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7 Ways to Manage A Fever #SundaySeven

August 17, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 13 Comments

My Instagram feed will tell you that I’ve been playing Nurse Mommy to Little MrC since the middle of last week. It’s tiring, especially when you have to wake up at 2am to give your kid antibiotics, or when his temperature spikes so high that you have to constantly give him a sponge bath. We’re talking above 40-degree fever temps here.

It’s times like these when I’m glad I grew up with a doctor in the house. Having a physician for a father means that I am quick to respond when anyone around me is sick. I usually know what to do, and also am able to identify symptoms and give my unprofessional but often correct diagnoses. In fact, I knew right away that I had appendicitis that fateful morning when I started to feel abdominal pain. A couple of hours later, my dad confirmed my self-diagnosis to be correct and I was in the hospital by that same afternoon. These little instincts of mine come in extra handy now that I have a husband and son who seem to constantly get sick on me. It’s one or the other, but thankfully never both.

Because high fevers can lead to other things like dehydration, I really pay close attention no matter how minor the sickness may be. I’ve also learned over time that there are many old wives tales about how to manage a fever, and from what I grew up with, I know that a lot of them are not true or don’t really help at all. So, here’s my list of things that you can do to manage a fever. These are tried and true, and have never failed me.

7 Ways to Manage a Fever

Fever Cover
This photo is from an old post on World Moms Blog about the time when I was the one who got sick!

 

1. Hydrate. 

Fruit shakes (like this watermelon one from Pico de Loro) and juices are great for hydration and for an added dose of vitamins.

My kid often ends up with a fever because he is dehydrated. He tends to sweat a lot, and an afternoon of running around the playground usually causes him to overheat. This is why I make sure that he drinks a lot whenever his temperature is higher than normal. I’m lucky that he doesn’t mind when I ask him to guzzle down glasses of water at a time. Fresh fruit juice works, too, especially those made from fruits that are high in Vitamin C like pineapples and oranges. If getting your kid to hydrate is a problem, you can try feeding him or her some soup or even a popsicle.

 

2. Keep your room cool.

How cute is this vintage fan? Saw this in one of the heritage houses at Las Casas.

Why do you need to keep your room cool? Well, for starters, it’s a lot more comfortable to be feverish in a cold room than it is in a hot one. The thing with fevers, really, is that you just have to ride them out. This being so, you need to do whatever you can to make sure that your patient is comfortable. Keeping your room cool also helps to lower feverish temperatures faster.

 

3. A quick shower or a sponge bath helps.

Yes, bath time can be fun (especially bubble baths at Acacia Hotel), and super duper helpful in managing a fever!

I know, it sounds like torture especially when your fever is so high that it gives you chills. But believe me, it works. Just a quick 15-minute cold shower or a sponge bath using cold water (I use cold water mixed with alcohol) will do wonders in bringing down a fever. I do this with Big and Little MrC whenever they have a fever, and while I do get a lot of frowns and groans from them, they really do thank me after.

 

4. My winning combo: Biogesic + Kool Fever.

I have to tell you, ever since we started using Kool Fever, feverish nights have become easier to bear. I honestly have no idea what the stinky gel on that fever patch is made of, but it can really draw out heat like magic. I also swear by paracetamol as my fever medication of choice, and Biogesic is my brand of choice. Sometimes MrC and I go for generic brands when we can’t get our hands on Biogesic. For the kiddo, it’s Biogesic as our first choice, followed by Calpol, then Tempra.

 

5. Do not, and I mean DO NOT bundle up.

Let that kili kili out!

It can be tempting to bundle up when you have a fever. I know that it’s not easy watching your child shiver in thin clothes and only a thin blanket in a really cold room after an icy sponge bath. I know your lola probably told you not to take a bath and to keep yourself as warm as you can when you are feverish. But please, don’t do it. Bundling up traps heat, and with a fever you want to release heat. So please, if you want the fever to go away faster, ditch the blanket, wear thin clothing and DO NOT bundle up. 

 

6. Sleep works wonders.

Being sick is your body’s way of telling you to slow down and rest. Resting gives your body the opportunity to fight all the nasty bugs that are causing the fever. When any one of us is sick, we really stay in bed all day and try to get as much sleep and rest as possible. We literally only get up to eat and go to the bathroom.

 

7. Don’t panic.

Photo Source

Finally, stay calm. Pay close attention to your patient, take their temperature often and take note if this is rising or dropping. Sweating is good, because it means that the fever is breaking. So this is something you should look out for. Rashes usually mean bad news. Different symptoms mean different things, and this is why you need to be really observant. Presence of mind is important so that you can make the right decisions and remember to give medicines on time. When things feel too tough to handle, you can (and should) call your doctor.

And with that, I’m off to give the little guy another dose of antibiotics. 

What are your fever-busting tips? 

Filed Under: Motherhood Tagged With: 7 Ways to Manage A Fever, Fever, Fever Management, How to Cure Fever

Divergent, Magnum Opus and Biogesic #TheWeekThatWas

August 16, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 7 Comments

There are crazy weeks, and there are  crazy weeks. This past one, for me, has been the latter.

It all started when I took on an AVP script project with a 24-hour turnaround time frame for the first draft. Are you shaking your head already? Well I figured I could manage easily since I’ve worked with the agency before, and they’re actually friends, from school. The topic was also something that I was super familiar with, so no problem there. And then I found out that the overall event theme was Divergent, and well, I hadn’t seen the film yet. Toinks.

And so, Monday became an impromptu movie date night for MrC and me, with Divergent as our film of choice. Have you seen it? I actually liked it! I liked the story better than The Hunger Games books, and I really liked those books. I think that the casting here is great, too. A blogger friend told me that the books are better than the film, so yes I’ve already loaded my Kindle up with all the books in the series. And oh my gosh, Theo James. That is all.

Hello, Four.

I managed to survive that AVP project, so I took a time out on Wednesday to spend time with an old friend. Our coffee date was an on again, off again one, with meetings always coming up on the days when we were scheduled to see each other. Finally though, we pushed through, and ended up spending 4 hours at Magnum Opus Fine Coffees in BF just chatting away about our new lives as moms and wives. I love when old friends grow with you. 

This wasn’t my first time at Magnum Opus. MrC and I actually visited the place around this time last year to attend a coffee brewing workshop. I love how their coffee is bold and full-flavored. I ordered a Picolo Late, which you can see in that photo up there. It’s basically a tiny latte, sort of like a macchiato. And by macchiato I mean the real macchiato, and not the watered down type that Starbucks serves, which I also happen to love. Lol. I am easy to please.

Our coffee date ended abruptly when I got a call from the school nurse saying that Little MrC had a fever and had to be picked up. Since then, I’ve been playing nurse mommy to the little guy here at home. It’s a good thing we always have Biogesic at home, so even though his temperature has been quite high, we’ve been able to manage his pretty quite well. I’ve had to cancel all of my appointments this weekend, and he’s missing football, too. But that’s okay. What matters is that he gets better soon.  

So there. I’ve been trying to just relax and rest this weekend because next week’s gonna be crazy. It’s exam week, so we have to study. At the same time, that means that the kid will be home most of the day, so I’m gonna have to be creative and keep him entertained so that I can get work done. All in a WAHM’s day.

How has your week been? Hope you guys are enjoying your weekend!

Filed Under: Everyday Life Tagged With: Biogesic, Divergent, Magnum Opus Fine Coffees, The Week That Was

Spread Healthy Smiles with Lotte Xylitol Dental Health Gum

August 13, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 20 Comments

I actually attended a blogger event a couple of weeks ago. You know I’m really picky with the events that I attend because I don’t like disrupting my weekday driver duties schedule. But, when my friend Ginger sent me an invite to the Lotte Xylitol What Makes A Healthy Smile Blogger Meet Up, I knew right away that I wanted to be there. I’m glad I came because I really learned a lot. I think the most shocking thing I discovered that day was this.

 

Uh-oh! We rank #2 in the world among countries with the highest percentage of caries among school children!

 

I come from a family where health and dental care are taken seriously, so I really am quite naive to the fact that many people are not the same way. Actually, both Big and Little MrC have gotten annoyed with me at some point because of my incessant nagging about brushing their teeth. I mean, seriously, how can you not see that this is important? Well, sadly many people do take dental health for granted, and so I’m glad that I now have the opportunity to share a little bit of info about kids and tooth decay. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly, parents!

 

Some tooth decay facts shown during the event

 

Dra. Fina Lopez, a pediatric dentist here in the Philippines, was the resource speaker for the afternoon. She shared a lot of tips on how to detect tooth decay, how it spreads and how to stop it once it’s there. She said that tooth decay can really have a negative effect on a child. Imagine, if the kid has a tooth ache, chances are he or she will be irritable. The kid won’t want to eat and will have trouble sleeping. In the long run, school may be affected, also interaction with others. And once the effects of tooth decay become visible, this may lead to insecurities, too.Yikes.

 

Pediatric dentist and resource speaker, Dra. Fina Lopez

 

Here are a few interesting (and somewhat alarming) facts about tooth decay.

  • 9 out of 10 children in the Philippines suffer from tooth decay.
  • Tooth decay is caused by infectious Streptococcus mutans bacteria that can be transmitted to others.
  • Tooth decay-causing bacteria is first transmitted from mother to child from 9 to 13 months of age.

I honestly had no idea that tooth decay was contagious. So that means that if you have it, sharing a spoon with your kid, or even just blowing on their food to cool it down might cause you to transfer the bacteria to them. When I heard this, I suddenly thought of all of the times I shared utensils, cups, water bottles, even lollipops (I know, I was really into sharing) with friends growing up. I’m just so lucky that I never contracted tooth decay in spite of all this.

Now I wonder if my son does the same thing in school? Double yikes.

 

Spread healthy smiles!

 

The thing with tooth decay is that prevention is really a better approach for it than treatment. In order to prevent it, we should really develop good oral hygiene and habits. Obviously, the same goes for our kids, and as parents it is our job to make sure that this happens. And believe it or not, we need to start the moment our kids’ baby teeth start to emerge. That’s because cavities and tooth decay on their milk teeth can cause infections in their permanent teeth. 

So, here’s what you and your kids should do to prevent tooth decay.

  • Eat a well-balanced diet
  • Brush at least twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste
  • Floss
  • Schedule regular visits to the dentist
  • Chew on Lotte Xylitol Health Gum

 

Lotte Xylitol
Lotte Xylitol

 

Yep, Lotte Xylitol Health Gum can help prevent tooth decay. Chewing on 2 pellets 4 to 5 times daily does the trick. The best part about it is that this is something that even kids can do while at school. All you need to do is pack some Xylitol gum for them to chew on after recess and lunch. In case you were wondering, Xylitol is a natural sweetener that comes from birch trees. While it tastes like sugar, it is unlike sucrose or glucose in that it actually reduces the growth of cavity-causing bacteria. This is why Xylitol is often used to sweeten dental health products like candy and gum.

Lotte Xylitol is the only dental health gum recognized by the Philippine Dental Association. It’s sugarfree, helps fight cavity-causing bacteria, and promotes saliva flow, which helps to maintain healthy pH levels in the mouth. Chewing on gum also helps dislodge food particles that may have gotten stuck in between teeth, removes tartar from teeth surfaces and promotes remineralization, or the rebuilding of teeth enamel through its calcium phosphates component together with saliva production. It’s not hard to see how beneficial Lotte Xylitol gum can actually be, and so ever since the event I’ve started keeping a tube of it in my bag at all times. It comes in four yummy flavors – Blueberry Mint, Fresh Mint, Lime Mint and Strawberry.

 

The two top photos belong to Manila Workshops!

 

I know I make it sound like the event was so serious, but actually it was super light and fun. The afternoon was filled with great food and great company. I always enjoy myself when I’m with my mommy blogger friends. I love that this serious topic was discussed with us in such a light and easy to understand manner. I especially love how the bloggers were encouraged to talk as well, and it wasn’t just to ask questions, though there were a lot of those, too. I actually arrived late, and got there just in time to listen to a few of the moms introduce themselves and answer a random question, and then it became my turn to speak. 

 

This was the question I got, and my answer was a pig because I feel that I am as fabulous as Miss Piggy.

 

So guys, now that we know all this, let’s do what we can to spread healthy smiles. We can start by joining the Lotte Xylitol Gum Smile Champions promo, which runs until August 28th. The contest is open to all parents with children aged 5-12 years old at the time of promo registration who reside within Metro Manila. Winners will have their own shining moment when they are featured in the Lotte Xylitol Facebook fan page, and will also receive PHP10,000 in cash and Lotte Xylitol Gum gift pack worth 1,000. 

 

Be a Lotte Xylitol Smile Champion!

 

You still have over a week to join, so go and snap that perfect smile with your kiddo already! To see the full promo mechanics, and for more information, you may visit the Lotte Xylitol Gum Facebook Page here.

Filed Under: Out Of The House Tagged With: Dental Health, How to Prevent Tooth Decay, Lotte Xylitol Dental Health Gum, Tooth Decay

Small House vs Big House

August 12, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 29 Comments

A few weeks ago, I randomly asked my Facebook friends if they prefer to have a big house or a small house. I honestly assumed that a lot of people would choose a big house. Surprisingly though, almost everyone said that they would rather have a small house. The rest said not really big, but just big enough to fit their whole family. A lot also chose a small house with a big yard.

I used to think that I wanted a big house. But then, after giving it a lot of thought, when the boys and I move it will be the first time that we will be on our own. That means that we will be 100% responsible for our selves, and that includes cleaning up. So I ended up choosing a small house as my preference. I really feel that it will be easier to clean and easier to manage. Plus, without a lot of space, we will be forced to let go of a lot of our existing stuff, which is a long overdue activity for the tree of us. 

Living in a small house will also help cure me of my hoarder tendencies. And believe me, I like to hoard. And to hold on to things from the past. Way too many things. Some of them absolutely useless. I feel, though, that the process of letting go of my junk will be a little sad and tearful. I’m still not sure how I will do it, but at least I know that I want to. And while we aren’t exactly moving out any time soon, I think I want to start soon anyway. I want to take my time with this.

Small House Tips on Pinterest
Small House Tips on Pinterest

 

Like I said,I am a hoarder, and the concept of purging scares me, not jut a little, but a lot. I don’t know where to start. Do you have any tips? For now, I’ve just been all over Pinterest, reading up on small space organization ideas. While it does help, some of the ideas are just too extremely Pinterest. Know what I mean? Like homemaking needs to be your superpower for you to be able to pull it off. I need real-life, tried and tested ideas. Seriously. 

Got tips to help me start purging? Share in the comments! Better yet, please share your posts or your favorite blogs about staying organized. Please, please, please? ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Around The House Tagged With: Home Organizing Tips, Homemaking, Small House

Look Mom, I’m on #theAsianparent Philippines!

August 9, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 32 Comments

Earlier this year, I was able to make a dream of mine come true. With a little pixie dust from one of my favorite people in the world, Tina, I got this amazing writing gig at theAsianparent Philippines. The PH team is a young one, but theAsianparent has been around for a while and is actually the #1 parenting website in Asia.

*Insert kilig moment here*

theAsianparent

 

Though I have been writing for a few years now, I’ve mostly been doing ghostwriting for other people. The only places that I would ever see an article credited to my name was here and on World Moms Blog. Then all of a sudden amazing things started to happen, and before long I had a dozen articles up on theAsianparent, complete with author byline. It brings such a happy feeling, I tell you. Super fulfilling, and super worth all the late nights and underpaying writing jobs I had to go through to get here.

Indulge me and my excitement over this writing job, if you may. Here’s a roundup of what I’ve written for theAsianparent so far. It would be great if you could click on a link that interests you, read, like, tweet, share, comment or +1. The love would be greatly appreciated!

 

MrsC on TAP
MrsC on TAP

 

 How to Grow Taller: What Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Reach Their Full Height Potential

Putting a Premium on Health Care: Why You Should Sign Your Family Up for an HMO

Get a financial lift through a short-term SSS loan

Kid Got Punked! What to do when your child shows interest in deviant behavior

Early Dengue Symptoms โ€“ Ways to detect the disease before it gets worse

Have Fun with History: Teach Your Child to Read Alibata!

5 Valuable Parenting Lessons Learned From Growing Up In Iglesia Ni Cristo

The Anti Bullying Act: Helping Schools Keep Your Child Safe

Maternity Care: Your PhilHealth Benefits While Pregnant

10 Rainy Day Recipes from Filipino Home Cooks

Breastfeeding moms in the workplace share their horror stories!

Working Moms and Their Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplaces

 

Yep, I think that I can now truly say that I am a writer. ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Everyday Life Tagged With: theasianparent, theasianparent philippines, Writer, writing job

Recipe: Perfect Pork Steak

August 6, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 16 Comments

As you know, I am one of those home cooks who likes to make meals ahead and freeze them. Whether it’s a marinate and freeze dish or an extra container of soup or stew, you are sure to find quick to cook or easy to reheat meals packed away in my freezer. Yes, takot ako magutom, and this is proof!

I love marinating meat ahead and then freezing it in portions that are just enough for our family. I find that dishes really do end up tastier this way, and for me, tastier is definitely better. I also prefer to put things away in exact serving portions already to minimize leftovers. I get to maximize our refrigerator space that way.Since we share fridge space with a whole lot of people, it’s best to keep things at a minimum.

This week, I decided to make a batch of Pork Steak for the boys. We’re a small family, so 1/4 kilo of pork loin is actually good enough for 2 meals for us already. Tipid! I have a feeling that this won’t last long, though because Little MrC is slowly but surely starting to eat like a big boy. 

Pork steak was something that I got to eat at MrC’s family’s house more often than my own house. I know for a fact that he misses his family’s homecooking, and so I thought that I’d try to make more of the food that I’d eaten there before. So we started this week off with a yummy, soft pork steak that I am actually pretty proud of. 

Pork Steak by MrsC
Pork Steak by MrsC

 

Pork Steak
2014-08-05 21:39:21
Serves 4
A quick and easy pork recipe. Perfect as a marinade and freeze meal.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/4 kilo pork tenderloin aka lomo
  2. 1 tbsp calamansi juice
  3. 3 tbsp soy sauce
  4. 2 tbsp water
  5. 1/2 tbsp sugar
  6. A few dashes of cracked black pepper
  7. 1 small white onion cut into rings
  8. Garlic powder
  9. Vegetable oil for frying
  10. A pat of butter
Instructions
  1. Wash and trim the pork loin. Cut into 1/2" thick medallions.
  2. Make the marinade by combining the calamansi juice, soy sauce, water, sugar and black pepper.
  3. Arrange pork loin in a food keeper and pour the marinade over it. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can transfer your container to the freezer if you are making this ahead.
  4. When you are ready to cook, heat some oil in a skillet.
  5. Once the oil is hot, pour in the meat and the marinade and allow to simmer until brown.
  6. Add a dash or two of garlic powder for added flavor, and a pat of butter to add richness to the sauce.
  7. If you prefer your pork steak to be more saucy, add water a tablespoon at a time.
  8. Once the meat is done, add the onion rings. Allow to cook until the onions are a bit wilted but still crunchy.
  9. Remove from the heat and serve over steamed rice.
Notes
  1. If you are marinading and freezing this, remember to thaw the pork steak completely in the refrigerator before cooking.
By MrsC
At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

 Oh hey, if you try this recipe at home, please let me know how you liked it okay? ๐Ÿ™‚

Filed Under: Food & Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: Cooking at home, Freezer Meals, Make ahead meals, Pork Steak, Recipe

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Hi, I'm MrsC, a happy wife and mom, a help-less but not helpless homemaker, who is learning to live simply in this complicated world.

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