ML Interest Tag: aspect

How to Practice Kindness All Year Long

By Barbara Mascareno-Shaw

Is there one thing children know too much or too little about kindness? I thought, perhaps, reading and doing math are essential skills to have in life. By all means, I do believe those are meaningful educational goals. Then, I wondered if kindness and compassion are still valuable lessons to learn.

There is nothing more important in the world than letting children know the importance of kindness. Why go through the process of even teaching children the value of compassion?

I wasn’t aware the impact of kindness until I experience it myself. Even though I often spare my extra change for the red kettle that rings with compassion outside the grocery store, I often wonder how far does that quarter go.

If only those 25-cents could talk, I think it might say that all together it helps someone have brighter holidays or help someone find a job, desperately. When you teach children to be kind, it’s a worthwhile opportunity to let them experience the wonders of community. Whether it’s a learning experience or an occasion to make children know what it means to give from the heart, it’s a chance to offer compassion. It is undoubtedly vital to let them do so at any age whenever they see an opportunity to help someone.

Would going to a homeless shelter help them realize how vital it is to have food? The majority might see it as a guilt trip. In reality, it is a thankful approach to life. Teaching them to recognize the part of life that they should be grateful teaches them such a valuable lesson. In essence, when we take the time to explain that this is not a negative aspect of life but a remarkable way to help someone else.

By helping to collect coats, blankets, food supplies, or serving food in homeless shelters, I’m adding value to my life and those around me. It is an experience to cherish for life. A new perspective on life is upon me when I think those few coins can make a world of difference. Yes, whether it is a small gesture such as dropping coins in the red bucket Salvation Army or collecting toys for Toys for Tots, the need to think besides my ‘wants’ and desires are more powerful than receiving something from someone else.

Don’t let the valuable lesson stop there. Carry on the kindness of helping others by serving in other ways throughout the year.

Featured Photo Courtesy: Sasin Tipchai
Barbara Mascareno-Shaw
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Barbara is a content writer, multi-cultural mom, and educator. When she's not writing about education and homeschooling, she loves to write about parenting life and family activities. She strives to write, research, and communicate healthy living for all parenting. 

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Our Family Is Complete. So Why Can’t I Give Up the Bags of Baby Clothes?

By Kelly Park

There are three bags of clothing in my basement that I have developed a potentially unhealthy and positively ridiculous attachment to. These bags are filled with cozy, teeny tiny sleepers and itty bitty baby dresses. It’s hard to believe that the long-legged, ponytailed children running around my house were ever small enough to wear them. These clothes have not fit my children for a few years and we are not going to have any more kids. I have no need to keep them. So, then, why can’t I get rid of my baby clothes?

After my husband and I came to the conclusion that our family was complete, I gleefully started flinging baby stuff from our house. The Exersaucer went to the first person who could take it as far away from me as possible. I felt relief when the baby bathtub and jolly jumper left went out the front door. These items once seem crucial, but only for such a short period of time. A period of time that is now over. It felt liberating to rid ourselves of the baby clutter and it some ways the stage of parenting it represented. But when I tried to sort through the little clothes, the out-the-door-right-now decluttering ground to a halt. ​

How could I get rid of this?

This was a favorite of mine.

Baby’s First Christmas!

This is so cute.

This is so small.

This was sooo expensive.

But it’s in such good shape!

I was angry that these wee sleepers were ruining my purge high. I moved on to Plan B, which was not to sort the clothes but to bag them all up and send it off to an organization that provides baby clothes to families in need. They can be enjoyed by someone else. And yet, a full year later, here the bags still sit, ignoring the very real reasons why they are no longer of use.

Deciding not to have more kids was not a difficult choice. Both of my pregnancies were difficult and childbirth was full-on traumatic. The lasting effects of these experiences spilled over into the first years of my children’s lives. I can say that these were years that were simply survived on my end. There were joyous moments and I am grateful for the experience, but I can honestly say that these years comprised mostly of going through the motions of life. This isn’t an experience I am interested in revisiting.

There are also the very real considerations that many parents weigh if they go through the process of deciding to have more children or not. There is the financial aspect, how it might impact careers, living space, personal goals, along with the necessary reserve mental and physical energy. If you have the desire for a child, you can likely find workarounds to accommodate these kinds of conditions.We had considerations that carried a lot of weight and the desire to accommodate just wasn’t there.

You see, I can articulate very clearly how my husband and I came to the decision that we a very happy family of four. Then, I ask, why oh why, does this little bag of clothes have so much power over me? I’ve had to genuinely question if these wee little sleepers could actually cause me to override the very clear and conscious reasoning we have for not having another baby. How can it be so hard to close a metaphorical door on something you know you fundamentally do not want?

So, I did exactly what all of the obvious signs were pointing towards. I thought about the possibility that these clothes represent some latent, unspoken desire to have another baby. The answer to this question came surprisingly easy and had nothing to do with what I thought my previous reasons were. It wasn’t about the trauma of my previous experiences or how workable the practical considerations were for us. The clarity came from the fact that my heart and my brain are not hungry in the same way that I was with my first two children. I would have done just about anything to have had those kids. I would have fought long and hard and spent our last dollar to bring them to our family. That feeling is gone. And so, with this clarity, I have finally concluded that this means that it’s time for the ridiculous bags of adorable, snuggly, wee-sized clothes to go, too.

Featured Photo Courtesy: poplasen

Kelly Park is a fertility aficionado who wants to help you get smart about your fertility. She can be found sharing info on everything from cervical mucus to IVF at www.fertilitysmarts.com. 

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Dear Mom Who Feels Like She is Losing Her Mind

By Bridgette Petrino

It’s okay.

I don’t have a magic wand or a perfect solution to make you feel like you DO actually have your stuff together… but I first want to tell you that it’s okay.

You are not alone. Raising tiny humans is hard. But, it’s a phase. And, one day you will feel like you have stuff together again.

Well, maybe not. But, that’s okay too.

We all want to give our best effort to our kids, our marriage, our job, our home.

But, we just simply can’t. Supermom actually isn’t a thing. Because we aren’t superhuman. We are just human. Which is better. It’s a lot less pressure to be just human.

Our intentions are good, but if our goal is to give 110% to every aspect of our life we are going to fall short.

So, here are three steps that you can take today so that stressed and falling short doesn’t feel like a way of life anymore.

Step 1: Focus on what’s important.

Pick three or four things that are really important to you. Write them each out on a sticky note and keep them visible.

Then, the next time that you are feeling overwhelmed, look at those sticky notes. Write out each of the things that are weighing on you, and if they don’t fall in one of the categories, then let them go.

And, anytime that you are feeling rushed say to yourself, “I am exactly where I am supposed to be at this present moment.”

Because, what if we were exactly where we needed to be? 

Like, literally. Say it aloud.

It may not feel true at first, but when you say it enough, eventually it will.

When being rushed is a way of life, that sucks the ability to be present out of you.

“The next message you need is always right where you are.” ~Ram Dass

Step 2: Do a time audit.

I know, audits sound really boring and like something that should be reserved only for people who wear pocket protectors. But, humor me.

All of our activities can be divided into one of four categories.

Necessary and want/like to do. Necessary and don’t like to do. Unnecessary and want to do. Unnecessary and don’t want to do.

The unnecessary and don’t want to do activities can be eliminated immediately.

Get rid of the things that are sucking the life out of you. And, add the things that you want to be giving 100% towards. (Or, at least 80-90%.)

And for the things on your post-it notes, schedule those into your calendar as you would an important meeting.

For example, if spending time with your husband daily is a priority, schedule 15 minutes in your calendars each night after the kids go to bed to hang out together. Make it a non-negotiable.

Step 3: Not giving a darn about having it all together.

Many times wanting to have it all together is coming from a place of guilt and comparison, NOT from a place of truth.

In addition to focusing on the things that REALLY matter to you, let go of the things that don’t.

Easier said than done. I agree.

Practice telling yourself that you made your priorities and that it is safe for you to let go of the other things.

When you are intentional, versus reactive, about how you are spending your time, not giving a darn is much easier.

Because you’ve validated yourself.

Featured Photo Courtesy: pixabay

Bridgette is married with three daughters (twins plus one.) She hates to cook, loves to write, and is addicted to inversions. She believes that we aren't just meant to SURVIVE motherhood, but to THRIVE through motherhood. 

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New Cookbook Of Asian Recipes Aims to Help Moms Recover From Childbirth

by Shahrzad Warkentin

photo: Grace Hwang Lynch/ NPR

For centuries, Asian moms have been spending their postpartum days following certain rules and eating traditional recipes designed to help them recover from giving birth. Now researchers have compiled those recipes, passed down for generations, into a cookbook that anyone can utilize. Read on to find out more about the benefits of following tradition.

The new cookbook, titled From Mothers to Mothers: A Collection of Traditional Asian Postpartum Recipes, combines recipes that mothers and grandmothers have been preparing for the newly-minted moms in their families. The book was a project of University of Berkeley professor Dr. Marilyn Wong in order to document Asian postpartum traditions. A group of undergraduate students performed the research by interviewing their own families and collecting recipes from a range of Asian ethnicities, including Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Hmong, Cambodian, and Filipino.

Many Asian cultures follow very specific rituals for the first month after childbirth, with rules of all kinds (like not showering), but it’s the food that is the most significant part of the process. The recipes are meant to offer both nutrients and comfort. Dishes like braised pigs feet can provide calcium that might be depleted by breastfeeding, for example, Dr. Wong explained to NPR.

The comfort aspect also plays a major role in recovery and bonding with a new baby. Many women who followed tradition said that the recipes made them feel nostalgic for their own childhood, which led to a stronger sense of family. The book is available online through Eastward Books of Berkeley.

Does your family have any unique postpartum traditions? Share your own stories in the comments.

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8 Farming Families Who Blow Our Minds (& Will Earn Your Big Time Respect)

by Gabby Cullen

Your family garden has finally eeked out a few herbs and veggies this season, hooray! It’s no easy feat to make things grow; we give major props to the folks who go full-fledge farmer and spend their days in the dirt. Take a peek at eight families whose life on the land is a labor of love.

Family Friendly Farms – Grass Valley, Ca

To live a simple agrarian lifestyle, eat good food, and raise lots of kiddos was a dream for the Zeiters. To make it happen they worked overseas in architecture and real estate development for many years before heading home to purchase 173 acres of heaven in the foothills of Northern California.

Family Friendly Farms started with three cows, a garden, and fruit orchards; now they are well-known purveyors of healthy meats including Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Chicken. After years of learning how to ranch and farm at the school of hard knocks, the togetherness of Family Friendly Farms is both ideal and rewarding. Head farmer/dad Philip says, “the most rewarding aspect of owning this farm is the opportunity to work and teach and play and pray with the kids on a daily basis.  We enjoy all three meals a day together, many times eating only what came from the farm.”

It is indeed a family affair: the seven Zeiter kids are very involved in the daily work at Our Lady Ranch. Their daily jobs range from feeding the animals, collecting, washing, and packaging eggs, pasture irrigation, and rotating the animals to building and repairing fences and even the operation of tractors and heavy equipment. The kids also work on the front end of the business: packaging orders, cooking in the food booth at the local farmers market, selling at the market counters, delivering products, and even customer relations—life skills that have thrived from years of being a regular vendor.

The Zeiter Family welcomes visitors to come view the farm and have lively discussions on topics such as farming operations, animal husbandry, healthy food, raising children, family activities and the simple realities of everyday life.

Online: familyfriendlyfarms.com

Do you have a favorite family farm? Share with us in the comments below!

—Gabby Cullen

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Just Opened!: Tech-y Toy Store littleBits Now in NYC!

by alina adams

Calling themselves “Legos for the iPad Generation,” littleBits, which offers budding inventors ages 5 and up kits of easy-to-use electronic building blocks, recently opened the doors to its first ever New York City pop-up store in Manhattan’s SoHo district. A formal grand opening is planned for August 13, but we dropped in early for a sneak peek. Here’s the scoop on the STEAM-y store your little engineers will be begging to hit up again and again!

The Maker Space

Over half of the impressive 2,200-square-foot store is devoted to various work stations, where kids (and adults) can try their hand at connecting customized littleBits components to form electronic circuits. (This is the basic concept of the toys; the components can then be used to create pretty much anything a user imagines.)

At one table, snapping your Bits together, connecting the result to a USB cable and wrapping it in a strip of colored paper creates an individual, colorful light. String an entire series via wires and you have a blinking design or your name literally spelled out in lights (this is New York City after all, where every kid is a star.)

At another table, you can construct a machine that doodles for you. (Remember that Spirograph you had as a kid? This automates the process!). For more advanced builders — typically age 8 and up— there’s the chance to unleash your inner rock star. Select a cut-out of a guitar off the wall, then stick on your personalized, hand-built circuit that can blink, make noise and vibrate. The keyboard, oscillator, synth speaker and battery are all provided so you can take your show on the road! For tiny engineers especially interested in things that “go”, littleBits has a station where you can add wheels to… pretty much anything. Inventors can then test their creations on a track.

photo: Alina Adams

Can your kid really make something?

Yes! The beginner projects are set up to take about 10 minutes apiece, with the more advanced ones estimated to require 15-20 minutes of work. However, it’s not uncommon for some projects to take longer, with some trial and error to get things just right and working smoothly. In these days of instant gratification, it’s refreshing to see kids struggle at a task, experiment, and try, try again, before ultimately succeeding. The store also makes every aspect engineering and building of process accessible to young minds and tiny fingers.

 

Playing and Paying at littleBits

Perhaps the best part about the littleBits store is that you are welcome to come in and play for free. You can stay as long as you like, work in as many stations as you like, make as many projects as you like. Visitors to the littleBits store are expected to work on their own, but if they get stuck, they can push a handy button right there on the table, and an associate will come running.

If, in the end, you wish to keep what you’ve constructed, you may purchase the entire kit. Prices for projects mentioned above range from $29.95 for the light kit to $74.95 for the “keytar”, with further add-ons available for an extra fee.

Builders are also welcome to leave inventions at the store for other people to remix, but if your little creator wants to preserve the memory before say good-bye, pop into the photo booth for quick picture. (These left-behind items are dubbed “Inventions to Stay”, littleBits’ version of open-source collaboration.)

photo: Alina Adams

Go Before It’s Gone!

The littleBits Store is open now and will be in this SoHo spot through the end of 2015. Things will be busy while it’s here, with events like weekend workshops and guest speakers. The owners see it as a learning lab, not only for the customers who’ll come in and build things they never dreamed of, but for them, too, as there are plans for establishing a more permanent NYC space down the line.

So run, don’t walk to SoHo: This mecca of family tech creativity and fun will only be open for a littleBit!

LittleBits Store
355 West Broadway
SoHo
917-924-2302 (ext. 102)
Open: M-F: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sat & Sun: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Online: littleBits.cc/store

Does your kid love littleBits? Share in the comments below!

—Alina Adams

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The Butterfly Joint: A Unique Woodworking Studio for Kids

by Christal Y.

From archery lessons to finger painting sessions, the Bay Area is chock full of classes for kids of every age and interest. Danny Montoya, a San Francisco dad and former teacher, hopes to add one more totally unique offering to the Bay’s wide repertoire of kids activities: a woodworking studio called The Butterfly Joint . He recently launched a Fundable project to crowd fund the studio where kids will build and create like never before. Read on to find out what The Butterfly Joint is all about, why it’ll be a great San Francisco addition and how you can help.

What Is The Butterfly Joint?
The studio is a children’s only learning space for young carpenters ages 4 and up to get a chance to tackle wood pieces and turn them into viable creations like a book caddy, tool box, doll house, picnic boards and more. Parents who fear loose parts won’t have to worry — all items are assembled by joining slats of wood together so the results are screws and nails free, but just as sturdy… if not more.

Led by Danny Montoya (whose resume is impressively kid-centric: He’s a dad of one and spent more than a decade in the classroom as an elementary teacher at The Hamlin School and Live Oak before pursuing woodworking full-time), students will be able to expand upon their creative talents as well as develop a good work ethic. It’s all about fostering a community environment and building strong values at The Butterfly Joint. Your little woodworker’s sense of responsibility and focus will grow as she learns to care for the shop and all the equipment.

At Danny’s side is his wife, Erin Feher who is also Red Tricycle’s Bay Area Editor. The dynamic duo has high aspirations for their new venture. They envision a studio with a variety of offerings, from drop-in classes, series workshops, birthday parties to custom courses for homeschooled kiddos. Plus, the old school aspect of clocking in with punch cards and hearing the sound of a steam whistle to signify the start and end of class makes us wish we could join this children’s studio, too.

How Can You Help?
If you want to see your whittler hammering away at The Butterfly Joint in San Francisco, consider becoming a backer through their Fundable page. It’s an all or nothing fundraising model, meaning that if the startup doesn’t meet their goal, they won’t collect the funds.

Different price points signify varying packages that will go towards your experience at The Butterfly Joint. For example, $25 gets you a “thank you,” a Butterfly Join decal and a Facebook shout-out while a $300 package includes that and more like a 4-days series workshop and your name on the Charter Member Butterfly Joint Wall installation. There are nine different packages, so check out the site to see which one suits you best.

Want to learn more about The Butterfly Joint? Check out their Fundable page here.

— Christal Yuen

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Explore an Urban Refuge in the Heart of Bellevue

by Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

If you are looking for a break from the loud playgrounds and busy water parks, the Bellevue Botanical Garden may offer up the mellower respite you desire. With its 53-acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands, and natural wetlands, little explorers will have plenty to discover and enjoy. And with a new Visitor Center, this beautiful, serene experience can be an educational one too.

Where to Start?
Begin your visit at the Visitor Center, with its interactive displays, Education Center, and courtyard gardens. You may even want to pop into the Trillium Store, filled to the brim with garden-themed gifts and keepsakes, including a cool selection of kids’ books, toys, and gardening tools.

Be sure to pick up the “Stop! Look! Listen! A Treasure Hunt for Children” pamphlet, a fun and easy activity for kids to help them explore the vast gardens and find special hidden surprises. Can you find the stone lanterns? How about the baby tree growing on a tree? What sounds can you hear in the Garden?

Which Trail to Choose?
Depending on how much you and your crew feel like walking, you could stick to the inner Garden loops, which wind through several picturesque, smaller gardens and structures, or go big and do the half-mile Tateuchi Loop Trail, which covers the perimeter of the entire property, as well as the smaller ones within. Psst! The trails are all either paved or gravel-covered, so you’ll definitely want to wear comfy walking shoes.

Not to Miss
See the Rock Garden’s wildflowers and the native plants at the Nature Discovery Gardens, go over the awesome suspension bridge at the Ravine Experience, and enter the traditional Japanese gate into the Yao Garden, which honors the sister city relationship between Bellevue and Yao, Japan.

Learning in the Garden
This is the Eastside after all, so the Garden has an interactive aspect! Your little horticulturist might find it pretty cool to use a mobile device to “tap or scan” the markers throughout the Garden, and learn more details about the plants.

Take a Load Off
Need some down time for a snack or picnic lunch? The Garden has a courtyard with tables and chairs, a pretty lawn, as well as many benches in hidden little coves, that are perfect for whatever yummy food you’ve brought with you. And no worries about restrooms — the Visitor Center has a large, modern facility.

Good to Know:
Every Saturday and Sunday (through October), you can take the fam on a guided tour through the Garden and delight your senses with its ever-changing colors, fragrances, and textures. If you’re expecting out-of-town guests, you can also arrange a free guided tour of the Garden for your group. Weekend tours start at 2 p.m. Who knows… your kiddo may even happen upon a gnome’s house!

Bellevue Botanical Garden
12001 Main St.
Bellevue, Wa 98005
425-452-2750
Online: bellevuebotanical.org

Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk; Visitor Center open 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Admission: Free. Check online for classes, lectures, and events; some may require registration and/or a fee.

Mark your calendars: The Bellevue Botanical Garden is home to Garden d’Lights during the holiday season. This blossoming, winter wonderland is a must-see for kids and parents alike.

Have you been to the Bellevue Botanical Garden? Share your experience in the Comments.

– Myriam Gabriel-Pollock

Photos by MGPollock

 

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Date Night: The Water Guide to the Lakes

by Erin Lem

Show your love and appreciation for the liquid beauty of your natural surroundings — take a swim, cruise, paddle, hike for Date Night! Seattle Magazine, our delightful Northwestern publication partner, has composed an ode to the various Seattle water ways and how they can be enjoyed. Take a leaf out of their book, and break out the kayak for some quality time with your loved one.

Lake Washington: Recreation Heaven
The very existence of Lake Washington, a recreational haven and scenic backdrop par excellence, may be the perfect tonic for the rigors of city life. How many a sweet summer day was created or capped off with a swim, sail or paddle in the lake, or simply a stroll along its shoreline?

So many different Seattle neighborhoods—from Seward Park to Lake City and points in between—define themselves in part by their lakeside location. And enjoying this veritable oasis may be the one aspect of living here that binds all Seattleites—from high-tech gazillionaires to harried soccer moms, lazy sunbathers to hyper triathletes, and stand-up paddle boarders to weekend barbecuers—together.

While Lake Washington is pretty to look at throughout the year, summer is when it really shines. Swimming at Sand Point’s Matthews Beach, kiteboarding off nearby Magnuson Park, sunbathing at Madison Park beach or biking across the I-90 bridge—whichever you choose, our lake delivers the fun. And come August, it takes center stage, with hydroplanes roaring across it and the Blue Angels soaring above for Seafair (August 5–7 this year), which, despite its name, is really about our city’s love affair with Lake Washington.

Don’t forget to read the whole article to discover Seattle Magazine’s picks for the best area lakes and how to enjoy them!

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at Seattle Magazine, which keeps readers on the pulse of restaurants, personalities, arts, entertainment and culture that reflect the tapestry of our dynamic landscape. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a weekly dose of fantastic Date Night ideas throughout greater Seattle.


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