Presidential, Parliamentary, & Federal - What Are They?

     The Philippine National Election on May 9 has shown that people are becoming excited about who would win the election and the changes that might occur once the popular becomes the president. People are clamoring for changes and sensitivity that they wanted from someone in authority who would overturn the increasing crime, yet approachable that can be easily reached and mindful of the people's plight. Questions as to "would he stand by his promise, when is he going to do it, and how he would do it" are being asked by people. What could be his first task at hand?

     One declaration that elected President Rodrigo Duterte had stated during his campaign, is to change the present form of the Philippine government. There are as numerous as a public classroom students list varied forms of government in the different parts of the world. We mostly hear the anarchy, oligarchy, communist, socialist, Marxist, imperialist, parliamentary, and federal, to name a few. Actually, the different systems or forms of government are being taught as early as grade 4 or 5.

     At present, the Philippines is a republic with a Presidential form of government. Under the Presidential form, our country is divided into three (3) branches with equal powers but separate from each other, as illustrated below.

1) Legislative Division is responsible for making laws and altering or repealing them. The Senate and the House of Representatives or Congress are under this division. Elected by people.

2) Executive Division is responsible for executing and implementing the laws. The President and his Vice President, along with the mayoralty are under this division and elected by the people. The President, however, appoints his own cabinet members (department secretaries) as granted by the Constitution.

3) Judiciary Division is responsible for settling controversies that are legally demandable and enforceable. The Supreme Court and Lower Court are under this division. It has also the power as granted by the Constitution to declare a treaty, international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance, or unconstitutional regulation. Appointments are made by the President based on a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Parliamentary on the other hand consists of two organizing bodies that are closely related and dependent upon each other. The two organizing body share their powers. See the illustration below:

1) Legislature may either be called an assembly, congress, or legislators. It is the law-making body of a government that has the power to amend and repeal public policy; observes and steers governing actions in a government system. Depending on certain countries or states, it may be in the form of unicameral or bicameral.
2) Executive consists of the head of state, it may be a President or Monarchy. As the case may be, they are the head of state but not the head of the government. The majority party that wins the election for Legislature is appointed Prime Minister, also called Premier or Chancellor. The Prime Minister possesses much greater power and status than the other ministers. The President or Monarchy appointed Cabinet Ministers with the advice of the Prime Minister. However, the Cabinet of Ministers is responsible to the legislature for all its activities and policies. The President is elected while a Monarchy is inherited.

A federal system of government is a division of power between a central national government and local governments that are connected by one another by the central national government. See the illustration below to have a clear grasp of how federalism works.

     There are powers designated to the Central/National government and powers reserved for the Regional/State government, but there is also the same shared power depending on what the constitution states. Each regional/state government elected a governor aside from its mayoralty. And just like in the presidential system, the central national government has Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary divisions with separate powers. The idea behind Federalism is to better suit the needs of each area in the country. The smaller branches of government from each region/state could deal with true things that need to be changed.

** images are created by Emily for April Brews, send a message for permission to use.

LINKS for more info:

http://www.bloomp.net/articles/benefits_federalism.htm

http://www.gov.ph/about/gov/

http://www.importantindia.com/12408/features-of-parliamentary-form-of-government/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippines

English 101: Simple Tenses of The Verb (series 1.C3)

     Verbs should be studied thoroughly along with subject nouns for they are the basic foundation in constructing a grammatically correct sentence. The time constraints involved in accomplishing the "action word" should be checked if it agrees with the time the action has or had been done. The verb should also agree with the subject noun in a sentence. Tenses tell us about the time when a certain action has been made or happened. The confusion of some students lies in identifying when to add 's' to a verb and what are the regular and irregular verbs. The best strategy for the latter is to memorize all of them, that's why I provided a link where to find this list of regular/irregular verbs. But first, let's start by identifying the Basic Tenses - Present, Past, and Future.

A) Present tense expresses the following actions or conditions:
          -action happening at the present moment
          -an action that happens habitually
          -a present condition
       
* we usually take the base form of a verb when we refer to the plural subject; if the subject is singular, we add "s" to the base form of the verb.
* the am, is, are linking verbs are used when referring to a present condition.

Examples:
     1) The alarms simultaneously ring every morning.
            (plural subject=alarms; verb=ring;
                    every morning=time referred to as habitual)
               
     2) The boys run towards the gate.

     3) We are the facilitator of the event. (are=stating present condition)

     4) Jenny goes home from Manila every summer. 
            (singular subject=Jenny; verb=goes;
                    every summer=time referred to as habitual)
   
     5) The smoke comes from the basement.

     6) She is the mother of the future king.

     7) I am the owner of this site.


B) Past tense expresses action or state-of-being that took place in the past.

* the past tense form of a verb (regular/irregular) is used (see the list)
* the past action uses the time to express past action, i.e.,
yesterday, last time, for, the actual date
* the was, were linking verbs are used to express the state-of-being in the past

Examples:
     1) The man waited for his lady for two hours.
             (take note of the verb-waited & the time-for two hours)

     2) She went to the grocery.

     3) Tom and Jerry played outside yesterday.

     4) Last night, I met my former classmate inside the mall.

     5) The President signed a peace treaty.


C) Future tense expresses an action that would take place sometime in the future. It also expresses a prediction or gives an order.

* the auxiliary verbs will or shall is added along with the base form of a verb
* actual future date or predictors can be used, i.e., soon, next, on

Examples:
    1) The Red Warriors will play against the Green Archers on Sunday.

    2) We shall have to abide by these camp rules.

    3) Will you please stop talking?

    4) The election will be on May 9.

    5) You shall not kill.

    6) Deniece and William will soon get married.

* shall is being used as a future predictor of the action in which the subject has an obligation or responsibility to do the stated action.

Also, check other topics under this category/label, just click the topic link:
Parts of Speech,  Kinds of Nouns,  Singular and Plural Nouns,  Uses of Nouns,  Kinds of Pronouns,  Kinds of Verbs, Characteristics of Verb.

#verb #verbtenses #simpletenses #presenttense #pasttense #futuretense #regular/irregularverb #English101 #grammar #sentenceconstruction

English 101: Characteristic of Verbs (series 1.C2)

Determining what transitive and intransitive verbs are is just one of the students' difficulties in studying English subjects. And this topic would easily enable them to understand another difficulty, identifying the active and passive voice of a verb. 

For previous topics in this series, click the link below:
Parts of Speech
A. Nouns/Kinds of Nouns
     1. Singular and Plural Nouns
B. Pronouns/Kinds of Pronouns
C. Verbs/Kinds of Verbs

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

image credit to teachers. onlineenglishexpert.com

A verb is transitive when a person or thing directs the action toward someone or something. The receiver of the action is the object of the verb.

Examples;

1) He composed an emotional song. (the action 'composed' is directed toward something which is 'song')
2) Mother bakes my birthday cake. (the action 'bakes' is directed toward something which is 'cake')
3) She helped the old man in crossing the street. (the action 'helped' is directed toward someone which is the old man)
4) The AFP send their military men to Basilan. (the action 'send' is directed toward someone which is the military men)

A verb is intransitive when the doer of the action does not direct the action toward someone or something.

Examples:

1) The sky darkened in the east.
2) Father already left from his office.
3) The glass broke.
4) Tinay fell.

CLICK HERE for Exercises

Active and Passive Voice

Voice tells whether the subject of the sentence is the doer or the receiver of the action.

The verb is in the active voice if the subject performs the action.

Examples:
1) Mother gave me a new dress. (the subject 'mother' performs the action 'gave')
2) He played the basketball game fair and square.

The verb is in the passive voice if the subject receives the action.

image credit to grammar.about.com

Examples:
1) I was given a new dress by Mother. (the action 'given' is received by the subject 'Mother')
2) The basketball game was played fair and square by the team. (the action 'played' is received by the subject 'team')
3) The messenger was sent to the office.

CLICK HERE for Exercises



            

Everyday Spices to Grow Indoors

     

     Lack of soil in the city, spices, and vegetables aren't getting any cheaper, the cravings for more spices and veggies push me to make research edible plants that we can grow indoors even if we don't have enough soil or none at all. I have been hearing about hydro phonics before and become interested in it. I need a thorough study on hydro phonics but then I stumbled upon some sites stating varieties of edible plants we can grow on a pot, sacks, hanging baskets, and bags.  I have made some research on the plants which we need every day in our kitchen - ginger, onion, garlic,  and. bell pepper.

In preparation, you will need these materials: a clean knife, cutting board, and starter pot with potting soil, a plastic bottle of soda or mineral water will do.

GINGER

1) Put a chunk of ginger in a container with soil. Make sure the freshest-looking buds are faced up.
2) Place the container in an area that receives indirect sunlight and wait for new growth to sprout out of the soil. Keep the soil consistently moist.
3) To harvest, pull the entire plan out of the soil.


ONIONS

1) Slice off the onion bottom with all the roots still intact, with the onion meat of 1.5 to2 inches. The more of a bottom you slice off the better.
2) Allow drying for a few hours or two days in a shaded and ventilated area, depending on how the cut portions are already dried.
3) Fill your container 10 inches in depth of the soil (for a 5-gallon bucket). Be sure the container has holes 3 inches apart. For the best result, use well-drained loamy soil with a neutral pH. Enrich the soil with compost before planting.
4) Dig in to create a cradle for each onion's bottoms to allow good contact with the soil. Depending on the diameter of the container, you can accommodate 3 to 4 onions in the container, however, 3 inches distance from each and the container's side is needed to grow them fully.
5) Cover with  1 to 2 inches of soil. Water as needed.
6) To have green onions, harvest the stalks before the bulb matures or it reaches 6-8 inches.
7) The bulb is ready to harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over. Bend the tops down. Once it turns brown, pull each bulb carefully.

* Onions need more water when grown in containers. Be aware that onions may look healthy even when they need water.


GARLIC

1) An 8-inches deep wider pot is needed to plant garlic. Mix soil with gardening sand with a 3 to 1 ratio of soil to sand.
2) Place garlic bulbs with the pointed end facing up, and the flat end to the soil. Push the bulb 4 to 6 inches deep into the soil. Do not cover with soil but the bulb should have (1) inch space from the top of the soil. Each bulb should be 4 inches apart from each and away from the container's side.
3) Direct sunlight for 8 hours is needed every day. Water the soil by sprinkling water evenly. The soil must be kept moist, but not very wet.
4) As the garlic begins to have left, wait for the flower to sprout. Cut the flower at its base so that the energy comes and makes the bulb bigger.
5) When the leaves begin to turn brown and fall out. Harvest the garlic by pulling them out. Hand to dry.


BELL PEPPER

1) Soak the seeds in warm water for up to 8 hours until they sink to the bottom.
2) Prepare a sterilized, loose-draining potting mix in a plastic cup. One seed for each plastic cup,
3) Poke a hole of 1/4 inch deep to bury the seed and loosely cover it with soil.
4) Place them in a warm sunny location. Keep the seeds moist by spraying water. Do not drench and allow it to dry out.
5) Once the seedlings sprouted 2 fully grown leaves, transfer to a larger pot with a loose, well-draining soil with high content of organic matter. Depending on the size of the pot you may combine multiple plants in a single pot.
6) Dig a small hole in the potting soil the same size as in the plastic cup. For multiple plants, it should be 2 inches apart.
7) Carefully cut the plastic cup on the side and place them in a hole. Pack the soil to become firm and stable.
8) Keep the plants warm and well-lit. Fluorescent light 3 inches from the top of the plant, 14 to 16 hours a day is much better.
9) Water the plants consistently. Soak them every few days and dry in between.
10) To increase yield, pollinate the plant when they flower, by using a cotton swab; rub the pollen from the anthers on a male flower and swab the pollen into a female flower called stigma.
11) Harvest them when they reach a usable size and appropriate colors by using shears leaving (1) inch stem to the plants.
* Bell pepper leaves can also be used in other dishes such as chicken and corn soup.

English 101: The VERB (series 1.C1)

     This is my 6th writing about Parts of Speech in English 101, the Verb. This is the third part of the speech that is being discussed here, after Nouns and Pronoun. A verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being. Action verb denotes an action word such as clap, tap, walk, dance, talk, jump, etc. The linking verb denotes a state of being such as am, is, was, are, or we. We also have what we call the helping verb used with the main verb to form verb phrases.

*credit image to tes.com lessons

Action Verbs > show either a physical or mental action.
    Examples: His plane landed at NAIA two hours ago. (physical action)
                      She always hopes for the best in us. (mental action)

Linking Verbs > used to connect the subject of a sentence with a noun or an adjective identifies or describes the noun or pronoun.

Helping verbs:  be, been                 have, has, had        
                          do, does, did         will, would
                          shall, should         can, could
                          may, might           must

* some words seem to look like an action verb but are used in a sentence as a linking verb.
        Examples:
               appear       get        remain     sound
               become     grow     seem        stay
               feel            look      smell       taste

How do distinguish action words used as linking verbs?
>> Try to replace the word with the actual linking verb, if the thought of the sentence does not lose its sense, it means it is a linking verb,

Examples:  The baby feels agitated when he arrived.
          *The baby is agitated when he arrived.
                 (the word 'feels' is a linking verb)

                   The baby feels the drop of water on his face that made him laugh.
           *The baby is the drop of water on his face that made him laugh.
                      (the word 'feels' is an action verb here since when we replace the actual linking verb, it does lose its sense)

English 101: Pronouns (series 1.B1)

     Another part of the speech is PRONOUN, which is the second Part of the Speech we have to discuss after Noun. What are the importance of determining what a Pronoun is and its type? As we have said earlier it is a substitute for nouns, and in succeeding posts, the kind of pronoun to be used has something to do with the verb and correct sentence construction later on.
     A pronoun is used as a substitute for a noun. The noun that the pronoun replaces is called the antecedent. The kinds of Pronoun are as follows:

image credit from educatorlabs.com lesson plans

1) PERSONAL Pronouns.
    It is used to refer to one or more persons or things.
            ( look at columns 1 and 2 of the chart)

      * Column 1 is the subjective or nominative case of Personal Pronouns.
      * Column 2 is the objective case of  Personal Pronouns

     First Person > refers to the one speaking.

     Second Person > refers to the one being spoken to

     Third Person > refers to the one being spoken about.

    * POSSESSIVE Pronouns. 

        These are personal pronouns used to show possession or ownership.

                (look at columns 3 and 4 of the chart)

        * Column 3 and 4 is the possessive case of Personal Pronouns.

2) REFLEXIVE Pronouns. 

        It is used to indicate that the subject acts to, for, or upon itself. 

        It is formed by adding the suffixes -self  (singular) or -selves (plural)  

           to the personal pronouns. (see column 5)

    * INTENSIVE Pronouns. 

            They are used to draw special attention to a noun or pronoun in a sentence. 

               

        Examples: 

            I myself wrote this post.
           You yourself cannot hide the truth.
           Diana herself was amazed.                    

3) DEMONSTRATIVE Pronouns. It tells which one or which group is being referred to.
                                  

4) INTERROGATIVE Pronouns. It introduces questions.
                                                            

5) RELATIVE Pronouns.

                    It introduces adjective clauses which are word groups
                    that tell which, what kind, or how many.
                                      

                

        Examples:

             He is the boy who rang the bell. (subjective)
             The boy whom you met at the store. (objective)
             The boy whose mother had died. (possessive)

             This is the book which I read in Spain. (subjective)
             That is the book which you are going to buy. (objective)
             That is the book whose author I forgot. (possessive)

             He is the man that broke the glass. (subjective)
             He is the man that everyone hates. (objective)
             He is the man whose gun was confiscated. (possessive)

6) INDEFINITE Pronouns.
             It refers to persons, places, and things in general.
             It can be used without antecedents.
                     
             Singular
                 anybody       everyone       no one  
                 anyone         much             one
                 each             neither           somebody
                 either           nobody          someone
                 everybody   something     anything
     
             Plural
                 both             few                many
                 others          several
 
              The following can either be singular or plural, depending on how they are going to be used in a sentence.
                  all     any     most     none     some

I n t u i t i o n

     Intuition..gut feeling..or a hunch that we call. sixth sense? According to a psychic library, it is the awareness of a fact or reality that is not related by any usual reasoning power or logical assumption. Yes, the sixth sense, and everyone has it, though only a few are in tune with it. WebMD states that just like the brain, there are neurotransmitters in the gut that can respond to stimuli and emotions in the now.
     Some people set aside these feelings, and some people tend not to share what transpired after these feelings. I, for one rarely share this kind of feeling, unless I have detected that the one I'm talking to believes or has an open mind about this topic. Some people with a broader mind call it a gift of discernment. 

     The vivid memories of this intuitive ability or gift happened 18 years ago. This is very significant even though I have been experiencing the same many times. I had 2 kids then and teaching at a prestigious university that a need for a housemaid was very urgent and badly needed. Our grandmother referred a woman who had worked for them long before. Maybe because it was long ago, she forgot to mention the unlikely things the maid had done. As I was asking questions, her answers made me uneasy, but then I dismissed the thought. On our way to our parents, the owner-type jeep that we were driving lost its brake and we had to stop and slammed at the small truck in front of us, it seems something was stopping us to bring the maid to our house. We survived the accident with no injuries and arrived at our parents' home safely. Once again, I asked the maid some questions which I had asked her before though in a different form or style. Throughout all these, my intuition tells me something. I had once again... dismissed the thought, for I have been longing to have a maid.

image credit: Shutterstock 

     After taking our lunch, I went out to buy some goods and when I came back the maid was gone Our mother told us that the maid had asked permission to buy some personal things she needed. Hours went by, and the woman still hadn't come back until I checked my bag..there with sadness. I had been robbed The woman had taken my cash in the bag with her and scrambled through with her stuff, it only contains one shirt and one pair of pants. It brought us to the conclusion that she really was up to something. The good thing, maybe, she had not reached our home yet and it could be worse than this. From then on, I have learned to follow whatever my intuition would say, regardless of any situation or circumstances. 

     There are other remarkable encounters with that gift, if I may say..usually, with persons, I am dealing with in my daily life. Out of nowhere, it would just pop out of my mind what a particular person had done and find it true. There were instances when a person whom I have never met before made me uneasy because I discern something is wrong with his behavior or he is up for something or sometimes there is a need for me to be so concerned for that person. The last one I've learned to manage..pray for the person and talk to him. Some instances were delicate and complicated I cannot discuss them here for the privacy of some people.
     Intuition is also weighing the things or decisions you have to make. If you feel uncomfortable, not at ease in a certain place or person because you sense something (which some people call "aura"), it would be right to avoid them than suffer what negative happenings could have transpired. When we were in Dalaguete, Cebu with kids in a strange and far place away from our house and the city, I was not comfortable with the place. Beside the bay, though big and homey, can't sleep the whole night until it rained and a brownout took place (remember about the maid? when there are minor unpleasant incidents, it's a sign worse could happen). The generator from the resort was pulled on. At 5am, I texted the driver we had ridden from the airport to fetch us and check in to another hotel. I don't really know what would really happen that night but as for me, I cannot put my kids in danger or whatever what's in that place. I have traveled with kids many times and this was the only one in which I feel disturbed from the moment we stepped in until the night. Though we had reserved for 2 nights and 3 days, we only spent one night and find another place in Mactan. If you were in my shoe, would you do the same? Please comment below on what you think.

How Intuitive Are You Quiz <<< I got to level 4 (52)

#intuition #sixthsense #gut #hunches

First Aid: When Someone is Choking

     Has anyone from your family experienced this one simple yet deadly emergency situation? When I was a child, I remember my younger brother suddenly coughed up as if he cannot breathe. My mother may be out of the experience knowing what had transpired, made a strong tap on his back, and two small coins suddenly cough out from my brother's mouth. The same thing happened when my eldest was only 6 years old, remembering what my mother had done, tapped on his back too and cough-out a small coin. Another incident was when my daughter, already 18 years old suddenly choked upon a pechay veggie we were eating. Her older brother made an abdominal thrust on her back to cough out the food. Choking is the common cause of death amongst children. Choking can be fatal if not immediately and properly handled. As a mom, in a time like this, we should know how to give immediate action to rescue someone we love. Read on and be informed.

How to recognize when someone is choking?

1. When a person is clutching at his throat and unable to speak.

2. When a person is becoming distressed and panicky.

3. When a person lost consciousness because of an inability to breathe,

What happens when someone is choking?

When we swallow food, a flap of cartilage known as the epiglottis moves downward to stop food from being taken into our trachea or windpipe. If this fails to happen, food becomes stuck in our airways and choking might have occurred.

Choking if not attended to and properly handled may cause brain damage within 3 or 4 minutes due to lack of oxygen.

What are the proper immediate actions when someone is choking?

For Baby:

1. Straddle the baby's face down along your arm supporting his head. Give 5 firm taps between his shoulders.

2, If choking continues, turn the baby over, still supporting his head. Place 2 fingertips between his navel and breastbone. Press forward and downward in quick movements and repeat the movement up to 4 times if necessary.

3. If the baby loses consciousness, seek medical help immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Children:

1. Lay the child across your lap with his head down. Tap firmly between the shoulder blades 5 times.

2. If unsuccessful, turn the child over so that he faces you on your lap. Support the back of the child and give him 5 firm upward thrusts with one hand above his navel.

3. If still unsuccessful, try steps 1 and 2 again. If the child becomes unconscious, call an ambulance /bring them to the nearest hospital immediately and begin resuscitation.

For Adults:

1. Lean the patient forward and give him 5 hard taps on the back between his shoulder blades.

2. If unsuccessful, an abdominal thrust can be performed from behind a patient who is either standing or sitting.  

     a) Pass your hands around the patient and interlock them together just above his navel.

     b) Pull sharply inwards and upwards

3. If the person is unconscious, kneel astride him on the floor and perform a similar abdominal thrust with your hand (one hand on top of the other) just below the rib cage.

4. If you have tried the abdominal thrust 6 times without success, call an ambulance/bring the patient to the nearest hospital and begin resuscitation.

Step 2

Step 3

*Remember not to poke fingers down the choking victim's throat to find the object. But if the object appears in the victim's mouth, you may remove it gently.

Info and images credit to First Aid, Children's Leisure Products Ltd. 1998  published by Geddes&Grosset 

How to Remove Chiggers?

What are chiggers? Actually, they are from the family of mites, Trombiculadae. Chiggers are small, red bugs mostly found on the tips of grasses. This six-legged parasitic larva feeds not only on humans but also on rabbits, toads, turtles, quails, and other insects. Chiggers do not actually bite but inject digestive enzymes into the skin and chew up the tiny parts of the inner skin causing irritation and swelling. Chiggers affect warm-covered bodies and bites are often found clustered behind knees and tight undergarments.  Some exceptional cases have been found in the eye causing conjunctivitis. Protection from chiggers is necessary but prevention is better to avoid getting bites or allergens from chiggers. So, how to prevent chiggers from breeding in your yard and getting a bite off you?
 

chigger bites

The Chigger Habitat

Chiggers usually thrive late in summer, in dry tall grasses and thick vegetation. To avoid being bitten by chiggers, people should wear long pants and socks or boots. Anything that would cover the skin is necessary so as not to make you a chigger host. 

A natural way of removing chiggers

• If you have a lawn yard, regular mowing and pulling weeds are simple yet effective in getting rid of chiggers. Prune trees, bushes, and shrubs to allow more sunlight to go through and discourage chiggers to live.
• Flood the remaining grass, bushes, and shrubs in a mixture of soap and water to kill them off. Do it every week for a month. 
• Small mammals, such as mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, small dogs; reptiles, and amphibians are favorite hosts of chiggers. If you have some of these as pets in your house, do not allow them to hang around your garden or yard, to discourage chiggers from living in your yard. Remove water or a source of water and dense bushes from your yard that will invite reptiles and amphibians. 
• Prepare a natural, organic pesticide to ward off chiggers. Diatomaceous earth, made from soft sedimentary rock can be sprinkled into your yard. 
• Sulfur powder drives away chiggers due to its potent smell. Sprinkling some in your shoes and socks drives them away. 
• Household vinegar can also be personal protection from chiggers by applying it to the feet, legs, and midsection parts of the body.

 Chemical repellants

• Spraying DEET (diethyltoluamide) into your skin is one of the most effective insect repellents that can be used against chiggers. Before going on for a walk in tall grasses and shrubs, apply DEET that can last for two to three hours. Just be careful to follow the instruction when spraying or applying. 

• Permethrin repellents can only be applied in clothes against chiggers to stick into your clothes. Permethrin lasts for several days, even after second washing. Just follow the instruction for applying Permethrin repellents.

If chiggers have reached your houseplants, take them outside and soak them in a mild insecticidal soap with a safety label for houseplants or edible plants. Do it weekly for a month. 

Apply insecticide on hotspot areas with weeds and tall grasses with the following contents: 
bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, esfenvalerate, chlorpyrifos, diazinonbifenthrin, carbaryl, and cyhalothrin.

For extreme infestation, call a pest control professional. They are licensed and trained to use strong chemical formulations. Just be sure to find the authentic company or persons so as not to jeopardize your family's health and safety.