sometimes, they end up buying shoes that is stylish but not functional.  Functional in the sense that if they are buying  particular shoes for their P.E class, the rubber shoes should be according to the different activities like for running shoes, the sole shoud be of waffle design that is used for running, for traction and to help with forward motion.   Herringbone design is for optimum motion and used for basketball and tennis shoes.  While gum rubber out sole is created for indoor activities that requires much traction to a smooth wooden or cemented ground.

See! I have done my research so we won’t  go wrong in buying shoes!  Well, let us see tonight if they will make the right choices. 

Good luck!

Acne is a big concern for my daughter so as to stop seeing her making faces and looking irritated everytime she looks at the mirror, I sought out a referral from a friend who frequent a dermatologist clinic for her skin maintenance.   I know consultation and maintenance medications will cost me a hefty sum of money but I will bear it so as to give my daughter good reasons to stop whining and not to get depressed.   Afterall, I know the feeling of a teenager who wanted to feel and look presentable all the time.

Just the other day we went back to the clinic for our follow up session a month after her last consultation.   There was remarkable improvement on her skin, the dermatologist was sastisfied because we followed her advise and bought the costly prescribed medications.  My daughter withstood the after effects of the medicines like the burning sensation which she swore was like cutting her skin but we were told by the doctor that she will be experiencing that effect and will be soothed by a moisturizer to be applied when the sensation is unbearable.  I reminded her to be patient with the course of the treatment if she really wanted to have her face cleared.   Initially, her medications were applied for bringing out all the comodones, whiteheads and blackheads in the first 2 weeks of the treatment, on the latter part of the month, redness and peeling took place.   It was a seemingly painful process of getting beautiful.

Well, I can hear her singing now while facing the mirror!  Her face is almost cleared of acne, her face lightnes and whitens.   She can do away with make up this time…  we were told that foundation will start to clog again her pores if she will use it.    She can just apply an eye make up and touch of lipstick and she is ready to go.    A friend noticed her face and asked what we did.    I jokingly told them that nowadays, there will be no more “ugly” people if one is willing to spend to look beautiful.  However, beauty is only skin deep… one shoudl maintain the beauty of the heart, mind and soul!  That’s  first and foremost.

Got to save for myself next year… my turn! lol

We  received numerous invitations for Christmas get together and it started as early as the first week of December and it seems  that every weekends we will be out socializing with friends. 

In preparation, I tag along with me my daughter on a salon appointment.  It was a long day, we stayed for almost 8 hours because, we seized that rare opportunity of having that much needed make over.  Both of us had our hair cut, hair colored, hot oil, foot spa with manicure, eyebrow threading for my daughter.  Whew!  It was a relaxing day!    We came out of the beauty shop with hope that our impatient Papa will be impressed.   He did not say anything, affirmation that he loved our looks.  If not, for sure he will really comment on it.  Or maybe he was busy  mind calculating on how much we spent for that 8 hours stay inside.  He should not worry about the bills because I paid for it! 

We are ready to party!

 A simple old tradition turned out to be a consumer based celebration these days.   Christmas became the “season to buy”.  As modern tradition dictates, gift giving is part and parcel of this festive event.  While shopping is a thrill to those who have lots of money to spend on gifts, to others who can afford very little or none at all, it became desperation.

This season also made me think of a distant cousin who had gone bankrupt due to fund mismanagement and improper handling of his credit cards; his way beyond spending made his credit card debt  accumulated more than he can handle. He sought the help of a well trusted company introduced by another friend who too, was helped with Debt Management Plan.   We believed that an immediate assistance is what my desperate cousin needed that time because he was already neck deep with financial obligations due to his uncontrolled expenditures.  I can still remember that Free Debt advice was given to him and not long enough he was able to get out of the seemingly quick sand that was pulling him down.                                                                                                       

When I chanced upon him in a local convenience store few weeks ago, he was a picture perfect of a man who is contented and at peace.   I’ve learned from him that countless of debtors were helped by JustClearMyDebts.com.  To them, said company was   heaven sent because it provided and offered them tried and tested IVA Information and in no time at all, they were almost debt free. He told me that there are no more sleepless nights of worrying.  He advised me that the main advantage of credit card is its convenience and it will leave me with a debt too difficult to pay back if I will not make good at budgeting and managing my finances.  

Very well meaning advice indeed,  but he might have forgotten that handling finances and  credit cards is one of the few skills that I am good at.   I am using my plastic cards wisely!

What would you expect?  This holiday season, everybody seemed to be in a rush and in a shopping frenzy.  Shopping is done left and right… invitations for parties, exchange gifts, gift giving, food galore are all part of this Holiday season!  Although shopping really excites us no end but shopping for oneself is different from shopping for another person.  If you are going to buy a gift for a friend, there is much thought put into it like you have to carefully consider the receiver’s personality, likes, lifestyle.   But  first and foremost is to consider your budget. 

 Just a wishful thinking-  how simple and meaningful it would be if we could  just blow kisses into a box and wrap it.  Also gifts can be in a form of good deeds- a hug and a kiss, opening a door for an elderly, baby sitting for a neighbor, visiting the sick, giving love and cheers to those who are in prison , in the home for the aged.  Simple things count a lot.  But let us face it, we can no longer get away or others are unwilling to do away entirely with the gift giving tradition. 

Gift giving dated back in our ancient times but during those days gifts, were simple and non-materialistic.   But  gift giving  was no doubt transformed into a modern Christmas celebration with too much commercialism.  There is no disputing that Christmas giving has become a very big, brisk business because there is no stopping people from shopping to give away gifts.  It became a tradition.  Somehow it became a ” SEASON TO BUY”.   To most it brings happiness but disappointments to those who can afford very little.   Our culture changes but the spirit of Chrismas and the giving associated with it, is affected by the modern consumer culture in which we live. 

Well, we all have different viewpoints here.  Actually it is our choice…. let us not overspend…. let us not be a millionaire for a day.  While it is true that it is better to give than to receive,  however, let us buy gifts that is within our means.

I love giving and receiving gifts…

It seemed that we are having strings of medical problems these days one after the other.  I came ahead, followed by my son and now my husband is feverish and with swollen tonsils.  After the heavy sandstorm yesterday, the weather changed drastically.   At night, it was too cold for comfort, big shift from warm to cold temperature.  Apparently, that really triggered the already impending colds my husband has been feeling days before.  And this morning when he woke up, he was sick and sluggish.  However, he still took me to office and reported to his work but went home off sick at midday.  

We did not bother to go to OPD of a nearby hospital for consultation to avoid the long queue of patients who were also seeking medical attention.  Though we knew it is not a good practice but we opted to buy over the counter drugs since it was only few days apart since I got sick and we thought that the meds which worked for my inflammed tonsils will also do wonders for him. 

So far, we can see that he is getting better, can take solid foods with little difficulty in swallowing and he is not so grumpy anymore.   Good… good!

I know by tomorrow he will be up and about and in good mood.  We will see!  Good night then!

Another casualty in the family!  My son alarmed us no end when in the middle of the night, he woke us up complaining of non-stop vomiting, loose stools and headaches and was already having numbness in his arms.  I know that was something that need to be dealth with professionally and so we brought him to the Emergency Room of a nearby hospital.  He was given IV fluids as replenishment and laboratory tests were done stat (at once).  And the result was mild case of food poisoning.  We traced back what he ate the night before and we really suspected that it wast the fish balls that my husband bought from a Filipino store which he cooked and shared with my son.  Time and again I have been reminding my husband to minimize buying frozen foods and to always check labels.  And the unfortunate incident happened. 

The attending ER physician told us my son is for confinement, however we signed a waiver for ”against medical advice” because we opted to take him home with prescribed meds.  I believe I can take care of him while at home since they wanted him to be confined only for observation.  I guess, I wanted to rely on my self as someone who can give him the best motherly love and care.  

The main reason was, it was a month ago when my son was already deleted from the list of my husbands dependents eligible for medical insurance.  And no medical insurance will mean jacked up hospital bills!   It was too hard to decide that time knowing that room rates per day would surely drain our pockets.  So, having medical insurance counts a lot! 

With God’s grace, my son healed and recovered fast!  And it was because of patience, TLC (Tender Loving Care) only a mom can give!

I was out of circulation for a week  because I was weighed down by fever, body malaise, throbbing head aches and some difficulty in swallowing.   Our Family Heath Physician ruled out Tonsilitis and I was given 2 days sick leave hoping I can have a good rest and healed fast.   My work was taken care by a colleague after giving her few rush endorsements by phone and slept my aches away.   But I woke up still sick and sore…hmmm. hoping for an instant cure!  Penicillin 500 mg was given as my antibiotics to be taken for 7 successive days with reminder to gurgle often, lots of rest and eat well.  I took the medications regularly and heeded the reminder.  I even took some time off from social networking and missed my FB friends and my blogging.  Anyways, it did worked well for me, I was able to take care of myself!

You bet!  I am up and about now because I am back to my usual blogging and chatting.