My son turned 15 during Phase 2 of the reopening plans in our state, Illinois. We were under a state-wide shelter-in-place order, visiting our family and friends only when necessary from a considerable distance and with masks. Therefore, any way to celebrate a birthday the traditional way was out of the question. I decided to come up with ideas to … [Read more...]
Birthday Celebration and Decoration Ideas during COVID-19 Pandemic
Compost tumbler vs compost bin: product review and comparison
I have been composting since I’ve started my vegetable garden in my backyard in 2008. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to compost our kitchen waste, grass clippings, dry leaves, and all other garden waste to use them in our garden again. We initially purchased a standard rectangular stationary compost bin and set it up at a corner of my … [Read more...]
5 must-have bike accessories to enjoy cycling with your kids
While winter seems to be sticking around a little bit longer than we'd like it to, we are ready to hit the trails for biking with my kids. Sometimes we bike around the neighborhood parks with a pit stop at the playgrounds, but we usually prefer to bike for longer distances without having to go through city traffic on our favorite trail, … [Read more...]
How I stopped yelling at my kids with this one simple questions
Tell me. Who do you yell at most frequently in your life? Your parents? Your siblings? Your spouse or partner? Your friends? Your neighbors? Your coworkers? Your boss? Your business partners? How about your kids? Think about it and let it sink in while I tell my story.This is the story of how I used to raise my voice at my kids until I … [Read more...]
How to get started with your new Instant Pot electric pressure cooker
I scored my Instant Pot DUO80 8 Qt 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure and Slow Cooker on Amazon during Prime Day. After I received it, I sat on it for a good while until I opened the box, thinking of how to get started with it. Even though I have a traditional stove-top pressure cooker and cook with it on a regular basis, I felt hesitant, … [Read more...]
Smart organization and storage ideas for kitchen cabinets
ORGANIZING KITCHEN CABINETS Our house is spacious and has an open layout where it looks like we have a big kitchen. However, compared to how much I use my kitchen and number of the tools and utensils I use, we have very limited counter space and cabinets. Not only do I have to be very selective in what I store in my cabinets, I also have to be … [Read more...]
How to hack a pull up bar to use as gymnastics training bar for kids
AFFORDABLE GYMNASTICS TRAINING BAR FOR KIDSMy daughter continues to take gymnastics classes. She's not at the competitive level so her practices are not as frequent. When it gets closer to her meets, she wants to practice more at home in order to strengthen her body or perfect her routine. We try to provide her the environment and tools to … [Read more...]
Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Tea – Golden Milk Recipe
Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Tea I was introduced to Ayurvedic health principles and medicine when I read Perfect health for Kids book by Dr. John Douillard. Reading the uses and benefits of turmeric, both fresh as well as powdered, it became one of the main staples in my home remedy cabinet. I have been using various different recipes with … [Read more...]
Fort Magic Fort Building Kit
BEST FORT BUILDING KIT Fort Magic Fort building kit is a comprehensive fort construction kit which allows children build any type of fort, building or vehicle only limited to children’s creativity. It has more pieces and variety of shapes than any other fort kit in the market. We’ve purchased Fort Magic a year ago and forts in changing various … [Read more...]
10 family board games we all love
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME? One of the family activities which is supposed to be fun and engaging is playing board games together. Even though I would rather prefer sitting down and playing board games with my kids to playing with trucks or Shopkins (insert *groan*), I can’t say that all board games are equally fun (or even tolerable) either. … [Read more...]