This year, the annual bloodletting project of GMA Kapuso Foundation called Sagip Dugtong Buhay will be on Aug08, Friday. This project, which is supported by the Philippine National Red Cross, will be held at Ever Gotesco Commonwealth and will start at 10am. And I’m going to be there!

Who are eligible to donate?
This is open to healthy individuals who meet the following requirements:
1. 18 to 65 years old
2. weigh at least 50kilos or 110lbs.
3. blood pressure not lower than 90/60 and not over than 180/100
4. haven’t had a tattoo done for the past 12months prior to donation
5. haven’t been pierced (body piercing) for the last 24months (but may be accepted if done by a professional and instruments used were sterile or disposable)
6. no sexually transmitted disease, of course (AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis, etc.)
7. for additional information on blood donation, please check out the following websites:
GMA Kapuso Foundation (specifically for this project)
The Philippine National Red Cross
Department of Health

Remember, a blood donor should not take any alcohol and medications within 24 hours prior to donation.

Other helpful websites:
RedCross.org
GiveLife2.org

(edit: Also, a donor should take enough rest/sleep (thanks for this important reminder, Atniz ). For more info on what to do before, during and after donation, please click the links above or ask your local health departments as eligibility guidelines may vary depending on the state/city you live in. For anything you would like to add to inform those who would like to donate, you are all welcome to share it here. Thanks, people!)

Seven things you should say to your kids – and seven things you shouldn’t
by Cynthia Dermody

The buzzer sounded in the gym and the basketball game was over. Even though 12-year old CJ Givens’s team had lost, his aunt Melanie was nonetheless ecstatic. CJ had scored every single one of his team’s 24 points – including a couple of three-pointers. As he loped over to his family waiting in the bleachers, the hugs and compliments started flying: ‘You were awesome!’ ‘Way to hustle for all those points!’

Then CJ’s aunt said, ‘Now, if you could just help your teammates play as well as you do, you guys would be unstoppable!’

What do you mean?’ CJ said defensively. ‘I did the best I could! What didn’t I do right?’ His aunt couldn’t understand the boy’s reaction. She’d just finished showering him with praise.

‘The message CJ got was that he didn’t do enough,’ explains child psychologist Vicki Panaccione, PhD, founder of the Better Parenting Institute in Melbourne, Florida. ‘His aunt was telling him he was fabulous, he could be a mentor to his teammates. But that’s not he heard, because of the words she used.’

A parent, or anyone else who interacts regularly with kids, knows that communicating effectively with them can be difficult.

In CJ’s case, his aunt simply explained herself and the boy later calmed down. But common words and phrases, no matter how well-intended, can do a lot of emotional and psychological harm. Young brains are still developing through the teen years, and kids can’t be expected to process words, context and nuance (sarcasm, for instance) the same way that an adult’s brain does.

If you want children to grow up into the best possible versions of themselves, it’s crucial to replace damaging words in your vocabulary with alternatives that help build character. Some of the things parents say to kids seem harmless or even constructive on the surface, but experts say, they may hurt more than help. Here are seven of these common phrases, and alternatives to get your message across in a better way.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is a set of Jeff’s school uniform. No, he is not taking up a medical course. In fact, he is only in 5th grade. The school was founded by a doctor; this may be the reason why from pre-schoolers to grade schoolers to high school students and most of the college students wear white. Well, whatever the reason is, whites are hard to keep whites, aren’t they? That’s why my battle against stains seems endless for years. Here’s a tip I read from my RD which I want to share with you. Enjoy reading!

Stains are inevitable but there’s no need to resort to harsh chemicals to deal with them.

1. Take immediate action. The faster your act, the better your chances of completely removing the stain.

2. Mop up the excess. Try to blot up as much of a spill as possible with a clean rag and paper towel. Lift off solids with a knife blade.

3. Don’t let the stain dry out. If you can’t deal with it straight away, sponge the stain with cold water, spray it with soda water or cover it with a damp towel.

4. Re-lubricate a dry stain. If a stain does dry (or you find an old one), rub it with vegetable glycerin before removing it.

5. Don’t use hot water. It ‘sets’ many stains, making them much more difficult to remove. Always use cold or tepid water when you first tackle a stain.

6. Start with the gentlest approach. Quite often, all you need for removing a stain is soda water or a soapy solution.

7. Always move from the outside in. To avoid leaving a ring, start from the outer edge of a stain and work towards the center.

8. Don’t scrub at a stain. Instead, place an absorbent pad beneath the stain and dab it with the remover solution, forcing it through the fibers. Change the pad frequently.

9. Work from the back of the fabric to the front. If possible, place the absorbent pad on the stain itself on the right side of the fabric and apply stain remover from the wrong side of the fabric.

10.In the case of stain removal, more is not necessarily better. If a cleaner is not working, don’t increase the strength of the solution. Rinse it away, and try something else.

source: Reader’s Digest June2008 issue, pg140

With school back in session, here are tips from Oxford Learning to get your kids through school and dreaded exams.

Kids

1. Listen and hear. Pay attention in class. Jot notes on the main ideas. Don’t understand something? Make a note and ask someone to explain it to you.
2. Ace your homework. Use a planner to enter your homework as soon as it’s assigned. Pick a comfortable place to do homework and study.
3. Study effectively. Divide material into units and assign each unit a day. Give yourself a three-day break before the test. Study in short bursts – then take a five-minute breather to exercise and re-focus. Use Oxford’s SQRCRC method to study:
Survey introductions, headings and summaries for main ideas.
Question: “What do I hope to learn by reading this?”
Read for details.
Cover the work.
Recite what you’ve just read.
Check how well you have done.

Parents

1. Help your child prepare a study schedule, and review it together every morning.
2. Create a special work environment that encourages best efforts and makes it easier for your child to get into study mode.
3. Get involved. Your interest shows them that school is important.

source: Reader’s Digest Jan2008 issue, pg138

Flushing old medications might seem like the best way to keep them out of your child’s reach, but it creates a potential public health hazard by allowing drugs into our water supply.

Similarly, do not pour it down the sink as it may end up in the local water table. And do not throw it in the trash. It may still be within reach of kids and pets.

The safest way to get rid of leftover medications is to take them back to the pharmacy. However, not all pharmacies are required to take back unused medications but you can inquire at your local drugstore or pharmacy for options. Besides prescribed medicines, vitamins and minerals are chemicals, and can also be harmful to the soil and groundwater.

source: Reader’s Digest May2008 issue, pg136

Marriage may be a two-way street, but that doesn’t mean you should travel in opposite directions. Experts know what steers good marriages; here are some couple-strengthening tips:

1. Talk, but don’t talk back. Tell your partner how you feel and what you need. When you’re the listener, don’t criticize, debate, dismiss or problem0solve. Recognize your partner’s concerns are as important as yours.
2. Be optimistic. Keep your comments positive – even when discussing problems – and make the effort to remember and appreciate the good in your relationship.
3. Learn to leave an argument before it’s out of control. Tactics include cracking a joke, showing appreciation and backing down.
4. Share your dreams. And find a way to help your spouse realize his or hers.
5. Be flexible. When your spouse asks you to be accommodating, try.
6. Go on a date. Couples need time as twosomes, to reconnect.

source: Reader’s Digest May2008 issue, pg132

Celebrate World Earth Day this month (April22) by buying goods that are green. But with so many products claiming to be earth-friendly, organic and natural, how do we know if we’re really saving the earth?

Don’t be Duped
Terms like natural and eco-friendly are on everything these days. “But that means absolutely nothing,” says Diane MacEachern of theworldwomenwant.com. These terms haven’t been defined by the government, yet manufacturers use them without backing them up. Only a certified third-party endorsement on the label guarantees green. For instance, Green Seal verifies many household products. And those three arrows in a circle? They mean only that an item can be recycled, not that it’s made from reused materials.

What to Look Out For
Not all labels tell the truth. Dr. Jaca Cubrillo, spokesperson for Lavera Naturkosmetik, warns that a product with just one per cent of natural ingredients can be labeled ‘natural’. For products to be considered 100% organic or natural, it should have certification from an internationally recognized certification body like BDIH Foundation in Germany or ACO (Australian Certified Organics). Cosmetioc products, in particular, are notorious for containing ingredients that are synthetic and toxic even, so consumers looking to buy truly natural skin care products should be mindful of labeling claims.

Cotton doesn’t always mean it’s natural. “Just because cotton comes from a plant, doesn’t always make it a ‘natural’ product,” says Issy Richardson, founder of Belle and Dean, a line of organic clothing for women and children. Organic cotton clothing is made from organically grown cotton that’s free from pesticides and harmful chemicals and grown using natural farming methods that are safe for our environment. Again, look for certification like SKAL (Netherlands), Ecocert (Europe), USDA and Soil Association (UK).

source: Reader’s Digest Apr2008 issue, pg138

Man: “Haven’t we met before?”
Woman: “Yes, I’m the receptionist at the V.D. Clinic.”

Man: “Haven’t I seen you someplace before?”
Woman: “Yeah, that’s why I don’t go there anymore.”

Man: “Is this seat empty?”
Woman: “Yes, and mine will be too if you sit down.”

Man: “So, wanna go back to my place?”
Woman: “Well, I don’t know. Will two people fit under a rock?”

Man: “Your place or mine?”
Woman: “Both. You go to yours and I’ll go to mine.”

Man: “I’d like to call you. What’s your number?”
Woman: “It’s in the phone book.”
Man: “But I don’t know your name.”
Woman: “That’s in the phone book too.”

Man: “So what do you do for a living?”
Woman: “I’m a female impersonator.”

Man: “What sign were you born under?”
Woman: “No Parking.”

Man: “Hey, baby, what’s your sign?”
Woman: “Do not enter.”

Man: “How do you like your eggs in the morning?”
Woman: “Unfertilized!”

Man: “Hey, come on, we’re both here at this bar for the same reason.”
Woman: “Yeah! Let’s pick up some chicks!”

Man: “I know how to please a woman.”
Woman: “Then please leave me alone.”

Man: “I want to give myself to you.”
Woman: “Sorry, I don’t accept cheap gifts.”

Man: “I can tell that you want me.”
Woman: “Ohhhh. You’re so right. I want you to leave.”

Man: “If I could see you naked, I’d die happy.”
Woman: “Yeah, but if I saw you naked, I’d probably die laughing.”

Man: “Hey cutie, how ’bout you and I hitting the hot spots?”
Woman: “Sorry, I don’t date outside my species.”

Man: “I’d go through anything for you.”
Woman: “Good! Let’s start with your bank account.”

Man: “I would go to the end of the world for you.”
Woman: “Yes, but would you stay there?

Have a happy Thursday, people! I’m going out today, not to be picked up, but to run errands.

As I was checking out the topics in the forum of one of the communities I belong to, I came across Make Serious Money Online blog. One of the author’s posts caught my attention. It was about online scams. If you guys remember, last month, I have posted a couple of email scams which I got from my spam folder. One was from a ‘lottery organized for email users around the world’, while the other is from a certain bank in Hong Kong. I posted the full content of the letters so that more people will become aware (see them under the category ’scams and the city’). Unfortunately for me, though, the more I post those kinds of mails, the more enthusiastic the scammers become. A week after I posted the first letter, the email from this bank in Hong Kong arrived. I decided to post that second letter too, and then two days later, another one arrives. So I told myself, I’m not going to post another letter here so ‘they’ will stop. Well, after the fourth fifth sixth I don’t know how many anymore, they stopped. I’d still received one once I awhile though, but they get deleted as soon as I see them in my spam folder.

Again, my reminder – always be careful, online and offline