Saturday, September 27, 2014

How to Clean Old Lego and Remove Pesky Stains

What could be more precious than a little kid playing Lego?

My husband. Playing Lego.

Yes, seeing this grown man's face light up when he gets a new Lego set is like seeing crazy fireworks lighting up the New Year’s Eve sky. Sure, our nieces and nephews can play with whatever they want at our place, but those Legos?

Off limits. Mess them up at your own risk.

Fine; I do find my hubby’s love for the Bane of the Underfoot (have you even STEPPED on a Lego brick before? It is DEATH.) very endearing. I myself have got some childhood quirks that the little kid in me hasn’t quite gotten over yet, and I’m not ashamed of it.


If your husband shares the same passion for the universal brick, or if you’ve got a few kids who just can’t get enough of them, let me share with you my husband’s trick on how to keep your old discolored Legos (damn those UV rays!) looking good as new every day.

How to Clean Stained and Yellowed Old Lego Bricks and Figures (And Retain Their Original Vibrant Colors That Have Faded)

Saturday, September 20, 2014

All About APAS: Infertility in Today’s World


When a mother loses a baby back in the day, people would often assume that it just wasn’t meant to be. “The baby wasn’t ready”. “The timing just wasn’t right”, “You can always try again”—these were the most common things that well-meaning friends and family would say to someone who had lost a baby. Left undiagnosed, these miscarriages seemed normal, but now that medical advances have finally looked into these unexplained losses, we have a definite yet extremely complicated answer: APAS. Short for Antiphospholipid Antibodies Syndrome, APAS is now the growing cause of recurring miscarriages and difficulty to conceive in most women today.

It may sound like a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo, but the bottom line is this—APAS makes baby-making a challenge. It requires patience, emotional strength, a hefty medical budget, and a great leap of faith.

I should know—I have APAS, after all.

What is APAS?

In layman’s terms, what APAS basically means is that a person’s antibodies are sort of on overdrive—they sometimes mistake their own body cells for foreign invaders, hence, attacking them. The antibodies attack all foreign bodies—which includes anything related to making a baby.

It’s true that there are a host of other factors that may hinder a couple from conceiving properly. The woman may have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, Endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, and so on. The husband may also have sperm with decreased mobility or high levels of abnormalities, opening up a different kind of infertility. But APAS is one of the most difficult factors to treat, which is why a lot of couples find themselves becoming disheartened.

Characterized by internal blood clotting, unsuccessful IUIs (Intra Uterine Insemination), and failed IVFs (In Vitro Fertilization), APAS brings a whole new meaning to waiting for the stork to come. Most women who have inexplicable infertility might not be aware that they should consult their medical provider for a series of reproductive immunology tests. These tests will help determine if the patient is indeed positive for APAS—at the very least, they can start getting the proper treatment they need in order to make a healthy baby a possibility.

What does it all mean?


There are five categories when a woman undergoes immunological testing. 



Friday, September 12, 2014

Rainy Day Fix: Moroccan Mint Tea in a Mason Jar

I drink tea every day. No surprise there.

Deliciously soothing, the aroma of freshly brewed tea intoxicates me. With just a single hot cup, I feel relaxed, rejuvenated, at peace.

It’s been raining a lot lately, and there’s nothing more satisfying than sipping away as the raindrops trickle on the window beside me. If I could, I would just curl up and drink tea forever.

Yellowish teeth stains be damned.

I recently discovered that my trusty Ball mason jar can withstand extremely high temperatures, so I’ve been directly pouring boiled water into the jar over the tea bags. I wish my mason jar had a handle, but this would have to do for now.


My personal favorites are the STASH Moroccan Mint Green Tea, STASH Orange Spice Black Tea, STASH Cascade Mint Herbal Tea. There’s really not much to this entry. Just a general appreciation of tea in all its refreshing glory. J