Back when Josiah was almost two and we had lived in Hawaii for all of four weeks...Jonah was born. And just about that minute, Dave began his residency program which meant he was working somewhere around ten thousand hours a week, give or take. Life was hard. (And my memory only adds to the drama. You're welcome.)We lived in a tiny little condo that seemed to get the rising and setting sun all in the one room that we spent our days in. I had no friends on the island. And to top it all
Blog
“Home is Where the Park Is.” A Hawaii Home and Remodel Magazine Feature.
Since I took you along as we did our skate park project last month, I thought you might appreciate this:Special feature about our family--and skate park--in the Hawaii Home and Remodel Magazine! The writer--Brooke Laporte, and photographer--Aaron Yoshino, spent an afternoon with us last month, hanging out and taking in the very typical going-ons of our family's life.I had actually thought they were just coming over to scope out the new skate park, so when they asked to
Easy Crockpot Burrito Bar
I used to try to think of creative, lovely, or unique recipes to make and share here on the blog. Like this dinner and this dessert...(and those are both really great recipes.) But somewhere along the way, I decided that maybe you'd benefit more from my showing what we really eat. Like: All of the time. So, I decided that I would go ahead and share anything that we eat a lot around here... Even if it isn't the healthiest in the world. Or the most unique. Or the prettiest... Because let's
Health and Fitness: Spot Reduction is a Myth. And the Truth about Losing Body Fat.
Hey friends!So...I'm working on a couple fitness posts, where I plan to share some of the exercises I do in addition to my minimalist running routine. :)Because remember, I don't do a lot, but what I do, I do consistently...But then, before I could finish my first post about arm exercises, a fact hit me: A lot of people out there still believe in a little myth called Spot Reduction. Or, even if they say they don't believe in it, they workout as if they did.And I just felt like
Household Pet Peeves.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, right?Well--Guess what else is works pretty darned well?A good ole' complaint session, that's what. This isn't something I do too often. Hopefully you know by now that I'm actually a pretty positive person who puts up with all kinds of craziness for the love of a happy family life.But lest you think that living in Hawaii means that there are no problems...and that my little grass shack is all sunshine and rainbows, I think a little
Speaking Life to our kids.
We've all heard it: We're not supposed to label our kids, right? That's what the experts say anyways. Still, at some point most of us end up referring to them as "the studious one," "the athlete," or "the comedian of the family." There is something about assigning a label that just seems to come natural to us as humans.But there is another way that we label our kids without even realizing it, and it can be really dangerous. We speak labels right over our kids; especially when we are
The Best Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
My husband Dave is the quiet type. He works hard and never ever looks for recognition or attention of any kind. (Internet included especially.) But today babe, you're 45...and I'm just gonna say big and bold and loud and clear and in front of the whole big wide world... (or whoever might stumble upon this looking for banana cake.) HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you. I love you so much I made your favorite cake. And, just like the birthday boy...this cake is unassuming and sweet. Nothing
How To Quit Being a Slave to Your Workouts, and Not: Gain weight. Freak out. (Or die.)
Ya'll know by now, that my workouts have transitioned over the years from obsessive, to... barely at all. Haha. (I average three workouts a week.) But I do laugh because I feel like I am in on a great little secret: I discovered that you really don't HAVE TO be a slave to your workouts to stay in shape and maintain your weight.I mean, I'm not competing in any body competitions or anything, but I quit being a slave to my workouts over twelve years ago, and my weight has not changed a