my eyes

one of the blessings i am thankful about is having a set of good eyes. they said that if you read too much, or read in the dark room, it will affect your eyesight. it hasn't affected mine so far. or maybe i don't read enough to spoil my eyes. but there are those who have eye problems and reading too much is not the cause of the problem. sometimes, even those who are newborns have problems with their eyes already. some people develop eye problems or night visions over the years without having any known reasons.

with the evolution of technology we now have a safer and easier way to correct eye problems. from using eyeglasses came contact lenses. the use of contact lenses has been a rave for quite sometime coz not only it helps with a clearer vision, it can also change eye colors. but with the inconvenience of wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses, people has discovered a more convenient way. lasik.

what is lasik? it is a short for Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis. The procedure involves peeling back a small section from the top of the cornea. A focused laser will be used to reshape the cornea and eliminate any tissue that may be the root cause of the eye problem. While not always a road to perfect vision, LASIK can greatly improve one's eyesight. everyone may not be a good candidate for lasik because it all depends on how thick or thin your cornea is. so if you're planning to have this eye surgery, read all the LASIK information you can get. ask around. there are already many people who have undergone LASIK. here in Malaysia, i have quite a few good friends who have undergone lasik surgery and they're doing better with their clearer visions. can't hurt to ask around, can it?

thankful thursday - in everything give thanks

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:18

This week, I am thankful for:

• God's word that has spoken in my heart regarding humility. Sometimes, when we are hurt, we tend to fight back. But God has a way of reminding us not to pay evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
• My understanding and supportive husband. I had such a bad stomachache the other day and he didn't leave for work until he was sure I was okay.
  
• My daughter has started her playgroup. And since the playgroup is church-based, we go there for free. Imagine the cost of going for playgroup nowadays. you pay something like 20$ just for a 45-minute session. glad there's a church that offers playgroup for free.
  

What are you thankful about this week? For more thankful hearts, visit:

i love blogging

there are many reasons why. i get to meet new friends for one. it's just so cool to be connected to other people even from far away places and countries. i get to know other people's cultures, see the way they live their lives and get to see their places. you get to travel around the world without leaving the comfort of home. i get to re-acquaint with old friends too, friends whom i thought i could no longer get in touch with. but with blogging and internet, we are once again reconnected. another reason why i love blogging is that i have an outlet. meaning, i could express how and what i feel at the moment. there are some frustrations that i feel i couldn't share with other people personally and i find i could do that with blogging, saving face. and of course, i can share my successes and joys in being a parent and a wife, too.

there are so many bloggers around the world. and the number is growing by the minute (or seconds?). that's because there are so many benefits you could gain from it. the only thing with blogging is when you get addicted to it. yes, it has some disadvantages too. you tend to do more blogging than taking care of kids. you tend to sleep late because of blogging even in the wee hours of the night. and it could result to carpal tunnel syndrome (cts). what is it? carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist, which is sometimes developed through constant typing. i know quite a few friends who have developed cts just because they blog too much... as if there's no life other than blogging. the good news is there's a carpal tunnel relief. isn't that amazing? now we can blog more because there is already a relief to cts. IMAK's products are designed and perfected under the watchful eye of Dr. Ian MacMorran, an orthopedic surgeon with years of experience. And they are very sure of 100% satisfaction for the relief of carpal tunnel syndrome. you can find more about it by clicking the image below.

make your own yogurt

i love yoghurt. i can eat it like there's no tomorrow. but of course, i have to control myself otherwise, i'd gain weight like crazy also. now i'm trying to make my own yogurt. i haven't been successful with making one yet but here's how you can make your own yogurt:

make you own, greek-style yogurt by first warming 1 liter (35 fl oz) of UHT or sterilized milk to blood heat and then gently stirring in the contents of a small pot of natural yogurt. Pur the mixture into a warmed vacuum flask and screw tightly before leaving the flask and screw on the lid tightly before leaving the flask in a warm place overnight. The next day, pour the yoghurt through either a fine sieve or a piece of muslin draped over a colander to separate the thick yoghurt from any liquid whey. (You could use the whey in cooking or could even wash your hair with it!) If you don't have any UHT or sterilized milk, you need to bring 1 liter of pasteurized milk to the boil, let it cool to blood heat and then continue with the method described above.

my cousin has a cancer

our 18 year old cousin, thusiani, is still in the hospital, without progress. she has gone another session of chemotherapy but from what i heard, it didn’t do any improvement at all. she was diagnosed as having cancer in lymphoma two years ago, at stage 4. the doctor said she might live for a couple of months only. two years later, she’s still alive. we’re very glad of that. but lately, her cancer has gone worse and they have changed the chemotherapy process for her, this time, stronger. so she’s supposed to sleep for 8 straight days after the session. now, 2 weeks had passed and she’s still in hospital. they are needing cord blood. now, where on earth are they going to acquire it? and how much?

when i was pregnant, i have researched about Cord Blood banking and such. we have inquired at the hospital where i was going to deliver my baby about it also. but the cost of banking cord blood is so expensive. we thought, never mind, just throw it away. nothing will happen to our family. i was wrong. should we had banked it, thusiani, my cousin who is affected with lymphoma, could have benefited from it. if we knew The Value of Cord Blood, we wouldn't have to think twice of the cost of banking it.

This month, Cryo-Cell, a leading research company of cord blood banking is announcing that July is the month of cord blood banking awareness. I am glad of that. It is good to let people know about the benefits of cord blood banking. With a lot of diseases nowadays, people are finding ways on how to treat them, including Treating Diseases with Stem Cells. All parents and parents-to-be should be aware of this and consider banking our baby's cord blood. for the benefit of our health.

First Letter of your Name

Got this tag from Aisha

ITS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, and things. Nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same first initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your name: Janet

Four words: Jolly, Juicy, Jest, Just

State/country: Jamaica

Boy name: Jan Schenker (my son)

Girl name: Jan Samantha (my daughter)

Occupation: Jockey

Something you can wear: Jumper

Something found in a kitchen: Juicer

Something you shout: Jeez!

Something you do at school: Jot

Name of an animal: Jaguar

Name of a Beer/or liqour: Jack Daniel's?

Name a holiday:

Name a body part: Jaw

Alzheimer's Memory Walk

Alzheimer. What is it? Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that was discovered by a German Physician called Lois Alzheimer. It is a progressive and fatal disease. As many as 5 million Americans are affected with this disease. Alzheimer's destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. Currently, there is no cure for it. But treatments for symptoms, combined with the right services and support, can make life better for the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s.

With this, I'm glad to announce that there's gonna be Alzheimer's Memory Walk. The Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk® is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research – and it calls on volunteers of all ages to become champions in the fight against Alzheimer's. There are walks in more than 600 communities. A typical Memory Walk is a 2-3 mile walk held on a weekend morning in the fall. Would you like to show concern for your fellow Americans who are affected by Alzheimer's? Participate in this walk and be a team captain. That's right! You can start a memory walk team. This is the least thing we can do to show support and concern. For indeed this is for a good cause.