Top Five Myths Bankruptcy - #1

As consumer debt has skyrocketed to over $3 Trillion, many believe the only way out from under the mountain of bills is to declare bankruptcy. But is it right for you? Many myths persist to misinform the public.

“Probably the worst myth about bankruptcy is that you need to be flat broke before you should file,” says Sacramento bankruptcy attorney Gerald B. Glazer. “It is not good to wait until creditors are knocking on your door,” according to Glazer. Planning can prepare you for a bankruptcy that causes the least amount of financial disruption.

Hoarse Voice

My poor throat is hurting right now. As much as I want to stay up and do my blog duties such as visiting some friends and writing some posts etc., I need to get some rest now so that tomorrow this will not get any worse.

I do not know what happened but around noon today my voice was starting to be a little funny. And now, I have a full-fledged "bedroom" voice!

As you all know, I am a homebased online English teacher among other things. It was hard teaching today. My voice kept cracking up or would just fade away. Good thing my students did not really notice because I tried hard not to make it obvious. If I do not get some rest now and try to treat this, I might have no more voice by the time I wake up.

I do not exactly do all these at the same time but I have tried it at least once in my life. These are just some of the home remedies that were passed on to me by my parents, aunts, relatives and friends. There are no approved therapeutic claims to these remedies but will definitely mention what worked for me. One more thing, don't worry these are all safe since I have done them myself and I am still okay and writing you right now.

Home Remedies for a Hoarse Voice/ Sore Throat:

1. After waking up in the morning, gargle with lukewarm water that has dissolved salt in it. - This is not exactly my favorite since it's salty but it helps relieve the soreness from my throat. It's suppose to "wash" away the bacteria or something like that.
2. Drink ginger ale or ginger tea. - Personally, I love ginger because it has so many uses when you feel a little sick so I always have this handy at home. I just cut off a little ginger, peel and pound it, and drop it in boiling water until its juice comes out. That's the ginger tea I drink. I add a little honey or brown sugar to counter the strong ginger taste. This is very soothing and works for me. Great for colds and cough too.
3. Take a spoonful of honey. - This will soothe the irritation of your throat. Most singers do this for their voice. But I am not a singer, maybe that's why I didn't work for me. Haha. I just ended up eating the honey because it was sweet.
4. Chew on a slice of ginger or suck the juice straight from a "calamansi". - I tried this but will not do it again because the taste of the ginger and calamansi are too strong for me to handle. By the way, calamansi is the Philippine's version of a lemon or lime but it's sourness is much stronger than the two mentioned.
5. Drink warm calamansi juice. - I also drink this when I have colds. Great source for Vitamin C. Squeeze the juice from a calamansi onto a glass of water.
   
6. Drink plenty of water. - This will moisten your dry and sore throat. Instant relief for me but not really a cure. Maybe after drinking for awhile it might help.
   
7. Get some rest. - The wonders of getting enough rest, it will cure any ailment we are feeling since our bodies will have time to recharge and repair itself.
   
8. Do not drink or eat anything cold. - Unless you want your voice to disappear immediately, avoid anything cold.

Do you have any home remedies that you think can help me and my sore throat/ hoarse voice?

Here are some suggested reading on this topic that I found earlier: How to Prevent and Heal a Hoarse Voice, Laryngitis, and Cure for Hoarse Voice.

Power Naps

Lately, I have been lacking sleep. It might be the countless hours I spend multi-tasking like with the house chores such as watching my daughter, doing the dishes, the laundry, cooking, feeding the dogs etc. plus homebased teaching online, and blog duties. Whew! A handful isn't it?

By the time I go to bed, I am so tired and sleepy already. But when I wake up, it's as if I was not able to sleep a wink. My body may have been fast asleep but my mind seems to have been doing some overtime work while I was in slumber. The result is I feel real sluggish, grumpy and slow during the day.

I know some people would grab an energy drink to give them that extra burst of energy for the day. Others would "overdose" themselves with caffeine by drinking numerous cups of coffee. What do I do? I take a power-nap.

A power-nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep (SWS), intended to quickly revitalize the subject from drowsiness. - Wikipedia Source

It's very simple. We always let our kids take their naps when they come home from school right? Why not join them and do the same? It only takes 20 minutes. It seems real short. Trust me, this has helped me a great deal many times. It's the perfect recharger to help you get through the day.

It's not just renewed energy that you get from taking a nap, there are other benefits such as:

1. Less stress.
   
2. Increased alertness and productivity.
3. Improved memory and learning.
4. Good for the heart.
5. Better health.

So the next time you feel a a little drained, just close your eyes, relax and take a power-nap.


If you would like to read more on power-naps, its benefits, and how to it, you can take a look at these very informative links: 10 Benefits of Power Napping, and How to Do it and How to Boost Your Afternoon Energy with a Power Nap.

DIY Manicure and Pedicure

Last Saturday, I gave myself a reward after such a busy week. What a perfect way to pamper yourself than having a manicure and pedicure at your favorite salon! Don't you agree with me?

You just sit back, relax and let someone else do the work. That's the magic phrase, "someone else do the work". Hahaha. After several minutes, your hands and feet look like a million bucks. You just want to go out and flaunt it.

I am lucky that I have convenient access to such wonderful service. My favorite salon is just a few minutes walk from my house. Which means, I can have my nails done at least once or twice a month and at a very affordable price. But not all might have the same luck as me. Or, there maybe times that we are just too busy to go out of our way for this and the next best option is to do it ourselves. This happens to me too.

Here is a basic guide on how you can give yourself a manicure and pedicure at home:

What You Need:

• cotton balls
• nail polish remover
• cuticle remover
• cuticle stick/ pusher
• nail brush
• emery board/ nail file
• nail trimmer/nail cutter
• nail polish for base and top coat - clear polish
  
• nail polish - color of your choice
• hand towel
  

Let's Get Started:

1. Remove old nail polish from your toes and fingers with nail polish remover and a cotton ball. Make sure you take out all traces of nail polish from your nails. Do not oversoak with nail polish remover because it can dry out your nails. Wash your hands and feet with soap and water to remove the excess remover. Pat dry with a handtowel.
2. Apply cuticle remover with a cotton ball on the nails and cuticles to soften it. Use a cuticle stick/pusher to push down the cuticles gently and take out any traces of nail polish on the nails. Also, use the cuticle stick/ pusher to clean under the nails any dirt. Dab again some cuticle remover on nails and cuticles and use the nail brush to gently brush off any excess.
   
3. Trim fingernails and toenails carefully using a nail trimmer/ nail cutter. Nails should be trimmed straight across just above the tip. Do not cut toenails too short because this will increase the chances of having ingrown toenails.
4. File, smooth and shape the nails using an emery board/ nail file. With light strokes, smoothen the edges of the nails and keep doing so until the desired shape and length of the nail is achieved.
   
5. Exfoliate hands and feet with a hand or foot scrub. Rub and massage gently on hands and feet to take away dead skin cells. Use pumice stone if needed to buff away callouses and rough areas on feet. Wash off off with soapy water and towel dry.
6. Apply a moisturizer such as a hand or foot cream to smoothen and heal cracked rough dry skin. Before applying nail polish, remove any excess moisturizer.
7. Apply nail polish in layers and let it dry in between coats. The minimum standard is four coats: one coat of base color usually a clear polish, two coats of colored polish, and one top coat also a clear polish to add luster and shine to the polished nails. Give some time for the polish to dry to avoid smudging it.

Do you have any tips, secrets, or advice on how to have gorgeous looking tips and toes?