Break Time

Sorry that we've been a bit M.I.A. around here!

My parents ended up being able to visit for the holidays! We are so excited--especially since this is the first time that my parents and brothers have met our Sweet Honey. So, we are spending a lot of time with them and the family.

I am taking a little break this week to spend some time with my family--they leave on Saturday.

Also, NaBloPoMo is over! I think I did pretty well, Thank you very much. That being said, I'll be taking a bit of a break to enjoy the holidays with my family! I will still be posting here and there, but I certainly won't be around all the time.

Love you all!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you & your 'ohana

From me and mine!

I hope your day is full of food, fun, family, and the joy of the holiday season.

10 Under $20: For the Gamer Daddy

Josh is a pretty simple guy. His idea of a good gift is a Nintendo gift card or quality, uninterrupted time on his Playstation 3. He never asks for anything except for maybe a pack of Pokemon cards. Therefore he is one of the hardest people to shop for, but also the easiest. It's easy because I know that he'll just love whatever I get for him, but it's hard because I want to absolutely WOW him.

I've been shopping around for the past few weeks trying to find the perfect gift for Josh. It has not been easy, especially with a budget of $20 and agreeing that we'd only get each other 1 gift so that we can get more for Honey. Also, when did T-Shirts start costing nearly 30 bucks?! Anyway, I've finally narrowed it down to these 10 great gifts (under $20) for the gamer guy or girl in your life!

10 Under $20: For the Gamer Daddy

1. PJO Graphic Novels

Josh is not a big reader despite my attempts to get him to read with me every chance that I get. But that's okay because he can appreciate a good graphic novel. He has been eyeing these Percy Jackson and the Olympians graphic novels for quite a while but we haven't been able to find them all in one place. I actually can't believe that I hadn't thought to check Amazon before because, duh, I live on Amazon. Amazon has the entire series for about $12 a pop!

2. Fandom-Inspired Flavored Tea

Josh is a huge fan of hot tea...so much so that he is always telling me to just drink tea when I'm sick. Me on the other hand...not a fan unless it's iced tea. That being said, I wouldn't mind trying these fandom-inspired flavored teas from Addagio. They feature loads of fan-made teas inspired by whatever fandom you can think of like Disney, Doctor Who, Sherlock, and more! When I showed Josh this Steven Universe inspired blend he said, "I need that." At $19 for a 5oz tin (30 cents/cup), I think someone will find this in his stocking this year!

3. Water Balloon Filler

Fun Fact: Josh and I met at a summer day camp at which I was the best lead camp counselor ever (true FACTS...even though I'm kinda conceited) because I started a tradition of water balloon fights on Fridays. Josh spent many a Monday filling up water balloons for me without this water balloon filler from ThinkGeek. For only $4.99, I think this could be a super cute remainder of our beginning relationship stage!

4. Light Saber Chopsticks

Josh and I love eating sushi...it was our go-to date pre-pregnancy and we can't wait until Little Miss is a little bit older so that we can have sushi date nights again. I prefer eating sushi the "traditional" way in which I just pick it up with my hands. Josh, on the other hand, actually uses his chopsticks. I'm sure that he would feel cool (in a completely geeky way) if he had his very own Light Saber chopsticks to use at our favorite Sushi restaurant. These are only $14.99 over at ThinkGeek.

5. Gamer Dad T-shirt

Josh is definitely a t-shirt and jeans kind of guy...I think he owns like 2 dress shirts and he rarely ever wears them, lol. A guy can never have too many t-shirts, so I'd love to add this Gamer Dad shirt to his collection from Tennessee Sweet Tee over on Etsy. For $17.99 this shirt is pretty reasonably priced and won't make me want to cry for spending that much on a shirt...

6. Undies

Sometimes I feel like buying your other half undies or socks for Christmas is cliche. But these Star Wars undies are so cute (do guys like for their underwear to be called cute?) that I want a pair for myself. They are only $14.99 over at Thinkgeek.com. And they carry socks and undies for ladies and gents!

7. Funko Vinyl Pop Toys

Currently, Josh has a small collection of Pop Vinyl figurines...they're all on a shelf in Honey's room right now because we didn't have room in our room but I'm sure that once he's got his own man cave, those guys will be put on display front and center. I would love to add to his collection and Amazon is the best place to find a huge variety of Pop toys at a super good price...most of them are under $10! 

8. Pokemon Soap. 

There are loads of sellers on Etsy that sell Pokemon soap, but I have been eyeing this one for a while. It comes with a *surprise* inside of it...which, spoiler alert, I'm pretty sure is a toy Pokemon. How fun is that? It's supposed to make bath time, the Etsy store that this is from is actually called Bathtime is Funtime. Plus, it's only $10! What a deal!

9. This Shazam Watercolor Painting

Josh's favorite superhero is Shazam, which is pretty obscure so there aren't very many Shazam super hero merchandise. That is why I absolutely love this Watercolor Painting. I would love to get it framed for Josh's future man cave since his current man cave is our bedroom. It's $15 at JuanIsraelShop.

10. Subscription Box

I personally love subscription boxes. I subscribe to OwlCrate and Uppercase Box once in a while for awesome YA books and bookish items. Josh, however, is not a reader so a book box would not be his forte. Last year, for his birthday I got him a LootCrate and he liked it, but I think I want to give another subscription box a try. I'm probably going to go with the 1-Up Box. It's $40 worth of stuff for $9.92 plus Shipping and Handling. What a deal right?!

What's on your Christmas list for your hubby? Any suggestions for good gamer gifts that I haven't included here? Drop me a line and let me know!

4 Months with the Little Miss!

This Little Love Bug is 4 months old today! I cannot believe it. I honestly feel like it was just yesterday that I was writing my 40 week bump update and just waiting for this little girl to arrive. This month has been interesting to say the least. We've had our fair share of good days and bad days but the good definitely outweighs the bad. 

Growth: We go in for our 4 month appointment tomorrow so I'm not sure what her exact height and weight are at the moment. She is definitely growing though. She is so long and heavy that it's getting a bit hard to carry her and definitely hard to carry her around in her car seat!

Feeding: Breastfeeding and still going strong! I'm so glad that we got this far...I was a little nervous that we wouldn't get here but Honey has been such a strong nurser from the get-go. I'm thinking that the Doc will give us the OK to start her on foods. I am so excited to start giving her poi regularly!

Sleeping: Did you know that 4-month sleep regression is a thing? And sometimes it starts a little earlier then 4-months? Yep...it's true and I know a little girl who is currently going through that. Honey has been an excellent sleeper since she was born. She's been sleeping through the night since 2 months so mommy and daddy have been spoiled! There have been a few days over the past few weeks where she'll wake up in the middle of the night like she did when she first came home. 

Her naps during the day has also been a bit shorter but she takes more naps so it's kinda a win. I'm glad that at least she's on a routine for her days--including nap and bedtime. On a normal day, she will go to bed at 8:30 and sleep until about 5:00. Her nap times are normally at 7:30, 10:00, 4:30, with a really short catnap at about 6.

Moods: Honey is really such a happy baby like 90% of the time but this month, her little moods have definitely come out! She loves being held and when people pay attention to her but she does not like being alone for too long. She is definitely still a happy baby but she is not afraid to make it known when she does not like something.

Clothes: She still fits some of her 0-3 month clothes but mostly she's in 3-6 month clothes now. We just cleaned out her closet and drawers and packed up most of her 0-3 month clothes...a lot of which I don't think she even wore, haha. It was just much too hot to put her in clothes all the time. Now that winter is finally here, I've been able to actually put her in clothes during the day.

Likes/Dislikes: Honey loves playing airplane, petting Lady, standing up, bouncing, looking at colorful books, her daddy's face, watching TV shows (Dancing With the Stars) or whatever video games her dad is playing, and touching everything she can get her hands on. She especially loves playing with her Minnie Mouse and Belle dolls.  She does not like loud noises, being alone for too long, still does not enjoy her car seat, and tummy time unless she can do tummy time on mommy's knees.

Etc.: She rolled from her back to her tummy for the first time but still hasn't quite mastered the art of turning from her tummy to her back. We put her hair in pigtails for the first time and she looks so cute! We also celebrated her first Halloween, she was Scrump--Lilo's doll from Lilo and Stitch. She is now able to stand up by herself in her exersaucer.

I can't wait for more months with my little girl!

Bookish + Not So Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous!

01. I think it's about time for my annual Facebook Fast in which I try to stay off a FB for a while. There is way too much negativity on that thing with Current Events and it's just too much for me.

02. I am all for people having their own opinions. I personally believe that it is healthy and important for people to form their own decisions about things. I think that it's important to voice your opinions and to stand up for what you believe in. I think voicing good, factual opinions helps other people to form their own opinions and decisions and can lead to healthy, constructive discussion. I DO NOT think that it is okay to yell at or ridicule or demean someone else just because their opinion is different from yours!

(Source)

03. That being said, I also think that if we spent more time voicing our opinions to our government leaders than voicing them on FB maybe something actually could get done. No matter what your stance on the issue are, nothings going to happen if you only choose to complain on FB...complaining on social media honestly helps no one. Take all that energy/time you're wasting on social media and actually write to the government! You can contact the White House here or learn how to contact your individual state government officials here.

04. Alright...enough with the politics...I just needed to get that stuff off my shoulders. So yesterday, I watched BuzzFeed video's YouTube videos about people revisiting their first Instagram photos and their first Facebook profile pictures. Here are mine: 

(Facebook: Oh, sweet 20-year-old Tasia and Puppy!Lady...how cute and young were you two? Also...those eyebrows, doe. Thankfully we make better eyebrow choices now.)

(Instagram: 23y.o. Tasia is seriously cute...and that HAIR doe.)

05. I feel like it's taking me so long to get through books lately....I don't really know how to get out of this whole slump thing. I guess time will tell.

06. Yesterday was Mickey and Minnie's 87th birthday! Can you believe that they've been around for 87 years?! I can't even imagine my life without Mickey and Minnie (or Disney), let alone imagine the world without them. One day I'll celebrate their birthday with them....

07. I've been spending a lot of time looking at Bridesmaids dresses online lately in preparation for my BFF's wedding next September. I've found a few that I like but I don't really want to commit until I've actually tried something on...which is extremely difficult when you live in Hawaii where resources are seriously limited. I need to get on it, though...September is going to be here in no time at all!

08. I seriously, seriously need to make myself a TBR jar. I've been looking at a few on Pinterest and around the bloggy-web and I have been inspired! Plus, maybe it'll help with my whole No-Book-Buying thing...

09. I want to cut my hair because I don't think I've actually gotten a hair cut for 2 years now. My hair is ridiculously long and while I do love it, it's also ridiculously hot. And Honey is learning how to pull Mommy's hair. So I think it's time for a cut...but I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

10. I am trying to put together a gift list for Josh. He's a huge gamer geek who loves Pokemon and playing video games. The catch: It needs to be under $20! Help??

Ten Quotes Iʻve Loved from books Iʻve Read in the Past Year or So

Iʻm linking up yet again with the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish for another Top Ten Tuesday!

Top 10 Quotes I Loved From Books I Read This Past Year

(that is a mouth full!)

1. "At some point, we have to stop planning and start doing. I think that time is now."  -- Winter by Marissa Meyer

2. "Even if I believed I was doing good -- for who am I to presume what is good for others?" -- Winter by Marissa Meyer

3. "All the good ideas feel daunting at first..." -- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

4. "She really needs to believe sheʻs special. I admire that about her. Because you have to believe youʻre special before you can do anything special." -- The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

5. "You donʻt have to live forever, you just have to live." -- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

6. "I donʻt think you have to do something so big to be brave. And itʻs the little things that are harder anyway." -- Since Youʻve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

7. "We are here to take chances, and fail, and keep trying." -- The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

8. "Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes itʻs impossible to tell the difference." -- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

9. "And maybe the only way to find what youʻre looking for is to get lost along the way." -- Letʻs Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

10. "Youʻre always preparing yourself for the thing that is most likely to happen, instead of hoping for the thing that you most want to happen." -- The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

I love quotes! Iʻve kept a quote book for as long as I can remember. These are just a few of my favorites from the books Iʻve read so far this year. What are your favorite quotes?

Mommy Thoughts In the Face of Disaster

This weekend, I chose to refrain from posting on the blog to express a kind of ʻmoment of silenceʻ for the utterly devastating events that took place in Paris & other places throughout the world last week. I did have thoughts and things that I wanted to say but, because I was unsure about to express said thoughts, I decided that silence would be best...at least until I figured out what I wanted to say. Today, I am ready to express my thoughts and feelings. I can only hope that what I have in my mind and my heart translates well...

Whenever I checked my Facebook on Friday, it seemed that bad news filled my feed. Earthquakes in Mexico and Japan, bombings in Baghdad and Beirut, and finally the terrorist attacks in Paris. In the span of 24 hours, nearly 120,000 lives were lost. 120,000 people who were sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and friends. 120, 000 people who possibly had plans for their lives...suddenly gone. Needless to say, I held my daughter a bit closer and a bit longer that night.

(Source)

Late on that night as I was scrolling through my friendʻs status updates, a comment someone made caught my eye. I canʻt remember what it said exactly but it was somewhere along the lines of: "Even if I wanted kids, I wouldnʻt want to bring them into a world like this."

That made me stop and think.

I thought about my daughter and about this timeframe in which she was born. I worried that things like this--bombings, natural disasters, wars, and rumors of wars--would be the norm of her childhood. I wondered if I was wrong to bring her into the world at a time like this when it seems that unrest and fear is prevalent throughout the world. I worried that there was nothing that I could do to protect her from all the things that were wrong with the world.

Then I stopped to pray. I prayed for those throughout the world who were hurting that night--who would be hurting for days, months, years even, on end. I prayed for the lives that were lost and I prayed for those who lost friends and family members in the horrific events that occurred. I prayed that their hearts and minds would be comforted and that, in their time of need, they would see the good in the world...that they would be healed with time and love. I prayed for the first-responders and all the emergency personnel who would be on the scene to help those who were affected by the events.

And I prayed for myself. I prayed for the comfort to know that my daughter was born at this time for a reason. I prayed for the strength and the faith to raise my daughter to be a good, kind person. I prayed that I would be able to see the good in the world and that I would be able to teach her that there is good out there. I prayed for my sweet little girl. I prayed that, though she may see injustice and fear and unrest and hatred, that she would know who to look to for love, kindness, peace, and justice.

(Source)

Being a mom is so, so scary without having to worry about all the horrible things going on in the world today. Trust me, I worry nearly every single moment of every single day about my kid. But through my prayer, I found comfort. 

Even though there isnʻt much I can do regarding natural disasters or terror attacks, there are things that I can do for my daughter...to help her stand strong and faithful in the face of these kinds of things. I can teach her to pray and to rely on her Heavenly Father. I can teach her to be compassionate and service minded. I can instill in her a love to serve others in her every day life so that when things like this happens, she will have the desire to serve them. I can teach her to seek comfort from her Heavenly Father or from those around her when things that scare her happens. I can be there for her to explain to her that these things do happen, but that it should not affect her view of the world. I can show her that goodness does exist in the world. I can be her example of good. 

Iʻm sure that, at some point, every parent has wanted to lock their kid in a room where they canʻt get hurt and nothing bad can ever happen to them. Unfortunately, we canʻt do that...we can only hope to teach and show our kids the best things about the world that we live in.

2015 Holiday To-Do List

Is it just me or did 2015 go by in the blink of an eye? I swear it was just Thanksgiving 2014 where I had just found out that I was expecting and subsequently sick and nauseated the whole time. I was also sick straight through the New Year so 2014 Holiday season was not fun for me.

This year, Iʻm thankful that I wonʻt be sick through all of my favorite holidays. Mostly, though, Iʻm thankful that we get to celebrate these holidays with my sweet baby girl. I am determined to make her first holiday season amazing....even though she wonʻt remember any of it and will have to rely on pictures/our stories/journals to know what happened. Thatʻs why Iʻm making our 2015 holiday to-do list. I am so excited to create new traditions for our little family as well as carry on some of my favorite traditions from when I was a kid! Hereʻs our holiday to-do list so far.

1. Make Fall art with baby

2. Do ʻMy First Thanksgivingʻ pictures

3. Do Random Acts of Kindness

4. Make new gratitude lists

5. Give back to those who need it

6. Have a yummy Thanksgiving feast with those we love

7. Eat pumpkin crunch!

8. Do 25 books of Christmas (post coming soon)

9. Do Elf on the Shelf

10. Decorate a Christmas tree

11. Buy Honey her first Christmas ornament

12. Make cinnamon ornaments

13. Bake Christmas cookies for our neighbors

14. Make crock-pot hot chocolate

15. Watch favorite Christmas movies

16. Send out family Christmas cards

17. Purchase some toys for Toys-for-Tots or the Angel Tree

18. Watch a Nativity play

19. Make Christmas art with baby

20. Spend time TOGETHER with no distractions

(Source)

Whatʻs on your holiday to-do list?

Bookish/Not-so-Bookish Thoughts

Linking up with Christine

01. Throwing in a bit of a #TBT with that picture even though it isnʻt even Christmas yet (but it is Thursday) because a) I miss those girls and b) I miss that bow...and that outfit. Thatʻs from when I worked at Disney World back in 2013...that was our costume during Christmas parties! TAKE ME BACK.

02. Iʻm actually really tired so weʻll see how far I get with this whole thoughts thing because, honestly, Iʻm not thinking about much at all right now.

03. Currently, I am in a kinda weird reading mood type thing. I wouldnʻt call it a slump because itʻs not that I donʻt want to read...itʻs more that Iʻm taking much longer than usual to get through books and Iʻm a little annoyed by that. I am not a speed reader at all, but I do usually read a bit faster than what Iʻm reading right now. Might have something to do with a certain 3 month old taking up my time but...eh.

04. Honey and I spend a lot of time reading together. Most of the time, Iʻll just read whatever I happen to be reading to her but last week, I read her books to her since Iʻve been cleaning out her bookshelves. That may have something to do with the weird mood Iʻve been in.

05. Today, we had a double baby shower at my job for two of my co-workers! Theyʻre both having/had baby boys. It was so much fun to hang out with each other outside of work (not that I work very often anyway lol) and to just enjoy each otherʻs company. And to celebrate the new additions to the ʻohana of course! Plus, Honey had lots of Aunties to play with and to carry her.

06. I have been speaking Hawaiian to Lilia when weʻre by ourselves during the day. I definitely should have started when she was born, but 3 months isnʻt too late at all! I really want her to speak some kind of language other than English and since Hawaiian is the language that I know, Hawaiian it will be!

Annnnd my brain is going to sleep now! So 6 is all the thoughts I have for today. Whatʻs on your mind?

Currently 003

Thankful for... each and every single veteran out there who fought for my freedom. One day a year to honor them is NOT enough. Thank you so much to those past, present, and future who have served our country!

Listening... to Josh sing weird gamer parodies of popular songs. He listens to those things a lot...especially Pokemon ones. They tend to get stuck in my head. Itʻs annoying...haha

Eating... Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies. Itʻs not the holiday season in my mind until Iʻve had these cookies. I donʻt really know why/when I started associating these cookies with the holidays. When I was younger and would go to my Tutuʻs house, we ate these year-round. I guess theyʻre more available at Christmas time so now holidays=butter cookies. Anyway, they were on sale at Wal Mart for 2 for $5. Thatʻs a steal. I needed them. P.S. I should start storing my sewing supplies in these when Iʻm done with the cookies!

(Via)

Winning... at LIFE because Josh brought home 3 American girl dolls today that he got from a co-worker of his. OK...so technically theyʻre for the baby but you better believe that Iʻm going to play with those babies! Backstory: I got my very first American Girl doll last year. We didnʻt have an American Girl store growing up and ordering one meant paying ridiculously high prices to have it shipped out to Hawaii. So I made do with Barbies. However, I desperately wanted a Samantha doll. She was my favorite...I read all her books and I wanted a Samantha doll so bad. So when they opened a temporary AG doll store down here last year AND brought Samantha back, I knew that it was a sign and I had to have her. And now Samantha has friends! Thanks babe!

Reading... Cress by Marissa Meyer. I just need to finish this book before I move on to Winter, the last book in the Lunar Chronicles, which came out today. Happy Book Birthday, Winter!

Feeling.... Homesick for Disney World. I canʻt wait to take my little Miss to my home away from home next year! I just wish that next year would hurry and get here already!

Top 10 Tuesday--Book to Movie Adaptations that I NEED to Watch

OK, Iʻve gotta be honest here--Iʻm not big on book to movie adaptations. Whatʻs weird though is that more than half of the movies that I watch actually are book to movie adaptations. If itʻs not a Disney movie, the chances are high that I would choose a movie based on a book. Still, Iʻm very picky about them. I donʻt watch movies very often (even less now that Iʻve got a little munchkin to bring along), so if I do watch a movie it needs to be good, otherwise I just feel like Iʻm wasting my money and time. Thatʻs why I choose to watch book to movie adaptations, for the most part Iʻll know what to expect. Still, it goes without saying that often the book is much better in my head then it is on the movie screen. 

Iʻm linking up with the Broke and the Bookish to talk about some of the book to movie adaptations that I would LOVE to see....or ones that are out/have been out for a while that I still need to see. Warning, there are a lot of those.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- I honestly do not know why I havenʻt seen this one yet. At first, I was waiting until I read the book and after I read the book...I donʻt know. Iʻll have to convince Josh to watch this one with me one night after Honey goes to sleep, I guess!

2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Parts 1 &2) -- I vaguely remember watching Catching Fire...I think. And then, when Mockingjay Part 1 came out, I just wasnʻt interested. Now that Part 2 is on itʻs way, I figure I should probably get around to watching ʻem. I LOVED The Hunger Games trilogy so I do want to see how the last book was brought to life in the cinematic world. Maybe weʻll have a Hunger Games marathon this Thanksgiving.

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner -- I sooooo wanted to see this movie when it came out but I hadnʻt read the books yet and as a general rule, I donʻt watch movies until Iʻve read their books. I still havenʻt gotten around to reading the books yet, but Iʻm sure that Iʻll watch the movies as soon as Iʻve read ʻem!

4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling -- I feel a bit bad because Iʻm not as excited as other Potterheads for this movie. I mean, yes I am still very excited because MORE POTTER! and EDDIE REDMAYNE! and AMERICAN WIZARDS! And all that good stuff. 

5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins -- OK....I am pretty excited about this movie, mostly because of the cast. Emily Blunt?! Yes, please! The book was a bit predictable to me, but I still enjoyed it. It will definitely be interesting to see it all fleshed out on the big screen.

6. The Selection by Kiera Cass -- A while ago, there were rumors going around that the Selection series was going to be turned in to a TV show, but I guess that fell through. That really sucks because the books are definitely one of my guilty pleasures and I would eat that up for real. Hereʻs to hoping that something will work out in the future because I NEED America and Aspen and Maxon in my life always.

7. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell -- Yeah, alright, I know that there isnʻt even talk (YET) about this becoming a movie at all, but letʻs all just think positive happy thoughts and maybe the universe will manifest it and let it be. I may be obsessed with Simon and Baz. Am I turning into Cath?

8. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews -- I absolutely loved this book and Iʻve heard nothing but good things regarding the movie. 

9. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer -- This might just be because I am currently re-reading the Lunar Chronicles in anticipation for Winter, which comes out TODAY (finally), but I would love to see a movie adaptation of these books. I mean, come on, futuristic world...cyborgs...Prince Kai...Thorne...you see where Iʻm going with this, right? According to Marissa Meyerʻs blog, the rights for the movie have been optioned so I guess itʻs all just a waiting game now.

10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes -- I am excited about this movie for two reasons: 1) Emilia Clarke and 2) Sam Clafin. 

What book to movie adaptations are you just dying to see? If you could make any book into a movie, what book would you choose? 

Usborne Books

I am an avid reader and I always have been. I was the kid who preferred staying in and reading to playing outside with the other kids. I was the nerd who actually liked doing workbooks on top of actual homework. I knew for a long time that my kid(s) would be raised readers, too.

Reading to kids is so, so important! Not only does reading help your child learn, but it also allows you to bond with your child. We could talk all day about the scientific reasons why you should read with your kid every day.

Iʻve been reading to Honey every single day since before she was born. Before she was born, I worked at a preschool and I spent a lot of time reading to the kids each day, so of course she would listen. Now, we put aside 15 minutes in the evening for a bedtime story as well as a few minutes here and there during the day to read. I also read whatever book Iʻm currently reading to her as well. I love having that time to bond with her.

When I first heard about Usborne Books and More, I fell in love. Usborne is a publishing company that was founded by Peter Usborne in the 1970ʻs. They are based in the U.K., but stateside they are a direct sales book company! I had a few Usborne books and I decided to join the sales side just for the 25% discount on books. And boy am I glad that I did!

Usborne has over 2000 fiction and non-fiction titles for kids of every age. Many homeschoolers use Usborne books as part of their curriculum. Theyʻve got activity books, chapter books, touchy-feely books...really, anything you could think of!

Baby Girl loves the ʻThatʻs Not My....ʻ series. The illustrations are so bright and colorful that it keeps her attention. She doesnʻt quite understand the touchy-feely part of it yet, but sheʻs only 3 months...sheʻll get there eventually. Our favorite is ʻThatʻs Not My Mermaid.ʻ

The best thing about these books are that theyʻre dang cheap! Over 60% of them are less than $10. Not only is baby getting a bunch of Usborne books this Christmas, but my nieces are, too!

The Usborne Color by Numbers Book is my personal favorite. I loved color by numbers books as a kid and itʻs no different now! Itʻs so relaxing to just get out my markers and color at the end of the day after baby is asleep.

I honestly could talk about Usborne Books and More all day. Weʻve got sticker books, young adult books, coloring books, write and erase books, SO MANY BOOKS! It really would take all day to talk about it, haha. Instead, you can go check them out for yourself right here!

Have you ever heard of Usborne Books? Do you own any of ʻem? Whatʻs your favorite thing to read with your kid? 

My Papa

My grandpa passed away on December 2, 2007. It was hard for me for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it was like I lost a father. I did lose a father.

My grandpa (and grandma) raised me from the time I was a baby. I still live with my grandma now, even. I was my grandpaʻs baby. I was his girl. He was everything to me. He was my father because my "real" dad wasnʻt apart of my life. My grandpa was is my real dad.

Today is his birthday. He would have been 70 this year.

I hate talking about his passing. It was hard for me then, itʻs still hard for me now. And especially today, I donʻt want to focus on that I want to focus on his life. And most especially the things he did for me.

Today is for him. Happy Birthday, Papa! I love you and I miss you so much. Thanks for taking such good care of Lilia up in heaven. I know she misses you just as much as I do. I hope that Iʻm making you proud <3

Friday Confessional

I was reading an old (old, old, old, old, like from 2010 old) blog of mine. It was interesting to see what 20-year-old Tasia was like, but what caught my attention more was all the link-ups that I participated in back then. There were so many! Like one or two for every single day of the week. I decided that Iʻm going to bring one of those old link-up prompts back because, well, I can. So here goes...

I confess....

...that I really like link-ups, especially ones with specific prompts or questions. Sometimes, itʻs hard to figure out what to talk about on the blog, so I liked that I had something to write/post about right in front of me. 

...that I totally watched Doc McStuffins long after Honey lost interest today. I like Doc, okay?!

me...except Iʻm not complaining, haha.

...I do let Honey watch shows/videos with me on my phone or computer from time to time. She likes shows like Doc McStuffins and Dancing With the Stars. Sheʻs not in front of a screen all day and I definitely spend a lot of time reading with her as well, so I donʻt see much of a problem.

...I am desperately needing/wanting a new computer. My poor MacBook Pro is making some weird noises and I donʻt like using it for long periods of time just in case. I definitely cannot afford a new MacBook right now (and if I could, I would use the $$$ on baby, not myself), but I think Iʻll have to start looking in to getting a new, cheap computer soon. Any suggestions?

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...I have not written one word for NaNoWriMo since Sunday. Iʻm kinda just not into it but I really wish that I were! 

...I havenʻt read for myself today. I read to Honey quite a bit today, but I havenʻt read any of my own book today. That means that I should probably get off the computer and get some reading done before bed.

Happy Friday!

Bookish & Not-So-Bookish Thoughts

01. I hadnʻt gotten around to sharing our Halloween costumes here on the blog yet, so there it is. We were Lilo, Stitch, and Liloʻs doll Scrump. I made all of our costumes (Joshʻs hat, my dress, babyʻs beanie). It has got to be my favorite Halloween costume of all time...mostly cause Honey is the CUTEST Scrump ever. 

02. Remember, remember the fifth of November...is that stuck in anyone elseʻs head today or is that just me? I have the sudden urge to start a revolution. Iʻm not sure what Iʻm rebelling against, but letʻs do this.

03. Also, is anyone else freaking out about J.K. Rowlingʻs announcement that sheʻs working on another childrenʻs book? Honestly, Iʻm not a fan of Joʻs adult fiction stuff, but Iʻm 99.9% sure that I would love another childrenʻs book from the woman that gave us Harry Potter and subsequently changed my life.

04. Even though itʻs definitely good on my wallet, Iʻm kinda bummed that November is such a slow month for anticipated book releases (for me at least). 

05. I may have gone a bit overboard on the whole book buying thing last month though, so at least Iʻll have somewhat of a break this month since Iʻm not really looking forward to anything big this month!

06. I am, however, looking forward to Winter by Marissa Meyer and The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy by Rainn Wilson. I may also pick up After You by Jojo Moyes. I already have so much to read (but not too much...thereʻs no such thing as too much to read).

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07. ^^^^ That will always be true about me. 

08. I made edible cookie dough today (eggless cookie dough) because Iʻve been craving that so much lately. It was good, but it somehow wasnʻt exactly what I wanted. Iʻm a little disappointed but eh. I guess that just means Iʻll have to try a new recipe next time. Anyone got good eggless cookie dough recipes?

09. Iʻm dying for cold weather to get here already! Itʻs still so ridiculously hot here and I am so over it. They say that this heat/dryness is going to last until possibly late December. Thatʻs not okay, weather. El Nino can go away now, thanks.

10. These Buzzfeed articles about life and music in the 2000s are making me feel nostalgic. Man, the early 2000s were definitely a different (dare I say better) time.

11. Iʻm super thankful that Josh has Wednesdays off. I enjoy hanging out with him and baby all day on Wednesdays without having to worry about things needing to be done, etc. Itʻs also nice having another person around to help take care of baby, especially since sheʻs going through a developmental leap and has been exceptionally grumpy lately. 

12. Iʻm currently getting ready to start Christmas shopping. This year, I want to buy more from small businesses, etsy shops, instagram shops, mom & pop stores, and direct sales consultants rather than going to the ʻbig businessesʻ. As a small business owner myself, I understand first hand how EVERY little cent helps support an actual family. If you have any suggestions that fit the criteria, leave me links to their shops/sites in the comments! I would love to check it out :D

Linking up with Christine over at Bookishly Boisterous

Currently 002

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Reading... Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Iʻm actually trying to re-read the entire Lunar Chronicles before the next book in the series, Winter, comes out next week. The last time I read all the books at once was when Cress came out in February of 2014. Iʻm reading all 4 books currently out (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest), as well as the short stories associated with the chronicles. If you havenʻt read these yet, I highly recommend them. You can check out The Lunar Chronicles on Goodreads, right here!

Wanting... chocolate. Or cookie dough. Such bad, bad cravings but I want them so bad! 

Resisting... buying more books on my Nook. I have soooo many books that I havenʻt read yet--not just on my Nook but on my bookshelves as well. I have an obsession with buying books. I wouldnʻt call it an unhealthy obsession because, hey, at least it isnʻt like drugs or alcohol or something. And I donʻt just buy them for myself! The Little Honey definitely gets the perks of having a bookworm momma. Still...weʻve both got tons of books that we havenʻt read yet and Iʻm trying really, really hard to make a dent in those before adding to our collection.

Planning... baby shower gifts for two of my coworkers. In the past year alone, 7 of 17 of the people who work at the preschool that I work at has become pregnant. Itʻs like a baby boom over there for real! Anyway, weʻre having a baby shower for 2 of them next week and I have no idea what to get. Both are baby boys so hand-me-downs from Lilia wonʻt work. I have a few ideas about what I want to do, but I donʻt really have the time to do them so weʻll see.

Feeling... a little annoyed that I forgot about the release of Peter Pan tsum tsums today. Ugh. If you know me, you would know that I love Peter Pan. Tinker Bell is my favorite Disney character. I set my alarm to remind me about the Peter Pan tsum tsums  as soon as I found out that they would be released, but it didnʻt go off. I only remembered after a friend of mine posted her Nana tsum tsum. Oh well....I can get them later.

Wishing... that my parents and brothers (and aunty, uncle, & cousins) could come home for Thanksgiving this year. My parents and brothers are trying to come down but itʻs still up in the air. Why is travel to/from Hawaii so friggen expensive?! Really...Hawaii in general is expensive, but thatʻs another story for another day.

Playing... Loop from the Google Play store. Itʻs also available on iOS but I donʻt have an iPhone soo....yeah. I just downloaded it today. Itʻs kinda relaxing...and very addicting.  

Thankful For... the fact that Honey sleeps through the night (hopefully I did not jinx myself) and that she takes pretty good naps during the day. That gives me time to get things done at night after she goes to sleep and, since we wake up early, I get a lot done in the morning and still have time for napping when she naps. Iʻm definitely blessed.

Linked up with Jenna and Anne

When I Grow Up....

Every kid has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. It ranges from the ridiculous (dinosaur trainer, for example. Although that would be a cool job...maybe....have you seen Jurassic Park?!) to the realistic (doctors, police officers, firefighters, mail person, etc). I have always believed that you could do or be anything you wanted.

Todayʻs Top 10 is inspired by just that, the dreams of a kid..in this case, me. Also inspired by todayʻs NaBloPoMoʻs prompt.

10  5 Dream Jobs According to Little Tasia

01. Lawyer. Younger Tasia was very good at arguing and talking. I never ever shut up. And basically, thatʻs all I thought it took to be a lawyer. Also, I probably watched way too much Legally Blonde and Elle Woods was goals. Do I still want to be a lawyer now? No thank you. Iʻm much too timid to be a lawyer. And while I am still an excellent arguer (you can ask Josh...lol), I donʻt think Iʻd be a good lawyer.

02. Psychologist. Ok. Truth time. I was a total nerd. When I was in 7th/8th grade I spent a lot of my free time reading college psychology books. I was obsessed. I thought psychology was so interesting. I mean...the brain is so CRAZY right?! I was known as the ʻpsychologistʻ amongst my friends because I was the one who would sit and listen to everyoneʻs problems and give advice. I donʻt really want to be a psychologist anymore, but I still love the field. In fact, I was studying to be a Marriage and Family Counselor up until very recently.

03. Governor. See number 1. I wanted to be the governor for all the same reasons that I wanted to be a lawyer. I was (and still am) very opinionated about public issues. But I basically only talked to my family about what I thought the government should be doing. They were probably the only ones who would listen to me. Would I do this job now? Eh...maybe, maybe not. Thereʻs a lot more gray area in politics than little Tasia realized. And itʻs a lot harder, too.  Maybe in the future I will run for public office. Weʻll see!

04. Teacher. I LOVED playing school. I played school every chance that I got. I played school with my barbies. I played school with my friends. I played school with my cousins. I loved it so much. I loved going to school. I loved my teachers in school. SCHOOL!

05. Fire Helicopter Pilot. OK...this is the one that I was obsessed with. And itʻs also probably the weirdest one on my list. I live at the base of a mountain and it would constantly catch on fire during the summer just because itʻs so hot here. I thought that the helicopters that go to the ocean to get water to help put the fires out was the coolest thing ever. I wanted to pilot one of those helicopters. I didnʻt want to just be a fire fighter, I very specifically wanted to pilot the helicopter. But I also didnʻt want to be a regular helicopter pilot. It was fire helicopter or nothing. A few years ago, I finally seen one of those things up close getting water from a canal. IT WAS SO FRIGGEN COOL. I probably wouldnʻt do that job now because helicopters kinda freak me out (theyʻre too small, I would get claustrophobic), but itʻs still the coolest job.

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5 Dream Jobs According to Current Tasia

01. Teacher. So, I actually did achieve my dream of becoming a teacher. Before baby was born, I was a preschool TA. Now that baby is here, I do some subbing when I can bear being away from her (itʻs not often). When things settle down, I also want to go back to school to earn a degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I love teaching, I always have. I love being a teacher and I especially love that my role of ʻteacherʻ didnʻt end when I had a baby. 

02. Artist.  I donʻt have a specific art form. I just love art. And making things. Creating is such an amazing feeling. To make something beautiful from random things? WOW.  I love to paint, sew, knit, and write. I do try to work on doing these things at least once a week, but itʻs definitely hard with Little Honey. Still...artists are AMAZING.

03. Lactation Consultant. When Honey was born, we had a hard time latching. We seen 2 or 3 different Lactation Consultants and they were all so great! I loved them so much. They were so encouraging and passionate about what they did. I loved that. I am a breastfeeding advocate (well...I am a FEED YOUR BABY advocate however you decide, but breastfeeding was right for me) and I wish that everyone could see the many, many benefits of breastfeeding. I donʻt think that I could actually be a Lactation Consultant (too many science/nursing classes that I definitely could not handle), but I admire the people who do it and I wish I could. 

04. Childrenʻs Librarian. I donʻt really have a reason. I just love books. I think that all children should be read to all the time. I like reading. I like kids. It works. Haha.

05. SAH Mommy. DREAM JOB FOR REAL. Iʻve wanted to be a SAHM since I decided that I really wanted kids. I do stay at home with Honey most of the time and I hate when I have to sub and leave baby behind. I was seriously made to be a SAHM. Thereʻs nothing wrong with working outside of the home, itʻs just not for me. I do wish that I could just be a SAHM all the time and hopefully I will be in the very near future!

Those are my dream jobs. From both Mini Me and Big me. What are yours?

Becoming Mama

The last post that I wrote before disappearing for a few months was a 40 week pregnancy update post. I re-read it last night and all the memories of being 40 weeks pregnant came flooding back to me. I remember being so anxious to meet my little girl, worried about what labor was going to be like, tired of being so huge,  and exhausted because I couldnʻt sleep because I was too busy thinking too much about all those other things. I wanted her out right then and there so that I could stop expecting and start being mama.

Well, baby girl was born less than 24 hours after I posted that! We had gone in for my 40 week check up that day knowing that it was very possible (even likely) that baby would be baking for another week or 2. I didnʻt think that I could handle that. I met with the midwife that day fully prepared to ask her to sweep my membranes. My sister told me that she had them do that during her first pregnancy and my niece was born the next day. Well, I ended up not having to at all.

My blood pressure was high. The midwife was nervous that I was in the beginning stages of preeclampsia. I had been tested for it a few weeks earlier, but the doctor wasnʻt worried so they didnʻt do anything about it then. In all honesty, my blood pressure was probably high because I was so stressed out about whether or not it was time for baby to come. But, since high blood pressure runs in my family, it was better to be safe than sorry. The midwife decided to send me in to labor and delivery where they could better assess my situation and decide what to do from there.

So off we went to the hospital!

hospital Tasia, obviously thrilled to be hooked up to all sorts of machines.

At the hospital, they monitored my blood pressure for a couple of hours before they decided to induce me. They started with Prepidil to help things move along, then moved to Pitocin after a few hours. Honestly, by this point I had lost all track of time. All I really remember is that my water broke at about 6:00pm while I was using the bathroom.

I got an epidural at about 10:30/11:00 at night.

Because babyʻs heartbeat was cutting in and out during contractions, my nurse stayed in my room practically all night.

Thankfully, Josh and I got a little bit sleep...even if it was just a few minutes here and there.

At 7:00 the next morning, the doctors and midwives decided that I was ready to push. After about half an hour or so of pushing, our daughter was born. She was 7 lbs 10oz and she was 19.25 inches long. She was perfect. She still is perfect.

THESE. They helped sooo much!

Honestly, labor and delivery didnʻt go as I had planned. I had wanted to labor in the labor tub but since they had to monitor me and baby the whole time, I couldnʻt do that. I had wanted to give birth naturally--no drugs, but because the contractions came fast and HARD I decided that the pain was too much for me and I got the epidural.  I had wanted to go in to labor naturally but because of the risk of preeclampsia, it was much safer to get the medical help that my body needed (also, she would probably still be chilling in their right now if she could be, haha). I thought that labor would last much, much longer because I was induced but it ended up being quick and (fairly) easy.

I thought a lot of things about how it would all go down. Iʻm the kind of person who needs to know every last detail of the plan before even agreeing to something. But I guess when it comes to bringing a child into the world and then raising that child, you canʻt know every last detail of the plan. You agree to the unknown. I canʻt complain though. My unknown brought me this:

Lilia was born on July 22, 2015 at 7:45 am weighing 7lbs and 10oz at 19.25 inches long

P.S. I feel like I need to mention how much of a champ Josh was during the whole L&D process. Even though he was tired, nervous, and worried about me he was absolutely amazing. He stayed next to me, holding my hand the entire time. He was the one who walked me to the bathroom (when I was able to walk around) and rubbed my back as I was showering. He was the restocker of essential oils in the diffuser. He talked to everyone on the phone when I couldnʻt. When it was time to push and I felt like I couldnʻt do it, he kept insisting that I could. He was the first to see Lilia and he cried when he cut the cord. I couldnʻt have asked for a better delivery couch or a better daddy to my girl.

Guess Whoʻs Back?

Itʻs me! Iʻm the one whoʻs back!

If you donʻt remember me...well..yeah..makes sense. Iʻm Tasia. I run this blog. I guess...kinda. Like, you know...if I actually wrote in this blog lol.

I had big dreams about blogging my life as a new mommy before my little girl was born. Then I got nervous about crazy internet people who might try to stalk my life or steal pictures of my girl...so then I stopped. What? There are crazy people out there you know?!

Anyway, I decided to come back for NaBloPoMo! Soo...yay me! Haha. Mostly because I think it might (emphasis on that word) be easier than doing NaNoWriMo, especially with my little Miss. Donʻt get me wrong, Iʻm still going to attempt NaNoWriMo, but Iʻll definitely feel better about myself if I can compete at least one of these. Hopefully both.

So welcome back me! Canʻt wait to share November with yʻall!