From Maruki

Digital Moving Day

2019-04-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

I want to truly thank all those that have followed this blog for the past 3 years. I have written about the journey of infertility and adoption on this blog. I threw in the fun books, money management tips and even gluten free taste tests.

I followed many other blogs that were traveling down the same path. Once they conceived or adopted, their blogs stopped. If the author kept writing, the material quickly changed to baby related posts. Those posts were hard to read while Hubby and I kept struggling month after month. I soon unplugged and went on a search for something else.

Infertility is a life long problem. Hubby and I are not "cured". We are still unable to conceive on our own. We likely will never be able to. Because of that, Hubby and I will continue to share our story and our strength. Male factor infertility is the main cause of our infertility. Hubby has shared his thoughts and feelings many times over the years here on this blog. It was He is a couples therapist specializing in male factor infertility.

I wanted to be very careful over the past year of not losing the original flare of this blog. I wanted to keep you updated on my life but I did not want to lose the audience that struggles with infertility. So if you often drop by From Maruki to read about infertility, have no fear. I don't have to lose you gracious readers. You can now find infertility related help, love, support and therapy over at Infertility Isn't Inferior. The main focus of Infertility Isn't Inferior (I3) is to help couples that may be stuck in pain or stuck making a decision. With the ease of E-therapy, Hubby can help men around the world. No more hiding in shame.

Here on From Maruki, we will continue to make a mess with gluten free foods, reading books, getting rid of debt and traveling. I, Lauren will be the voice that shares some of our ups and downs and mistakes.

I hope you come and visit both From Maruki and I3 weekly. You can check both of us out on Twitter and Instagram. We would love to hear about what you, your family goals and what your family loves to get into.

Thank you for understanding this change with From Maruki Blog!
Lauren

Living Intentionally

2019-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is another set of buzz words that generation-Xers and Millennial knows, but can confuse older generations.When talking with my mother and grand-mother, I told them that Hubby and I are living intentionally. In other words, we are planners and are making conscience decisions for every aspect of our lives.

Eyebrows went up. Laughs kind of slipped out too...

My family was trying to understand how 'living intentionally' was different than what they did. I asked them why did they raise us the way they did. The responses often reflected back on that's how they were raised. My parents tried to do better than their parents, but they didnt add as much thought that Hubby and I have.

Hubby and I have taken so many aspects of our lives and decided what we want to do and don't want to do. We have thought through the possible good and bad of our decisions. We analyzed rather we agree or disagree with what is popular vs. weird, and chose what fits best for us. We just don't want life to just happen to us.

As Dave Ramsey would say, "Be Weird!"

Everyone will experience joy and pain and ups and downs. Everyone will have the opportunity to make a decision in one aspect of life a time or two. I had to explain to my family that I want to take a stance on my beliefs. I don't want to do what they did just because it is familiar. I want to make choices.

Hubby and I had great friends years ago that really taught us the value of planning. They looked forward six years down the road and planned out rather they wanted to be a single child family or not, the type of education they wanted for their daughter, and where they could live to make life easier on themselves. I loved their idea of looking forward rather than backwards. So Hubby and I have done the same since we said "I DO".

Hubby and I sat down and planned out our little family's beliefs, and traditions. This is what we came up with so far:

Outdoors is the best place to be even in the worse weather. I love the snow, the heat and crisp weather of falling leaves. But I hate rain. I don't like being in it. My sinuses seem to clog up with rainy weather. However I take my son out in the rain because it is new for him. Rain cleanses the world sort to speak. Rain allow new growth. Hubby and I vow to not raise concrete children. We will continue our tradition of camping, swimming in the ocean and playing in lakes and woods.

We are trying our best to eliminate plastic and excess in our lives. We want to get ride of clutter in our lives in 2019 too. I want my children to grow up with my great-grandfather's frame of mind of make more, buy less and enjoy more."

We don't buy name brand items just because it is popular or because it looks like we spent lots of money. We buy things that last and are unique because that's more important. Hubby and I have opened our eyes to the type of shoes that we should be wearing, and how our clothes are being made. We want to support local (our state and country) designers, creators and engineers.

We don't believe that education is only learned in the classroom during the colder months of the year. We plan on adding experiences to our children's education year around. I welcome nontraditional classes and programs. We are even playing with the idea of homeschooling. We have a few years until we make a decision, but until then, we are constantly reading and introducing EJ to whole-child learning.

We don't buy into the notion that children can't adapt, that they're immature and that we must lower our standards. This is more prevalent with our American friends than our foreign friends. We have learned that that there are other ways to raise a child so that they can accomplish age appropriate activities and be confident in their abilities. Furthermore, the parent is not in the child's way of learning, adapting and functioning.

We believe that respect must be modeled and taught. We want to teach respect for ourselves and then other cultures, traditions, ages, and more. This is the engine of our life and our marriage.

We believe in the power of apologizing when wrong. Pride can destroy a person. I am learning about the various ways children are taught when and how to apologize. Stay tuned for some suggestions.

Be intentional with holidays. Celebrate the big and small. Holidays are over so the conversation is dieing, but I just want to spark a thought. If you welcomed December 26th with relief, perhaps you need to change the way your approach, your traditions or your prep. We are placing a lot more emphasis on other holidays and annual celebrations in our family. We want our son to understand and enjoy more than Christmas.

We go against the grain in this household. We eat differently and we party differently. We find JOY in the small things in life. Are you living intentionally? Are you making concrete decisions for your family to follow?
How have you been living intentionally?

2019 Goals

2019-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Every family should have an annual theme. A theme is what the family is striving for. It is what motivates them to do something that year. It can guide them towards or even away from a situation. Each December Hubby and I sit down to discuss what our theme of the year will be. We want to make sure that we are making strides for a better year. The theme for us isn’t based on one goal like “weight lost”, but an overall idea that can be relayed into other aspects of our lives.

Cleanse

In 2019, we want to cleanse ourselves of all that we do not need, want, and care to carry forward. We are appling this theme to holidays, friends, food and careers. We are clearing out the useless, the burden laden and the old. It isn't enough to just ignore things, that is merrily just a quick fix. We want to permanently adjust what we do, what we buy, what we wear and what we eat. As one friend put it "yall getting hippy-er?!" And he isnt referring to my thighs...

Financial Goal– Pay off #6 student loans.

I only have one goal in the financial department and it is to pay off 6 of hubby and my student loans. Our large loans are divided up into little loans that can be paid off individually while maintaining the monthly payment.

Self Improvement Goal –
Gain a true friend. This is hard as it is a little weird to go out searching for a friend like Sherlock Holmes. But I need a friend that I can grab a cup of tea with and just kick back. I don’t want anything formal. I want a sappy movie partner and a shopping buddy. I want someone that I can call when Hubby and Baby have drove me crazy. I want a friend that thinks it’s ok to tell me all and I tell her all.

Lose 25 more pounds – I know I can do this now that I am 24 pounds lighter, see 2018 results. My winter coat is so big that I might need a new one for the 2020 winter. How exciting is that? I am actually going to hit the gym in our building this year.

Flexitarian/Pescatarian – Meat is the constant conversation in our household because my son won’t eat it. It doesn’t matter what kind and how it is cooked, he wont eat it. His little mouth found the shredded turkey in a lasagna and spitted it out. Crazy right? Others are trying to convince me to cook the meat this way or that or to try again when he gets more teeth. He loves fish. He likes it fried, baked and sautéed. He loves veggies. He will eat peas, broccoli and sweet potatoes everyday if I cooked it. My son will eat beans, cornmeal and oatmeal. Since he eats other things so well and he won’t eat meat, why would I force him? Nope, I think we will leave this boat at the dock!

Since EJ won't eat meat, we have decreased the amount that Hubby and I have consumed. Perhaps our future is to be meatfree or we will eat just seafood. I believe by the end of 2019, we will know for sure.

Family- Capture more moments with family and friends. I plan on buying a camera in 2019 and actually learn how to use it. I want to capture the moments that make our lives unique, different and complete. I might actually start a family vlog...

Career- Secure contractual position to full status employment or sell Spoonfull full time.

If you have been following me for some time you already know that I am one of the owners of my family's small business. We create and sell handmade preserves in a variety of flavors. This funky traditional family hobby turned business has kept my mother busy for the last 6 years. Last year, we had to slow down production. In 2019, we are trying to decide rather we will just let the business go or put more effort into getting these funky flavors into the hands of others.

Intellectual – Read through my ‘Mom Book List’. I began a mom book list back in 2015. This list has had contributions from some of my favorite Youtubers and Bloggers. I wanted to learn what all the fuss is about when it comes to fuss-free parenting, child-centered discipline and living without regret. See my post on intentional living. So I created a list that currently contains 13 books. I will keep you posted each month on what is on my reading table.

And this is it. We are trying our best to cleanse our lives and add back just the most wonderful aspects.
Do you have a theme for 2019? Please share below.

What we are Reading- January 2019

2019-01-20T14:26:00.000-06:00

Half way through the month! I wanted to start this year off right by reading. I have come up with a good schedule for reading.I will share in the future on how I have added more reading time to our family schedule.

This month I and reading The 5 Love languages by Gary Chapman. This book isn't new but it is a must read. I have had many conflicts with my mother-in-law. We do not see eye to eye on many aspects of living. The one lifestyle that has the biggest conflict is food followed by toys. I believe her main love languages are service and gift giving. If it wasn't for this book, I would not have known how to approach her complaints about gifts. She mainly loves to do for people and expects for people to do for her. I am not a service focused person at all. Its nice that people do things for me, but I often find it difficult to deal with because I have to go behind people to fix or adjust what was done. I am really not a gift-giving person either. I gift during holidays and birthdays but I give practical gifts. So Thank you Gary for providing a resource that allows families to function a little better.

My second book of the month is Becoming by Michelle Obama. This was a gift. I cracked into it last month. I will be slowly reading this book as a secondary read.

I am currently seeking my third book of the month. I have been thinking of what really speaks to my heart and is allowing me to progress in my current path. It is so important for me to figure out how to help shape my family into what feels comfortable.

Please share you current or favorite read.

2018 in Review

2019-01-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

So how did your year go? Was 2018 the year that you accomplish what you wanted to? Did life take you by surprise and nothing went according to plans?

Hubby and I began 2018 with a moniker/theme for the year. For us, 2018 was going to be the year of Completion. And we did live up to that! At the end of 2017, I set specific goals that I wanted to complete in different aspects of my life during 2018. Check out ny 2018 goals here. So here is what I have Completed in 2018.

The Financial

Pay off 3 of my small Student Loans

Well, I paid off one loan. Finances got really tight around April and September and we had to spend the extra payments that we were going to make.

The Self Improvement

Drop 30 lbs!

I am so proud of myself. I lost 24 pounds in 2018. I was determined not to gain weight during the last two festive months. I kept stretching and moving. For a recap, I did not do Whole 30 nor did join a group or program. I simply cut my meat consumption down to 3 meals a week. I also started doing yoga. I am not great at yoga, wont catch me taping my stretches. The benefits helped with more than weight loss, but helped with back pain, posture and even tightening my core. Winner winner, vegetarian chicken dinner!

The Intellectual

Read at least one Book a Month

Manage Investments better

Reading one book a month went so-so. I was surprised of the challenge of actually reading with a baby by my side. I kept a record of some of my favorite books from 2018.

Managing investments is something that everyone should do every year. If you have a 401K or other investments, review it often and ask questions. Hubby and I took a moment to review what our “fun” stocks have done throughout the year. It has been fun watching $30 transform into hundreds of dollars throughout the year. Using some gift money, we purchased a share for Baby E. In the future, we hope to teach him about investments.

The Family

Monthly Dates with Hubs

Explore with the baby

Spend time with aging grandparents

We completed our son’s adoption. We finished the paperwork on time and waited the expected long timeframe to go to court. We were more than elated. We also completed our first year as parents. I can not believe that after 7 years of wanting to be parents, we finally became parents and made it through one solid year.

We were head strong in the beginning of the year with monthly dates. We fell off the band wagon by March due to work. We were able to grab a date each month throughout the summer and one in October. We now have a babysitter for the day time and one for the evening.

Exploring with the baby was the theme of the summer it seems. We visited 4 states and was gone for a month. Part of our month long travels was spending time with my elderly grandparents. My grandparents are in their 80’s and I wanted to make sure that they got to enjoy their new great-grandson.

The Career

Grow readership/followers by 500

Find the perfect part time position

I did not find the perfect part time position. I landed a contractual full time position at a global company. I began working at this wonderful company at the end of November. Working has truly shocked my system as everything is totally different now. I am a working mother. I’m not sure that I have grown use to this concept or not. I hate leaving my son at day care as many mother do. I just have to get use to it right? *Lump in throat*

Grow readership or followers was another goal of my mine, but I didn’t attack it aggressively. I want people to follow me organically. Perhaps I need to be clearer in my messages. People may love what I have to say but I may be covering too many topics and ideas. Stay turned for 2019’s FromMaruki changes.

All-in-all, that was my 2018 year in a nutshell. The prior year was much more difficult. Every year is different and brings it's own challenges. This year, we focused on starting and completing tasks. We just needed to get to the point where tasks weren't looming over us.

As we look forward to 2019, Hubby and I are thinking of what the theme of our year will be. We are thinking of what are striving for this year.

I think we figured it...stay tuned.

Christmas Expectations

2018-12-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

This gift giving holiday will be quite interesting this year. My son will be 14 months old. He may not understand all the rituals and festivities that take place during this time for a while, but he will understand receiving.

This past summer when he was only 9 months old, he quickly caught on that when someone stood in my parent's kitchen at the butcher's block, he was going to get fed. There were times when we were there just to prep dinner, but he came running because he was expecting to receiving something.

So with the holiday season upon us, Hubby and I began to reevaluate how we wanted to deal with this massive gift giving season. We wondered if too many gifts would make a difference at this age or if we need to set the tone now for the future. We needed to make a decision on quantity and type of gifts and hope this would trickle down to other holidays and birthdays. I don't buy into all marketing schemes that our child needs a certain type of toy or electronic or they will intellectually suffer. Nor do I succumb to the pressure that I must spend a certain amount of money to make the season bright. Have you seen the articles on "How to keep Christmas gifts under $1000"? Seriously, folks? I have a better use of my money than to shove thousands into one day.

Then we pondered on who would this gift modification decision effect the most. We can certainly modify and slim down our gifts to our children, but we aren't the problem. After a while it dawned on us that the grandparents were the ones to blame! Grandparents and family would buy so much without regards to much of anything. I actually had to tell someone that my 12 month old son doesn't need his own tablet. Their argument was supporting the fact that he can watch Elmo whenever he wants. This is an example where setting expectations early would be beneficial as I won't have to explain myself as I returned a $500 tablet.

Gifts from one baby shower

This is what Hubby and I came up with:

The 3 Gift Max Rule.
We asked the grandparents to keep the gifts at a max of three. We explained to them that this does not mean shove as much as possible in three boxes. (A certain grandparent sent over 10 outfits in one box last year, so it's a must to explain this.) We explained to them that quality means so much more than quantity. Some of these baby outfits are a joke in how they are stitched. And don't get me started on the brightly colored plastic toys for babies. Bright colored doesn't mean better.

Also, we have actually had to put a size restriction on toys this year. We will not accept large ride on or climb on toys due to a 9 foot long birthday gift that surprisingly arrived. We live above people and I respect those that live around me.

Experience Life
Experiences and activities mean so much to children. I can only remember a few Christmas gifts from childhood, but I remember every club I was a member of, every play I attended downtown and every trip we ever took. I want family to understand that children like toys, but after a relatively short period (say a month?) the majority of these items are ignored. We want to encourage family and friends to think of activities that get our children out and about rather than indoors. Instead of sending a $20 toy, send a $20 gift card to a movie theater or $20 soccer cleats for his first team sport.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Regardless the color of the road we are on, our children will one day be teens then adults. We are encouraging our loved ones to be brave and be the one that gives them a share in a company or a bond certificate on their behalf. Trust me, they will love it and treasure it much more than that faux fur hoodie you gave them years prior.

Just a little time together
I lived in the Midwest as a child and ALL my family members lived on the east coast. We spent every school break possible on the east coast. Spending time with them was the best gift I could have ever asked for. Since we are still in the Midwest (sadly future away from family) and our families are spread out even more, it's really important to us that our son's gifts include spending time together with them.

Make it Work for you
Are you reading this and probably thinking of a hundred complaints that you and your family might have with these 'rules'? The thing is, you have to put your foot down sometime. These expectations fit us, so define the ones that fit your family. My hubby is one of 18 first cousins on one side of his family. They didnt get birthday nor Christmas gifts from their grandparents each year. That would be extremely expensive for an elderly person. So the 'rule' set by the grandparents was no gifts after a certain age. That 'rule' would not have fit my family. There are only 4 grandchildren on one side of my family, so it has been much easier on my grandparent's wallet.

Once you define your Holiday expectations, explain yourself once and be prepared to send things back. I explained to a family member that I'm not afraid to send anything back to the store. They doubted and challenged me until they realized that the outrageous birthday toy went back. If you don't stand your ground or you don't set expectations, you have opened the flood gates for all kinds of things. Are you ok with someone buying your children all the items you said no to?

Another popular counter argument that I have heard is "You cant tell me what to buy!" When someone gets married or have a baby, they create a registry. This is a list of items that they want in their home. If you buy something that is not on that list, it can get returned. Why is it that my home now is open to receive anything and everything just because you are giving it to my child rather than to me? Set the 'rules' and refer to it as your family's gift registry. It will reduce the chaos.

Now that Christmas has come and gone, before I headed to bed I glances over at our tree. Baby E received 6 toys, and a hand full of books. Not too bad considering how many families sent their love this holiday season. Next year the holidays will hopefully be filled with more outings and less single use toys.

I hope your season will continue to be bright!
From Maruki

250th Post - Try Try Again

2018-12-26T12:00:00.000-06:00

Happy 250th!!!

This is a very special post because it's number 250!!!! I wrote a ton of posts back when I was living and traveling around Asia, but when I returned home, I started this journey over. Tons of thoughts were shared, and tears were shed. Yet here we are, 250 posts later.

I was pondering on what I should tell my dedicated readers. I have been writing about tackling debt, infertility, adoption, and even our food journeys for the past 4 years. The most recent journey I have been on is reducing meat. My eyes have been opened to the effects of over-consumption of red meat and dairy and boy I can't look away.

So for my #250th blog post, I thought I would bring to you, my heart felt journey of trying to become meat-free. This is a work in process that began last year. If this is your first time visiting me, check out my first and second post of becoming meat-free.

Check out my first journey of being meat free for a month

After learning about how important plants are to the human body, I have increased my intake. Yes, I am trying again. I have what I referred to as "Vegan Days". I am working my way towards a plant base diet. I have been on this trek since the new year. Now you might be thinking, "What is it taking you so long?" I like to completely close doors and not look back. I have become the kind of gal that will give away the jeans that no longer fit. I no longer want to live based on the 'maybes' and 'what-ifs'. So, if I take my time, I can make the proper adjustment and be done....100%

Becoming meat-free isnt about the meals that I make at home. I cook nearly 18 of the 20 weekly meals that I eat. This transformation effects how I grocery shop, and how I feed my husband and toddler. This transformation also effects how my family and friends cook for us. My hubby already comes with the difficult nightshade free and gluten free diet. Adding on a sudden meat free restriction may just get us uninvited more than we already are.

So here are our steps we have made in 2018:

Bye Bye Red Meat
This was the hardest transition. I said goodbye to pork without a wink. However Beef and lamb were my weekly staples. I ate beef and chicken weekly growing up and as an adult. Now that I have a baby that is learning to eat, I don't want him to eat pork, beef and chicken. I want him to first learn that a animal was slaughtered just to feed him. Only then can he request if he wants to eat red meat, it wont be by force. He tasted ground beef at 11 months and didnt want to eat it. Score!

"Why would you ruin it for your kid?" Yup, someone asked me that. In my response I told them about this wonderful pig roast that my family was invited to. It was at the home of a NFL coach. A couple NFL players brought out the pig on a spicket and placed it on the picnic table. They reached in and showed us kids the 'hotdogs' and proceeded to place them on buns. I don't eat hotdogs anymore! That was a lesson that could have been taught a little 'cleaner' to children. None-the-less, I am mature enough now to know that hotdogs are not pulled whole from a pig but mechanically made with tons of inner parts. yuck

I cringe and get nauseous in the meat section of the grocer now. I have often left the grocery with nothing but snacks because Idon't know what to cook for dinner throughout the week. I'm still learning. I check out Youtube videos and cookbooks from the library. Adding 2 or 3 new recipes to my list a month is a new goal.

Fish/Seafood
We still eat fish. Don't call the Meatless police. It has been a transformation for us and we are doing our best. Our son will eat fish, but his main diet is heavily plant based. Hubby and I took cues from our little guy and began to eat the way he does. He is teething so we wont chew thick foods but he loves all the nutritious items that many adults eat sparingly.

Beans, Tofu, Quinoa, Oh MY!
We are so excited to learn the various ways to eat beans, tofu, quinoa and even rice. I love all types of rice but I've learned to mix it with lentils or beans and spices. I even tried my hand at frying tofu. I have cooked with soft tofu for years in some of my favorite Asian dishes, but I am trying something new.

Final Outcome

Every journey has a final destination. Hubby and I have talked so many times about what we want as our final outcome. We initial thought vegetarian and then vegan and then went back to the idea of being a pescetarian or pesco-vegetarian. To be honest, we are unsure. What we know is that we want to be meat free both for our health. Heart disease and cancer are common in his family. We want to beat the odds in many ways.

We've learned/been informed that the biggest transformation between being meat free and vegan is the hatred of the pointless death of animals for human consumption. Once one has crossed that bridge, they then have become a vegan. I understand the pointless death of animals and the deforestation of earth just for more livestock, but the passion for that cause has not built within just yet. It is

With all things in life, I'm being patient, constantly learning and being mindful. Are you on a meatfree journey? How has your meatfree journey been? Are you a beginner like us?

6 Ways the 1st Birthday will Stress you Out

2018-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Over the top birthday parties are not new concept. They were the center of parent's secret conversations for years. But what I was surprised to learn is that it is still a problem. Large parties are the norm for so many families while others cut cake with a handful of friends.

If you are new to the parenting thing like me, here are a few tips I've gathered over the last month planning my son's first birthday. I am not an expert on baby birthdays, but my husband is an expert on depression and stress. Some of his clients suffer from social anxiety and birthday parties for children are part of the problem.

Go Big or Go Home
Traveling petting zoo, human-sized Characters, Pony rides OH MY! The list can go on and on for what can embellish the 1st year's birthday party. But going big can be too much stress. I would rather go home!

Tons of Littles
The thought of spending the afternoon with 20 toddlers may excite you or actually scare the pants off of you. Think about that before you send out the invites. We settled on inviting 5 toddlers and 3 couldn't make it. Perfect size party after-all.

Buffet
A little for everyone can drive you crazy if not broke. As long as you serve something from each food group, folks will find something to munch on. Fruit, veggie and a starch will satisfied a vegetarian. Sauces on the side will help those that eat clean, have allergies or are picky. We had a strawberry tray, broccoli tray, burgers with toppings and gold fish crackers.

Matching Others
Last month you attended the dull 1st birthday party of a friend's child so you gotta match that birthday right? Or do you go all out like the party from earlier in the year? Matching the theme, scale or even amount of money spent can send you through the roof. We planned the cost for the first birth at the beginning of the year when we did the year's budget. We went based of what Baby E likes and kept it 'family style'.

Respecting Opinions
Nothing says stress like the infiltration of others. Grandparents want games, your best friend says never to add balloons and your husband wants the theme to be football. Find a respectable way to thanks other's for their opinions and just work with your spouse (or other important person).

Making it Rain
Even if you can afford a $1,000 party, could 'making it rain' cause your friend's to cringe? I never thought of that until a friend mentioned that the family down the street plans big parties every year and she could never match that so she stays away. I on the other hand wouldn't stay away from their parties, but if that family thinks my simple party is too boring, she wont be invited again.

Now that the party is over, I can take a moment and look back with calmness. We rented the party room at our complex for free and cooked right on side. Close family and friends flew into town and were there for the party. The children enjoyed running around just as much as the simple games of bobbin for apples, popping bubbles and drawing with chalk. I enjoyed the day and didn't take a single photo. (I'm not a millennial, my father took all the pics.)

How did you plan your children's first birthday party? Were you totally stressed out for the first child and mellowed out by the last child?

Evening Tot Learning- Schedule

2018-10-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you are just joining me on how I share new skills with my tot, head back to part one.

I spoke of the schedule I used for working with the babies and toddlers overseas. This schedule is not dependent on time. It may take you 20 minutes to read a story, two minutes to point out the vocab words and half hour singing the lullaby because baby loves the song.

The point is the complete these activities throughout the day. If your little one isn't into singing on Day 2, skip it. In Japan, the focus was not to drill the information into the child. The goal was to continue to introduce new words, new experiences and constantly be surrounded by the spoke language.

Why
Rather you are focusing on your native language or a foreign language, never stop reading. Never stop introducing new vocabulary. Never stop exploring the world around you. Babies and toddlers are soaking up everything. I am working hard to add new vocab and books to Baby E's life because I have seen the results. I taught students that were mighty successful in communicating in a foreign language. I want that for my child.

To give my self a little breathing room in the evenings, I plan on implementing the below schedule:

Day 1
Story
Speech and Vocabulary
Puppets/Stuffed animals with a Nursery Rhyme

Day 2
Story
Baby Games
Lullabies/Song

Day 3
Story
Speech and Vocabulary Review
Art/Food play

Everyday
I will continue to implement major and minor motor skills. I have a list that I have collected over the years from friends and Pinterest. I plan on showing him something new to figure out each week or two. This includes indoor and outdoor activities that can be done at our home and at a park.

As always, I will continue to speak to Baby E in Japanese and meet with friends to ensure that we both increase and refine our fluency. Classical music and big band music is played all the time. Baby E loves the sound of horns and drums.

Details

Puppets with a Nursery Rhyme:
We will be diving into the classics here. Overseas we introduced new songs with puppets. It captured their attention and allowed for us to add motion to songs.

Baby Games:
Let's get busy! Playing with my baby is the highlight of my evening. I really enjoy showing him something new and watch the wheels turn in his head. He does an excellent job figuring things out. This is the time of the week that will allow for me to introduce a new game to add to his list.

Lullabies/Song:
Oh we are a music family. This time slot will include singing songs, playing instruments and rocking to lullabies. Do you have a favorite list of children songs?

Art
I am so excited for art as Hubby and I share the hobby of coloring. We will be showing Baby E how to use crayons (baby ones like this and this) using plain paper. Later in the year, we plan to shower him with coloring books, because thats what kids love right?

Save your Money

DOn't go shelling out cash to buy any learning tools for a toddler, yet. Use the internet, library or your friend's books first. See what your little one likes first. Babies love something one moment and dislike it the next. You don't want to lose money.

However, invest in the classics. In my opinion, every family should have a book of poems and/or nursery rhymes. This helps to fine tune intonation and listening skills, never mind the fun aspect.

Evening Tot Sharing- Book Ideas

2018-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Babies need books just as much as they need diapers!

Perhaps a baby can live without diapers, but they should not live without books. I am old fashioned and I believe in the power of reading. I like physically holding books in my hand. I love the feel of pages and the smell of hardcovers. I did not jump on the digital book craze, but slowly crept in. I am currently reading three books on my phone, only because they were free. It takes me twice as long to finish them.

I plan on keeping Baby E surrounded by hard copies of books. I want him to learn how to turn pages rather than swipe left. I'm judging those that love digital book...Yall, do your thing!

I am making a list of books that I want to introduce to Baby E this school year. I am doing this now because it allows for Hubby and I to reduce the amount of guessing. Life gets busy during the winter. Our weather forces us inside and I don't want to wake up next spring and have missed out of the opportunity to have introduced him to wonderful content. I also have the moment right now to evaluate his development and interests. I am trying to tailor things to him.

Book Ideas

Picture Books:
My book list is a mile long and it keeps growing as I receive more and more recommendations. The first picture book that I will begin with Baby E was a transportation related book. He loves trains and now trucks are peeking his interest. Picture books shows how their interests can be found in books too.
Each season I will also include a weather or season related book. Baby E is noticing that the weather changed as he lugs around his jacket outside. I want him to see what fun each season can be.

Story Books:
Every evening Hubby and I plan on reading a story book to Baby E. We plan on using seasonal stories with short chapters. We really want to implement the habit of listening to a story without many pictures and most importantly, learning to sit for a few minutes. I don't expect him to follow the story at all. I am just building habits of listening and reading.

Foreign Language Books:
I speak and read conversational Japanese. Everyday I have been adding new words to his vocab. I will continue to read Japanese children books to him. My friend and I will be swapping books so that our little guys can have a fresh stash.

Wordless Books:
I spoke about my love for wordless books before. I love these books because I the story changes each time. You can change the story to any book as long as your children won't correct you.

I hope you have a great time introducing your tot to their new world. Everything is brand new to them and they will enjoy the sharing that you will have in store.

From Maruki

Evening Tot Sharing

2018-10-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

I spent nearly two years living and working in Japan at an English School. Not only did I develop programs for my branch office to increase their sales, but I also taught English.

I taught hundreds of children under the age of 18. The youngest group was a baby class of five, 6 month old babies. The babies began to respond to English commands and then speak English and Japanese around 18 months old.

I was amazed!

The babies attended English lessons 1.5 hours a day, three days a week. This was considered "early childhood education" for these families. Most of these families believed that language must be introduced early in order to give their child the best advantage of being bilingual. They were right. The toddler group that I taught after the baby class was able to hold a full conversation like a native English speaker after one year of learning.

I promised myself that I would do the same type of lessons with my future children.

Baby E Playing with an animal sound book.

I began slowly with Baby E when he was 6 months old. I read to him at least twice a day, sang songs and lullabies and even read fun poems. The key is to fine tuning his listening ability and teach him to enjoy looking at books rather than TV. I shared everything with him in English and Japanese.

Baby E will be one years old this fall!

This fall I will kick things up a notch. I am using the same schedule that I used with the babies overseas. I will also add some of the activities from the toddler classes that I taught.

My son will also attend a day care this fall . You might be wondering why I am doing "tot school" when he will be going to day care. Why should I miss out on ALL of his learning experiences? One reason is that I don't want my son's evenings to be filled with tv. This is the age where tv begins to become a habit or apart of their routine. I also want to spend the evenings doing more than cooking dinner and bathing him. Don't forget Saturday and Sunday. They are all mine! The weekends allow for me to make sure that I am instilling something in him.

You can share with your tot too! When you teach and play with toddlers, you are still sharing. Share your world with them. Show them what crayons can do to paper, what happens when a lava lamp is tipped upside down and how to make pancakes. Be purposeful and have.

How are you adding a little sharing to your everyday life with a baby or toddler?

Baby's Month Long Travel

2018-09-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Getting out the house for one day can be a hassle when you have a baby. Adding in a overnight trip can cause panic. What do you think a month away from home was?

For us, Pure Joy!

The best travel advice I can give is "Don't sweat the small stuff!" I was scared that he was going to scream the whole flight or not be his usual playful self the whole trip, but he was fine.

We traveled to 3 states, and experienced 3 different environments all within the month. Baby E was a trooper in the city, country and at the beach. His schedule was a little off because of the time changes, but he was his usual self in a couple days. Here is how we did it.

1. Pack into 1 Suitcase
We each had 2 packing cubes that we rolled about 10 interchangeable outfits into the cubes. The key to making this work is keeping the colors interchangeable. Don't pack that one shirt that can only match that one pair of bottoms. Pack PJs on top. This helped us to get baby dressed for bed quickly even though our flight arrived at 10am.

2. Taxi/Uber/Lyft/Friend
Paying for parking at an airport for a month would be so expensive and a waste of money. We snapped Baby E's convertible car seat into the Lyft, and placed our suitcase and stroller into the trunk. We held the diaper bag and cooler in our laps. Getting dropped off at the airport was nicer because we didn't have to lug all our stuff through a parking garage.

3. Double Use Carry-ons
The diaper bag held my small cross-body purse, a change of clothes, diapers, baby/our food, toys, our books and bibs. We just needed enough to get through 6 hours. Hubby carried the cooler filled with milk and water inside bottles. Keeping it all together allowed us to get through security much easier. The cooler also held items we needed out on the beach.

4. Buy It There
Don't pack (too much of) what can be bought! Every place that has people, has a store. We didn't pre-count diapers and wipes nor over pack toiletries. We packed what can fit and bought the rest there. We needed soap and toothpaste by the middle of the trip, so we bought it there.

5. Be Careful of Too Much Entertainment
This advice is more for babies than older children. New environments invite babies to look around and search their surroundings. Packing too many toys can be more useless weight than useful items. My son spent 2 days trying to pull up on everything in the hotel room and the ottoman was so entertaining. He didn't need his familiar toys until the evening. Once babies are bored with the tried and true, find a souvenir that would be great to play with and bring home. We got a sandcastle bucket, shovel and rake.

6. Naps and Bedtime Remain
Don't let this category worry you. We were more focused on keeping the same routine on vacay as we do at home. Check your watch if you change time zones and recognize his/her cues for tiredness. This will help you to transition him little by little into the new time zone.

At home, Baby E gets a bath, a story, a bottle and a rocking. Keeping the same routine allowed for him to know that his day is over. He slept in a different bed on vacay, but he didn't seem to mind much. His naps were shorter though. We think its because he was too busy trying to play. One thing that changed was that he didn't go to bed at the same time everyday. Some days were busier than others, so we went with the flow and so did Baby E.

7. Explore and Go
Just because you have a tiny human doesn't mean that you can't get out and explore. You made it this far, right? Babies are portable. They will enjoy the new sites and sounds just as much as you. Prepaying for excursions can be a negative and a positive. If you paid for a trip that leaves one hour after your baby's nap began, you have a choice to make. I think it's a great idea to have planned excursions and free time built into your trip. You want to make sure you are enjoying your vacay too!

Hubby and I certainly enjoyed our long trip. There were certainly things that I would have done differently. If you want to know what those are, feel free to drop me a note. I will be glad to post that. I hope these tips eases your mind about your up and coming long travel with your little one. When in doubt, dont sweat the small stuff.

Happy Travels!

Our 4 Year Count Down

2018-08-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

This is it. We are now counting down the next four years!

In four years, our first and hopefully not only child will begin Kindergarten. The first year of formal education is such an important year. The choices we make will decide how our child will learn. That year will begin to mode our lives as we will officially live on around a "school calendar". We sort of do that now that Hubby works in a school, but schooled student's don't get vacation days like employees.

In four years, we will have to make a decision rather we will place our child in private school or homeschool them. This decision is so important and engulfs our moral decision making. This decision is also a financial decision. Today's actions will depict what will happen in four years.

Since private schools and homeschools aren't free, Hubby and I will need to pay OFF our last debt- student loans. As Baby E creeps towards one year of age, the ever growing pile of student loan debt is getting scarier. We have four years to get rid of this debt so that we can make the best decision for our children without the ever looming debt to influence it.

"But everyone has some debt." ~ My Father & Others

My father told me to not worry too much about the debt because everyone has debt. I don't want to live with that thought. Not everyone has debt! And not everyone can ignore the debt that they do have. I am one of them. Every month Sallie Mae gets a chunk of our monthly income. I hate seeing that money go, but I owe it. Ignoring it, or playing games with it doesn't get rid of it.

I'm just going to pay it off!

Working 40-50 hours a week was the norm for Hubby and I for the past 2 years before we became parents. Now that we are parents, how can we find the energy to work more than 40 hours? Well, in 4 years, we both will be 40 years old! The energy will look a heck a lot different then than now. So we have to find the energy now. We have to give Sallie Mae back what we borrowed.

It may take less than four years to pay down our debt. We are hoping it takes a lot less. However we will err on the side of caution.

In four years we want to be debt free. In four years we want to know what it's like to live without owing someone. In four years, we want our son to see us work a lot less!

Do you have a massive goal that you are working towards?

What we are Reading- August 2018

2018-08-15T10:11:00.001-05:00

Summer can't be over yet! August, my birth month, is always a sad time for me. It was always a sign of the end of summer and the beginning of school. I'm way past school age, but now as a parent, I realize that August will be the beginning of school again.

August directs people to improving their habits and routine and I'm no different. I have re-evaluated my life over the past few weeks and changed the way I eat, how I work out, and even applied to new jobs during this month. Check me out on Instagram to see what I've been getting myself into lately.

In the mean time, I have cracked open two book this month.

This Christian book contain 60 short stories about the ups and downs of being a mother. Each story has a dose of humor and a eye widening realization. Each day I am reading 2 or 3 inserts from this book. The key is being able to read this book in the bath tub. Then I'll have it made!

Where do I begin with this book? I received this book free from someone that didnt really crack the spine. The writer of this book brings out Biblical wisdom to help parent discipline their children. The only part that is making things a little difficult is that the writer supports spanking. As someone that got spanked about a dozen times in my life time, I am unsure how I feel about passing along this problem. I'll give my total opinion at the end of the book.

Baby E

Baby E is into pulling out all of his clothes. We are trying to help him recognize clothing items verbally. At this age, babies are beginning to learn simple commands and recognize common items. This fun book would help with introducing clothing to him.

What are you reading this month?!

July- What are We Reading

2018-07-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Summer!

The lazy days of summer began this week. School is officially out! Students, teachers and staff are home and sleeping in.

We have all our large summer plans laid out on the calendar. We will be taking a trip to the desert and the beach! We are so excited to see and learn something new.

We camp every summer. We are still making plans for a camp trip. It seems daunting to camp with a baby especially since our little guy is trying to walk and is still in the oral stage.

We make small summer plans each summer. They are activities that mark summer and allow us to be outdoors during our short summertime. This year includes making ice cream, having picnics and reading books by the lake. Once again we are making sure that Baby E enjoys some picture books as well as his evening story book.

Baby E

He loves sound effects right now. We are reading books that have a focus on sound effects from trucks, trains and animals. We are also using the following book, First 100 Words, as a way to point out pictures and add words to what he sees. He enjoys the transportation page.

Myself

I am stuck between three books right now. I should finish them books right now, but I am having a hard time concentrating. My concentration is caught up in finding a way to make money and save money to pay down our last debt, student loans. To keep me busy in my search, I have found vloggers on Youtube that have spoken on debt reduction or cheap living.

The best way to keep mental space free while waiting on the best course of action, is to read something for the whole family. We want to teach Baby E many things including sign language. I know about 15 words and the alphabet. I hope to teach him a little more before attending a class int he future.

Hubby

Hubby is reading this book this month. I gave him this book as a Father's Day gift and he loves the fun and helpful tips. I believe that books on being mothers and fathers help us to see the different perspective others have taken on this unguided trek called parenthood. Some advice is worth taking, some advice is worth thinking about and the rest is worth ignoring.

What are you reading during the long days of Summer?

Half Year Check in

2018-06-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Half of 2018 is over!
Did you accomplish anything from your resolution list from January? Are you working towards your annual goals both at home and work?

I couldn't believe my eyes as I filled in my month budget. The year is half way over and all I could think about where did the time go! I revisited my resolution list and hoped that I didn't get too far off course. I also had to remind myself some things that I might have forgotten to work on. My lists usually are on my cork board, but I moved it. Out of sight is out of mind!

The Self Improvement

Drop 30 lbs!

I'm happy to report that I have lost 14 lbs so far! It is amazing how quickly the weight fell off. I have not done Whole 30 yet. I actually got in the floor and did some exercises and yoga. I pushed myself to the limit a few times a week and I saw results. I believe I will hit this goal.

The Family

Explore with the baby
Spend time with aging grandparents

This summer I will be able to explore the beach and two major cities with Baby E. I am so excited to see if he will enjoy the sand and the waves of the ocean. It will be fun pushing him in his summer ready stroller. The biggest plus of this summer and watching him with his great-grandparents. He will get the chance to crawl around their home just like I did more than 30 years ago.

The Career

Find the perfect part time position

This has changed. I completed my 13th tax season in May and now I'm home. My goal was to find a part time job, but now I am interested in full time work. I want to pay off my student loans before my little one reached Kindergarten. Sacrifices today equal a gain tomorrow.

There are other points I didn't include there that I have to continue to work on. Over all, I am pleased with my progress. I have accomplished so much of my plan. I have the second half of 2018 and I need to work hard.

How are you doing with your 2018 goals?

Debt Update

2018-06-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you have been following us for a while, you might be wondering, what happened with our debt. Our last update was March 2017. Well we have been super busy!

From April 2016 - March 2017, we were very busy. We worked two jobs a piece and busted our butts to pay off debt. We wanted to clear everything before we got to the monster student loans. We paid off the following (most of these were not apart of our first list):

Forgotten Medical Bill: $1,141
Surgery Bills Total: $1,618
IUI Medical Bill: $1730
Private Student Loan: $5,273.53
Car Loan: $11,818.01

We've Dissed another $21,581 Worth of Debt in 11 months!!!

After we paid off our car in early 2017, life happened. We adopted a baby! Now that we are on the other side of all that work, I have noticed how much disposable income we had in the household. If someone would have told me to come up with $20,000 dollars by the end of the year, I would have just laughed.

The day we started dissing debt in 2015, we had about $1000 in savings and lived check to check. We earned and then we spent it. Sad for someone that works and was educated in finance right? In my defense college wasn't teaching personal finance. I took a personal finance class in undergrad and graduate studies, but they only spoke about credit card and auto debt. The textbook never touched on paying off mortgages and student loans. I guess the textbook companies didn't realize how much debt the average student was drowning in.

Did you know the average doctor and lawyer finish school with over $225,000 in student loans?

Did you know the average master degree costs around $70,000?

So we are tackling our last debt...the dreaded student loan. It is such a large amount that we have stared at it during maternity leave in awe. We couldn't figure out how to handle this debt being new parents. But we now have a plan. We plan on conquering this massive load over the next 4 years. We hope to pay it off sooner, but one baby step at a time...

After all, we dissed $25,845 worth of debt in 17 months!

From Maruki

We've Dissed $4,264 Worth of Debt in the first 9 months!!!

Cloth Diapering

2018-06-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

We love Cloth Diapering!

After 8 months, Hubby and I are still elbow deep in cloth diapers, by choice! Despite the opinions of our friends, it isn't gross, it isn't a waste of my 'precious' time and its not just for Hippies.

I have really enjoyed my son's colorful soft scoot across our floor lately. Cloth Diapering has made a serious come back and they are so adorable! If you are a parent, you probably have heard of cloth diapers. If you need a break down of what are modern cloth diapers, please check out here.

But what I wanted to share is my stash and storage. In the beginning when I was trying to chose between disposables and cloth, I had a really hard time estimating what I needed and when I needed it. Since there are so many varieties, it was really difficult to figure out what to buy. I took the most common suggestion and brought a few of each type. Once we were a month into cloth diapering, I purchased 5 more diapers. This is what I purchased:

All-In-Two
1 SoftBums Echo with two inserts
2 Best Bottoms shells and 6 inserts size small, and 6 size mediums
1 Grovia Shell and two inserts

All-In-One
1 Bum Genius
1 Bambino Mio
3 Oso Cozy

Prefolds & Covers
12 Green Mountain prefolds, size newborn
2 Green Mountain prefolds, size Small
6 Green Mountain prefolds, size Medium
6 Green Mountain prefolds, size Large
2 Thirsties covers

Pockets
6 Thirsties Naturals
4 Fuzzibunz (old style)

I was also gifted a few diapers:

6 Bum Genius Pockets
2 Flip Covers

As you can see above, I store the diapers in a show organizer on the closet door. It is really nice because the closet door is next to the changing table. I dont have to take up space from the dresser and I can store related pieces together. If you can see below, the extra insert for the Soft bums is attached to the second pocket on the front.

Inside the closet is the storage of night time diapers and extra diapers inserts. These cotton lined containers came from Target. They a roomy and allow for the diapers to be stacked. On top of the boxes, are Green Mountain diapers, newborn prefolds. We loved to wrap these around our son as well as stuff inside the pockets when he was tiny. We are currently on the medium prefolds during the day and the large prefolds at night. All the extras have been packed away for baby #2.

So perhaps you have a great idea on how to store your diapers while they are still in use. Please share with me. If you are interested in my favorite diapers, let me know. I have a long and lean baby so my favorites might actually be different than the crowd.

The Silent Day

2018-06-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

The day that I didnt speak to my baby was a day that I learned so much about communication.

Seven month olds can't speak. They can't read our minds and we can't read theirs. Communication has to come in a different form when it comes to babies.

About a week ago, we woke up early Sunday morning with a crying and hot baby. He had a fever. The fever broke later that day but a stuffy nose, cough and sneeze replaced it. On Monday, I woke up with whatever he had. For a whole week, we swapped this nasty cold. Even my husband came down with the cold.

By the weekend, I was losing my voice. By the following Monday, I was hoarse. When I tried to talk, Baby E would jerk away and cry. I sounded like I was stuck in a vacuum cleaner. I couldn't talk.

So it began, the day that I didn't speak to my child. This is what I learned.

1. Quiet book time is still considered reading. Each day I flip through a half dozen of picture books. I tried to focus on the pictures while reading the story. When I was hoarse, I just pointed, tapped, and mimicked the pictures. I felt like a silent black & white movie character. Baby E was so intrigued and laughed alot.

2. (My) Sign Language works! Hubby and I have been signing to him for over 6 weeks. Sign language is very popular amongst young parents. As someone who learned a little bit of sign language growing up, I knew that I should try to teach my son something. He reacted to 3 major signs and made the day easier.

3. Just looking at him was enough. There were times that Baby E would make crying or whiny sounds. Before this day, I would call out "What's wrong?" or "Where are you?" But the day I was hoarse, I just looked at him. Nothing was wrong as before, but I noticed he just smiled and went back to making his sounds. Perhaps those are his play sounds. It dawned on me that I was disturbing his before. No need to disturb him by requesting a response to my calling.

Those are the three lessons I learned on the day that I couldn't speak. These might seem like small lessons, but the realization of one's own actions is the beginning of success.

The next day I was able to speak a little louder, but I became hoarse by noon. I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to get through the day. Now it's a week later and I have found myself implementing some changes in my day. I no longer call his name just because he made a whining sound. I have added two more signs to the day. Im hoping to see the fruit of my labor, but I am still waiting for him to sign to me. And finally, we read a least one book silently. I just point and flip pages. He is starting to actually look at the pictures rather than looking at the room.

Have you ever had a similar speechless day? What happened?

How to Enjoy Summer with a Baby

2018-06-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

When you have only little children in your home, Summer can seem like a chore. Day care is open but is optional. We learned that day care can have limited spots for the toddler and pre-school rooms. So what are you going to do with all that time on your hands?

I have suggested 9 fun activities to make things run smoothly without too much guessing. My goal was to spark a thought of something that you can do so that you can enjoy the sun. Since we have snow from November-April, we take full advantage of the weather.

Hubby and I live by our calendars. It allows for us not to miss special events. If you are like us, grab your calendar and get to planning the 100 Days of Summer.

1. Take a Dip

Find the local swimming hole and take a dip. Our goal is to take our son to various swimming pools around town throughout the summer. This is a win-win as we love to cool off too.

Baby Benefit: Introduce baby to pools/water/outdoor play

2. Take a Class Together

Babies love to do things with parents. So while baby is watching you, teach them something new like a Baby & Parent music class or swim class.

Baby Benefit: They may get a chance to play with paint/wood etc. and see their parents coordinate together.

3. Visit a Farm/Petting Zoo

Depending on the age of your baby, visiting a petting farm would be a wonderful activity. Teach the names and songs of the farm animals beforehand for a fun experience.

Baby Benefit: Watch your little one light up when he notices his favorite books or songs come to life.

4. Walks

I live around a ton of lakes. We can stroll in the early evening to cool off and get some exercise. Sometimes we pick great neighborhoods to day dream on buying a home in that area.

Baby Benefit: If the evenings are baby's cranky hours, being outdoors may calm them down.

5. Visit many local parks

Our park district posted their summer schedule in April. We filled our calendar with all the activities that are baby and toddler friendly. They will have music in the park days and movies in the park at night. We plan to tote baby along with us in the evening

Baby Benefit: Fun play dates for babies with your neighbors and you didn't have to plan anything!

6. Drive-In Movies

Hubby and I have not been to a movie since Baby E was born. So many people frown upon babies being in the theaters. However, a drive-in has no age limit. We will be bringing baby E along and since he will be sleep, we ought to catch up on some fun date nights.

Baby Benefit: This idea is more for the parents, but an older toddler may enjoy the film.

7. Get Messy

I love Pinterest and I bet you do too! There are a variety of ideas for getting messy with food. We plan to take a bowl of mashed peas and blended carrots outside to either paint paper or the ground.

Baby Benefit: Let your little one go wild and have fun with them.

8. Cold Treats

I have an ice cream maker and I make great use of it in the summer! Babies may be too young for the ice cream that I make in the machine, but frozen blended banana and fruit, may be the sweet treat he will be craving. We have ice cream making days on the calendar, including National Ice Cream Day on July 15th.

Baby Benefit: A fun way to keep baby cool and to introduce fun fruit combos.

9. BBQ

Like every summer, we will have endless number of BBQ lunches and dinners. Special this year is a large cookout in July, where we will be introducing Baby E to family and friends on the East Coast.

Baby Benefit: Teaching baby how to eat outdoors at a picnic table, on a blanket and even water-side.

A Bonus Activity

Introduce baby to your Family Hobby!

Hubby and I love to camp. We are seeking out a camping site that has less mosquitoes and fun things to do. We are also hopeful that other people wont freak out if he cries. I hope we are able to find something for August.

Baby Benefit: Becoming more apart of our family by participating in our favorite hobbies.

I hope these ideas will help you to enjoy your summer with a little one.

What's on your Summer Calendar?

May- What we are Reading

2018-05-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you have been following me for years, you are aware what I have been up for the past 2 months. March and April are hard months for me to post on the blog. I am a tax accountant by trade and I am busy working with 1040 forms. You can always catch me on Instagram, FromMaruki

When the long hours end for the day, I usually read myself to sleep. However, I never really finish a book until after April 15th. Now that I have a child, I made sure to read his books to him first. Hubby picked up when I couldn't. We have jointly walked through a couple books, a few different times with Baby E. Our goal is just for him to get use to books, the tone of reading and sitting still for a few minutes.

This is what we read to him for the past two months:

March

Baby E's March Book

In March, we concentrated on snow. It may be spring in other parts of the US, but up north, March is still winter. We would often read this book to him before taking him outside to touch and sit in the snow.

April

Baby E's April Book

We began April with snow on the ground and even got a foot of snow in the middle of the month!

"Why do I live here again?"

We wanted to bring a bit of spring inside the home. A fun way to describe the changes of weather, the behavior of animals and the beginnings of a garden is through the stories of Peter Rabbit. We love the variety of stories from Beatrix Potter. We will be walking through this book for years to come!

Now that life has calmed down, I can pay attention to my desires and Baby E's book list. It happens to work out best for us as he is now seven months.

"Where did the time go?"

May

My Book

In order to grow, I will be concentrating on myself. It is an important month for us as Hubby and I we will be reaping the reward of our hard work...hopefully! We have been steadily focusing on our future. I am preparing for the Enrolled Agent exam and Hubby is growing his Male Focused Therapy business. I want to grow as a woman, a wife, a mother and as a tax accountant. I believe that I will do well in all these categories, but it does require a lot of attention, focus, prayer and patience.

This book will be a nice break from the IRS test practice books!

Baby E

Baby E began food in the second half of 6 months and he loves it. We are hope to introduce him to some books that talk about fun foods. I especially like this one as my family owns a jam business, SpoonFull of Jelly.

Happy Spring everyone!
What are you reading this month?

A Little About Us Pt 2

2018-03-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

#2 - Are you the same person you were last year? Five years ago? Ten years ago? Tell us how you have (or haven’t) changed.

Ten years ago I was determined and unstoppable, or so I thought. I returned to America from living nearly two years in Japan. I had an awesome time stretching my wings and learning more about the world.

Five years ago I move to another state. I had been married for a few years and finally felt like an 'adult'. I have always lived in a different state from my family, but as a newly wed looking to start a family, I finally felt a pinch about being hundreds, if not, thousands of miles from my parents, sibling and cousins.

One year ago my life drastically changed. After interviewing my friend whom was adopted 38 years ago and woman who is a birth-grandmother of a 21 year old, hubby and I decided to adopt a baby. One year ago we finished our home study and was flabbergasted by how quickly the transformation into parenthood was going to take place.

I have grown over the past ten years. I am not in the same country, state nor state of mind. I believe that everyone takes a stance on something. I had opinions of adult situations, but I never really stood up for anything. I took a stance against failing relationships due to infertility. I believe that couples should do all they can to remain strong against all parts of infertility.

I've been working with my husband to help couples where ever we can. Including being open about our type of infertility and walking with them.

I am not the same person I use to be. No one should not be the same person year over year. Life brings too many ups and downs for a person to be in the same spot over the years.

How have you changed over the past 5 years???

A Little About Us Part 1

2018-03-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome!

I've met so many people over the past 2 months. It was such a pleasure swapping pictures, comments and even suggestions. I want to thank you all for dropping my blog. I wanted to take the next few Fridays and share a little about me, my husband that I call Mr. Mind and Baby E.

If you want to know more about me, please feel free to drop me a message or check me out on Twitter and Instagram.

#1 Do you make your bed when you get up in the morning or leave it since you will just mess it up again that night?

I make our bed when I wake up in the morning. It seems like a silly concept to make especially if you leave the house all day. But it is so refreshing to return home and there, in the center of the bedroom, is a made bed.

One skill set that I was taught very young was making the bed. It allows for the house to seem semi put together. Children as young as two can pull the sheets back in the bed and smooth them out. They can decorate the bed with pillows and their lovelies too.

The bed is the first place to bring comfort no matter the weather. One chilly morning, Hubby and I woke up to a ton of soft white snow. Schools were cancelled and hot chocolate was calling our names. Under our fluffy sheets we sat and drank hot cocoa and breakfast cakes. An hour later, we made the bed and headed to the couch. It was a pleasant day.

I grew up getting tucked into bed. It was such a great feeling. The sheets were crispy and cool. I slid into the sheets and was read a story. We Hubby got older, the bed was a comfy place to read, write poetry and just daydream.

How did this idea maintained into adulthood?

I did fall off the bad wagon here and there. But when I was embarking on parenthood, I knew I needed to establish a good routine. I needed a morning routine that would allow for me to feel normal especially when a newborn makes you feel like a walking zombie.

I watched a vlog from a homeschooling mom of 6 children. Her suggestion was to make the bed each and every morning. To also teach your children to make their bed each and every morning. She insisted that it was the most important thing that we do in the morning to start the day off right. So on my busiest mornings as a new mother, I still find time to pull back my sheets, smooth out the comforter and lay all my favorite pillows on top.

It is a quick job. I'm looking for completion, not perfection.

I also make Baby E's bed, sort of. I lay his swaddle in the bed like a comforter and place his night hat and pacifier at the headboard. I am hoping to show him that a made bed has a meaning. A made bed is the beginning of the day and a welcoming view at the end of the day.

Do you make your bed? Do your children make their beds?

My Plant Based Month - I Failed!!

2018-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

Right before the clock struck midnight, I made a decision on December 31st to eat plant based in January.

I had a fridge and freeze full of meat and dairy products from hosting 10 people over the holiday season. I always have dairy free options because Hubby has been dairy free since about 2011. I had not planned out that week's groceries nor had I thought it through. I just took off running into veggieland.

I never knew what this transformation was going to mean to me.

Breakfast

First thing I took into consideration was my mornings and afternoons. It is so easy for me to fry an egg and chicken sausage and call that breakfast. I do smoothies each day, but once morning passes, I usually don't make one.

So I set out to transform the most important meals of the day. First I switched my coffee creamer. It took more than half the month to find one that I like.

Silk coffee creamer in Sweet Cream flavor did the trick. I love that it isn't too sweet and that there isn't a weird after taste. Their Pumpkin Spice latte flavor this fall was not too bad either. But nothing compares to the sweet cream flavor.
LunchOnce I figured out Breakfast. It was on to lunch. Lunch with a baby is hit or miss. Some days I actaully eat lunch and other days, well, it's a distant memory as I prepare dinner.I have to be careful that everything I bring in the house is gluten free or can be wrapped separate. I discovered that Aldi sells veggie burgers that do not contain gluten. These burgers were actually good!! I heated them in a pan without oil and they got a nice crisp around the edge. I topped the burger with lettuce, bbq sauce and gluten free crunchy onions.

Another favorite plant based lunch that I began to eat nearly weekly last summer is stuffed potatoes or sweet potatoes. I would bake these off in the oven without seasoning. On the day that I eat them for lunch, I will put in spinach, broccoli or kale. I also threw in some corn, black beans, salsa, guacamole, peas or whatever else I can find. The rest of the lunches through out the month were either salads, or left over dinners.

Now onto dinner.

This meal was the hardest to eat meat free. I was not successful all month. I made lots of mistakes and often gave in. I just couldn't think of enough ideas. I was not use to meal planning around a veggie. I use to meal plan around meat. I would think to myself, "Tuesday will be ground beef. How do we want it?"

It took about half the month to realize that I just needed to flip my thinking. I mimic a few meals around my favorite YouTube creators and was able to crank out more tasty meat free dinners.

This is the base of a soup I made. It is celery, onion, corn that I sucked and froze last summer and massaged kale. I added veggie stock, lemon pepper seasoning and white beans. ** Not all veggie stocks are equal. The one from Trader Joe's has a heavy tomato taste. The Target brand is light flavored. My favorite is the Audi brand and Kitchen Essentials.**

Can't go wrong with meatless chili. We can't eat chili often in our house as Hubby is allergic to nightshades. He has smaller reactions to tomatoes and chili peppers than potatoes. But I modify this by making my own seasoning and only adding in a tablespoon. Check out those chunks of veggies!

Dessert

My favorite meal of the day. My NEW goal is to cut out dairy in 2018 and I had to start with my favorite all time food, ice cream. Last summer I expanded upon my dairy free journey with ice cream. I found one that I liked and never brought any more. This month, I gave two companies and two flavors a try.

Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy Cherry Garcia is so good! I thought that they could use a bit more 'cherry'
flavor but I love the chunks of cherries and chocolate. Ben & Jerry's has 9 other non-dairy flavors. It is my duty to try them all.

Like I said in my IG post, Breyers is a family favorite. I grew up on a scoop practically every Sunday after dinner. My grandfather would buy every new flavor and we would just enjoy a scoop each night until it was done.

Breyers only has 2 non-dairy flavors. I know that more has to be in the works. And when they are out, I'm hunting them down and enjoying a scoop every night until it's gone.

So what's the verdict of my plant based month?

If it was a contest, I had lost. Big time! But I feel like I came in second place. I limited more meat from my diet than I'd ever imagine. I feel great. I feel confident that I can make 14 out of 20 meals a week, meat free.

Will I ever be completely plant base/vegetarian/vegan?

I believe that is my future.

I can see myself living without chicken, turkey, and beef. (I already gave up on pork.) I have educated myself too much on the horror stories of the meat industry. I purchased meat from a family farmer last summer. My goal is to make meals for others as I don't believe in throwing food away. (If you do, go visit a third world country.)

My biggest obstacle is that I love seafood. I know that I shouldn't eat it, but that will be the largest hump of my journey.

I am so glad that I took the time to eat more plants. It has been the biggest transformation of my life. On to the next meal....

What we are Reading- February 2018

2018-02-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was so excited because Mr. Mind was home most of January on Paternity/Adoption Leave. We got to sleep in, sort of and have slow lazy days together. January is a super cold month and we began the month with -14 degrees. It's certainly a tell-tell sign of what is to come this winter.

I feel bad for the visitors as the Super Bowl is around the corner.

Years ago, while I was planning my wedding, I learned about the updated version of homeschooling. I knew a couple homeschooled children in my life including some distant cousins. I thought that it was a very isolated way of learning. But as I shuffled dress colors and cake tastings, I was also shuffling the idea of teaching my future children.

Fast forward two years and I was happily married talking about children with my husband. I so eager to begint he process that I imbedded him with my 18 year plan for the children. It included tons and tons of books and field trips and us as their teacher. My husband laughed and said "yeah right!".

Four years ago, a switch went off in both of us and our eyes were opened. Home education happens no matter what. If a parent teaches their child not to stick a fork in the electric socket and to cover their mouths when they sneeze, it is the same as teaching your child that "B" says "Buh Buh". Education shouldn't be solely left to the kindergarten teacher at age 5.

Hubby and I quickly began to learn more and more about home education and what it entails.

Now that Baby E is here, we are fully prepared to open the world of learning through books to him. We have modified a baby learning curriculum to fit us. Our focus is to get him use to the concept of listening and looking at books as well as hearing songs and rhymes.

Now that our little guy is 4 months old, he is able to stay awake for more than 1 hour. I plan to use this time wisely. Our choices for the month:

Lauren

I am finishing up this book from December. It's a slow read for me because of the way she writes. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out the emotions and tone of the writer. But I plan on finishing this book.

Next I want to read:

This book was recommended by a YouTuber that I follow. I want to be the kind of parent that does not yell and scream or fly off at the handle for every little thing that a child does. There are parts of parenting that I expect to be difficult, but I was to approach them with a clear mind. I want to be conscious of my words, decisions and suggestions. It is my goal to raise Baby E into a responsible and emotionally stable person. Perhaps these book will be a great stepping stone.

If you read my previous post, you are probably wondering why you are seeing this book back on my list. It's on my list because I couldn't get the book when I ordered it. Back logged. But I plan on diving into this Waldorf inspired book. I am in love with the two Waldorf schools in my area. I plan on attending the toddler class in the fall when Baby E turns 1 years old. I'm hoping to learn rather this form of education is the right fit for us.

Mr. Mind

Hubby began this book last month, January and is finishing it up. I need to read it next as a group of families with boys are going to meet to discuss. I know our society right now does not want people to raise boys differently from girls, but I'm not quite sure if it's possible not to do so. Perhaps raising children should be personality focused rather than gender focused. Certainly, we are interested in learning what others have to say about raising a son.

Hubby's next book is undecided at this moment. With work and starting a business, I'm pretty sure reading isn't top of his list.

Baby E

These two books should be great fun. Baby E has really ticklish feet and hands. He has already discovered his feet and hands and has made it quite clear that he finds out that he has socks on, they are coming off. We are hoping that this will widen his attention to his body parts.

Family Read Aloud

This classic book will be a joy to read out loud. Our goal is to read it a couple times a week right after bathtime and the last bottle of the night. We are hoping to establish a longer evening routine that should carry Baby E, and ourselves for the next 20 years.

What are you reading this month?