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Fluffing the Nest: Making Your Home a Place of Rest
I had this idea a few months ago to write about the importance of creating a calming atmosphere in one’s home. At the time, we were living in a dark apartment building in the middle of four busy cross streets, and I had spent the last seven years and two kids later...
The Overcommitted Family
My Google calendar has this cool little feature where I can create categories within a calendar and color code different events. It's fun, pretty, and fills up the white spaces of my life. Things are happening, with my family, in my community, and it's all right there...
Losing Myself: How One Working Mom Finally Came Home
This post is over a year and a half in the making. I've had some time to live through cycles of emotions and new perspectives, and will continue to learn. But after the dust has settled, here is where I stand - humbled, but confident in pieces of the future that are...
Teaching Self-Sufficiency
My husband and I are both the firstborn of four children in our families, which basically means that we value the art of getting things done. This quality can be both a great strength and a great source of contention when either of us gets too focused to see the...
Be Who You Needed When You Were Younger
I've always been a pretty independent person. I take initiative to find resources and solutions to problems without much guidance, I'll sit in a diner or coffee shop by myself and just read, study, or work on stuff. I'll navigate my way through busy traffic to run...
What A Difference A Dad Makes
Growing up, I played a lot of softball. We were at the community field most nights of the week for practice or games. My dad was a firm believer in keeping his kids active in sports to learn teamwork, self-discipline, and to generally "stay out of trouble." He played...
Not Naughty: Parenting the Strong-Willed Child
In my late twenties, I found myself opening and directing a preschool center for our church in their new building in downtown Honolulu. I already had a degree and license as a public school teacher, but soon found out that I needed more training in early childhood...
Mother’s Day Memories
I live 2,611 miles away from my Mom. Across one ocean and at least three major cities. It's true - I Googled it. I feel the distance more each time a new holiday rolls around because in my family, we were always together on holidays. Every Mother's Day, my three...
Less is More: Letting Go of Stuff One Step at a Time
When I was in college, getting a new book in the mail felt like Christmas morning. The fresh smell of newly cut pages, a smart new cover design, sometimes with a glossy book jacket. I loved to stack them on my desk and bookshelves, highlight, notate, dog-ear,...