Pros and Cons of Ear Candling

Recently, I saw some spas and salons that offers ear candling service. I also saw Groupon sites that offers discounts for this procedure. This ear candling is so new to me which is why I looked around in the internet to know more about this thing.

Ear Candling has been used by early Egyptians, Chinese and Tibetians ages ago. Just like our very own "hilot", ear candling is criticize by some medical practitioners. They said that ear candling can do more harm than good like it actually led to occlusion with candle wax in persons who previously had clean ear canals. Primary care physicians may see complications from ear candling including candle wax occlusion, local burns, and tympanic membrane perforation.  (source: wikipedia)

I was surprised the other day while doing grocery shopping, I saw ear candles being sold at the supermarket.  It's very affordable that a person will consider to purchase and try it themselves than to going to the spa.

this is not the actual item I saw at the supermarket, but it looks the same

But I read that there are some recorded dangers when you do the procedure alone.

Here are some of them:

• A 1996 survey of 144 ear, nose, and throat physicians, found that 14 had seen patients who had been harmed by ear candling, including at least 13 cases of external burns, 7 cases of ear canal obstruction with candle wax, and 1 perforated eardrum.
• Another case was reported by The London Free Press, a Canadian newspaper. A woman who experienced stuffiness in the nose and ear pains while scuba diving went to a local health-food store and was referred to a "qualified" candler. During the "treatment," she felt an intense burning in her ear. At the emergency room, attempts to remove wax that had dripped from the candle onto her eardrum failed. Surgery was required, and a hole in her eardrum was discovered, which presumably was caused by the procedure. She recovered fully, and luckily her hearing was not affected. The practitioner apologized, compensated the woman, and stopped performing ear coning.
• Alaska Fire Marshall Gary L. Powell has reported two instances of significant fires associated with ear candling., one of which led to the user's death. On January 27, 2005 a 59-year-old woman ignited her bedding when she dropped an ear candle that she was attempting to use the ear without any assistance. The candle ignited the bedding and quickly spread to curtains and other combustibles in the room. The woman did escaped but suffered an asthma attack and died in a hospital emergency room.

(source: quackwatch)

On the other hand, the benefits of ear candling that has been reported are the following: relief of sinus pressure or pain in the ears; eased congestion; a feeling of balance, both physical and emotional; an improved sense of hearing, smell and taste. Some even say they can think more clearly after an ear candling. Ear candling may also lead to reduced stress levels, less pain and tension in the jaw and fewer headaches.

So, if you think you want to try ear candling just make sure you don't have a broken ear drums.  If you decide to try it, remember to be careful.
Did someone here already had the ear candling procedure? How was the treatment and what did you felt after the procedure?


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Do you have faith in God?

It's hard not to think that the world will end soon because of all the disasters that are happening all over the world and it's really something that we can't avoid when it happens.

As of now, Noel and I are already thinking of what we will do if there an earthquake, or any other calamity strikes us. We agreed to have an "Emergency Bag". This is one bag full of safety kits like medicines, power bars, flashlights, batteries and some clothes. We want to be prepared for everything but as what the Bible says "God will take everything if the end comes". We may be prepared physically, but I think we should consider most importantly prepare our souls when that time comes.

I must admit, hubby and I go to Church most of the time, but I think it is still not enough to be spiritually ready. When we are at the Church, my mind is not focused on what the sermon is all about, most of the time my mind goes wondering somewhere else. I may be physically inside the Church but mentally I am roaming around. Whenever that happens, I think that my attending of the mass is useless.

Last night, my mom stayed in our place since my son had a very high fever. She helps me take care of Ren, and I don't know what life will be without her by my side. We were afraid that Ren will have a seizure if the fever won't go down which is why we need to wipe him with a wet towel every now and then. My mom is a very religious person, you will never hear her say bad words when she's mad, instead, you will hear her say "Allelujah" when she's upset. That night, she is listening to the DWXI El-Shaddai radio station. When I got married and transferred to our house with my husband, I have never listened to that station again until now. Listening to the preachers Godly word is a wake up call for me and maybe for my husband too, since I saw him teary eyed while listening.

Don't get me wrong, but we know that there is really something we long for a very long time. We are not bad people, yes, I was very maldita when I was younger but when I grew older, I can say that I became a better person. My husband and I never maltreated anyone, if we know we can help someone, we try our best to help and we do not hesitate to do it. Although we are not financially stable, I am proud to say that I didn't run to any debts. We are responsible people.

Morning came, And thank God, Ren was already feeling better. He is back to his joyful and energetic self. He can eat already, play with his toys, he still has a fever but it is not high as last night. God really listens to our prayers, my mom kept on praying for my son the whole night while saying " 1 + 1 = 3" that means, me, you and the plus sign means God which is why it's equal to three. God is always with us.

via: gospelgifs

Because of my mom's faith and prayer to Him, she was not declined. Noel and I learned from this experience. Faith to God can change everything and that we don't need to worry about anything.

Everyday when we wake up is a blessing from Him. Even though we are sinners, God never puts us down whenever we need Him. We must keep our faith in Him strong, just always pray and eveything will be okay.

Let's face tomorrow with a smile :)


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

why didn't I found out about teething biscuits soonerI?

My 3 year old son has a full set of teeth already, as far as I know. But lately, I noticed that he always bite his favorite pillow and some toys. Which is why hubby and I concluded that maybe his gums are itchy or maybe a new teeth is coming out (a molar maybe). His teeth are too small so I really can't see if there is a new teeth. When I went to the mall last time, I visit the Healthy Options store. I don't usually visit this store since what I heard is that the prices of their items are quite expensive.

While looking around their stuff, I found this Maple biscuits made specially for teethers. I purchased one box to give to Ren. Once I arrived at home, I gave it to Ren at once and he really likes it. Now, he doesn't bite his pillow anymore, I don't know if the biscuits was the reason he stopped, but I know somehow it helped him suit the discomfort he may be experiencing.

I forgot the exact price, but as what I remember a box is around P200+

I just wish I found out about this teething biscuits 3 years ago when my son is still starting teething.

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Check out Little Archers Learning Center at the Mall of Asia

For the past few days I've been looking for summer classes for Ren. He is undergoing theraphy sessions for the past 6 months (Occupational and Speech). His behavior and speech improved a lot for the past months.  His therapist advised me to put Ren to a summer class so that he will not be overwhelmed once we decided to enroll him this school year to a pre-school class.  

With his developmental delay, looking for a summer class and pre school that will suit him is really a BIG challenge for us. I found out about the Little Archers learning center while searching for a play center on the internet. Some play centers are quite far from our place and because Little Archers now has a branch in Mall of Asia, (which is I am very familiar to go to) I decided to check it out today.

So, what makes me interested in this learning center?

First of all, it is because they offer not only a play area but also a learning area where kids can dance, sing and create art works.

Second, their center is neat and secure. It is very child-friendly. We are confident to leave Ren for 3 hours while strolling in the mall.

Third, their curriculum is not traditional where we think Ren will be quite accustomed to. Little Archers teaching method is progressive and thus they identify what is the need of every child, and that way, they developed it in their own special way.

Fourth, it's because I have read on their FAQ page in their site, check it out here if you are curious.

I am not saying that I will enroll Ren here for the next school year but I think I will bring him here often.

BTW, here is there Play care information:

Walk-in rate is P400.00/3 hours
If you are a student or want to be a member you can pay an Annual Fee of P1,500.00.  As a member you can enjoy 4 sessions to their place in a month.  The succeeding session for members will be P250.00/3 hours by then.

The schedule of their Play Care is as follows:
10AM-1PM / 1PM-4PM / 4PM-7PM

Check their 2 locations here:
PARANAQUE (47 Jericho St. Multinational Village Tel# 8232390)
MOA PASAY (2/F Selecta Kids Universe, SM Mall of Asia Tel#6598935)

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Do you want to exchange link with my PR4 blog?

As I've said in my recent post, I just have recently acquired a new blog. Sadly it's so new, it doesn't have any links to any other websites yet. That is why, I thought that if you want to have your link here (in my PR4 blog, naks!) I am asking if you could also add my new blog, levyousa.com to your site too.

This offer is only available to sites with a PR of 0 to 3, no spam sites, no pornography, no hate, racist or gambling sites or that are promoting sex, alcohol, guns, violence and or drugs, site must be for general audience and the site must be safe for work.

Just leave in the comment section the URL where you've put my levyousa.com link and I will link you back.

Thank you soooo much!!!

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Yipeey! I have a new blog

After a long discussion and a thorough thinking, (naks!) now I have finally decided to have a new blog with my own domain. For the past days I am busy studying how the new platform works (Wordpress). I've been using Blogger for almost 2 years, so Wordpress is like an alien to me.

I would like to thank my dear geeky husband who is very patient in teaching me the ins and outs of Wordpress. I am still patiently waiting for him to make my own header and signature panel though. This man is as busy as a bee so having time to teach his not so smart wife is a valuable thing for me.

Next, I would like to thank fellow mommies at Pinay Mommies Community (aka PMC), who enlightened me why I need a blog with my own domain and where to ask for a hosting.

And, of course I would to thank mommy Ruby for hosting my blog with a very affordable monthly charge.  You can check her hosting package here.

So, without further ado, let me welcome you to my blog  LEVYousa


hahaha! I can't think of any unique name that is very easy to remember that is why I chose it.  Thanks to the levitation spell of Hermione from Harry Potter (the "Wingardium Leviosa").  I incorporated my name on it and viola! a blog name that is so easy to remember.

Just like this blog, Levyousa.com is a mixed blog that will tackles about anything I experience in life together with my son Ren and husband Noel. It also chronicles my observations on the world around us in my own point of view while trying to spread my wings and fly around (parang manananggal lang!)

It will be this blog's twin sister.

I would greatly appreciate if  you can spare some of your time to visit my new blog and follow me through Google friend connect. 

Thank You!

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

Announcing the winners of the 2 tickets worth P500.00 at Mams Kiddie Funland

I am sorry I forgot to post this yesterday. My legs are still hurting after our recent family get-away at Splash Island at Laguna (story here), so we just rested and slept most of the time yesterday.

Anyway, here are the 2 winners of the P500.00 complimentary ticket at Mams Kiddie Funland at Starmall Alabang.

Min Viloria

Michelle Oraña-Ame

Please wait for my email or personal message at your Facebook account.

Thank you so much!


what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

A fun family get together at Splash Island!

Yesterday, we had a wonderful family get-away at Splash Island. I bought our tickets for 50% off at Metrodeal last February. The original price for an all day pass to Splash Island was P500.00 per head, so we got it for only P250.00. I bought 16 tickets. Our last family swimming was held a very long time ago, it's so long that I can't even remember when and how old I was then.

Picture taking before going to Splash Island:

We arrived at Splash Island, at around 10:00 AM.

We expected a lot of people at the place already but it's good that it still is not that crowded when we arrived. The Splash Island management does not allow any food and drinks inside. They will check your bag and belongings before entering the premises, but the guards and staff are very polite and gentle while checking your things.

As per there website, only proper swimming attire is allowed so we are thinking of wearing swimsuits, but we saw that some adults were wearing t-shirts as long as there are no buttons or zippers so we decided to do the same since we are more comfortable with it and that we are conservative (Nah! We're just afraid to show some cellulite and fats hehehe!)

I was surprised that not all the attractions were being opened all at the same time. So, we have to wait for our favorite attractions to be available.

These are the schedules:

The Balsa River, is open from 8AM-5PM (it is a long gentle flowing river), if you are tired and still want to stay in the water this is the best place for you.

We had fun at the Big Bam boo slide. It is the shortest slide but it is one of the slides that will make your heart go pumping. We LOVE it!

We also tried the Dos Supremos (almost the same as the Big Bamboo only longer).

We also enjoyed the Rio Montanosa, wherein 3-5 people can ride a huge inflatable life saver.  Ren even come with us, surprisingly,  he is even calmer than the rest of the group.

Who doesn't want to try the Magellan's drop? You will be missing a lot of fun if you didn't.

If you want to experience waves just like being at the beach, Splash Island has their version of a sea like wave with white sand too.  People here had so much fun splashing water at the people at the zipline.

The kids and toddlers, will definitely love the Curl of the Orient and the Water Wahoo adventure!

 

Since as I've said that they don't allow food inside, when we got hungry, we went to the parking lot to eat our packed food.  Since there were few people that day the parking lot was spacious.  Just be careful with the ants, there are lots of them and they have a very nasty bite.

Anyway, there are food stalls inside but the prices are quite higher.

Their Cabana is not included in the entrance fee, here are the prices for your info:

Free                Tents with tables and chairs    
Php 500           Small Cabana    
Php 800           Cabana with lock    
Php 1,000        Cabana with aircon and lock    
Php 5,000        Cabana with sala set, private bathroom & bedroom     

Their Cabanas are on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE basis.  So, better be there early for you to get a nice location.

You can have a souvenir at their shop inside.  I even saw a booth that sells Plants vs. Zombies statues.  I didn't ask for the price, but I saw a price tag that costs around P500.00 each.

Splash Island is very easy to go to, if you want a day full of fun and adventure for the whole family.  It's good that we bought the ticket for half the price. I know some groupon sites have ongoing deals right now (check out ebay.ph and twangoo).

marimar and seryo? hehehe

(my sister Eyen, me, my brother-Wood and my Nanay)

You can also inquire at the Splash Island website for any ongoing promos.  (Click here)

HAVE FUN!

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

my choosy and fashionista 6 year old niece!

Children of today do have a real sense of what they want in clothes and shoes. A case in point is my niece, Ada. She has a very girlish taste in fashion, being into pink, flower designs and heart embellishments. She is pretty much allowed to choose on her own with the one condition that they are comfortable to wear. With the summer season coming, she’s all agog about girl sandals.

Ada seems especially eager to welcome summer not only because it is a time which is absolutely free of school work but also because of the opportunity to be more creative in terms of fashion. She literally seems to revel in the fact that she does not have to wear her black school shoes five times a week and instead go for sandals in more interesting designs and colors. She even had a funny way of explaining it as according to her, girl sandals make her feet breathe. As a mother myself, I sure can appreciate what she is saying. Of course, I would like to see my children wearing footwear that has the correct fit and the proper support necessary to let them get through their daily activities as well.

Mothers tend to place special emphasis on quality and leather girl sandals are wise buys. With the high cost of footwear, a considerable dent in the budget results when a pair gives up much earlier than expected since it necessitates purchasing another when the intention to do so isn’t there in the first place. For someone like my niece who is a stickler for matched clothes and shoes, girl sandals allow her to flaunt her style without necessarily “breaking the bank” of her parents. They can be worn with dresses or pants and in a wider range of occassions in varying degrees of formality.



what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest

update on my health!

Last Feb. 23, I posted here that I undergo a pap smear test. I received the laboratory result 2 weeks ago, and I went back to the gynecologist yesterday for re-evaluation, and thank God the doctor said that I am very healthy down there.  ( this test only cost me a total of P400.00 - P200.00 doctor's fee and P200 for the lab test)

My husband and I also availed the discounted annual check-up from our parish project wherein we got a complete blood count, blood chem, urinalysis and an ECG for only P250.00 (original price is P1,500.00).  My result is all normal, but my husband has a problem with his Uric Acid.  I also went to the dentist and had a tooth filling and teeth cleaning (2 filled tooth cost P1,000.00 and teeth cleaning was P350.00)

I am so glad that I don't have anything to worry about my health, I always thought that I am anemic since my blood pressure is too low at 90/60.  But the family doctor said that being anemic is not to be judged via blood pressure test, it is likely to be seen in the number of a person's hemoglobin and hematocrit, which mine still falls on a normal level.

I am very healthy, yehey! I just need to lose some more weight, get rid of stress and everything will be okay! I am thinking of enrolling to anger management class (nyahaha)

About my husband's uric acid, we are already working on it. As of now, no more coffee in the house.

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest