iAm Here.

We finally gave in. And it's not just because it was the holidays. Well, we can find every excuse in the book including Mandarin killed my mobile phone: death by forceful throwing, but it's probably just because it is the holidays! A few weeks ago, our tech lives changed when two iPhones arrived on our doorstep. As it stepped into our home, my husband and I both stepped out into the present day. Possibly, the last of humankind to do so.

We don't live under a rock either, mind you. We're tech savvy, I know a pinch of code and my husband can pretty much figure his way through anything with specs and cables but the iphone to me always held an air of exclusivity - in which you are exclusively glued to it just like the rest of the world; an army of people huddled over the lucent sorcery this palm sized screen is capable of. So, for years my husband and I pretty much dodged it and favored no contract plans and so-so smartphones. 

Until now. We bit into the Apple and re-awakened into a landscape of applications.

So there we were, two adults crossing the tech threshold. When you think about it, there is quite literally a world of applications and hidden fees out there. Will we transform into zombie game playing, application hoarding, email shooting, words-with-friends playing junkies? Quite possibly so. And thus, the absence. 

Now that the honeymoon phase is over and this device is now just a phone that does pretty much everything else except kiss and nurture your child, the question that floats to the surface is:  How does this gadget affect me as a parent? As a mother? There are far to many distractions as it is, I wouldn't want another piece of technology to take me away from spending quality time with my daughter, or teach her that a phone can babysit her all the time. Because we all know, it is capable of doing so: crowded restaurant + overwhelmed and hungry toddler = meltdown. Sometimes, you really just need to zone them into Zen. 

So far, I've saved scraps of paper by using a grocery application, used Skype a multitude of times so Mandarin can see her Grandparents in Manila, and kept her from hysterically running after other children, (screaming and laughing with glee) at church on Christmas Eve by letting her watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Technology works. 

However, when does it become too much tech for your toddler? I assume it's when you line up a book, your smartphone, a plush doll, and a sippy cup on a table and your child goes for the phone, and only the phone. Hand them the book, and they still go for the phone. As if they were choosing to suspend all other things for the glory of the gadget.

This really does concern me, not just as a parent but as a consumer who by experience knows that resistance is futile. You push a button and something opens and lights up. It is the very same simplicity that makes this device intuitive and alluring to both adults and young children. Although I feel extremely fortunate that Mandarin LOVES books and hope that she continues to find magic in between its pages well into her adult years, the reality is, children like her are born into this technology and will live and grow with it through the years.

You can see this in the isles of toy stores everywhere. While I do have a penchant for vintage toys and hope that Mandarin may someday find some sentimentality in that, she may not even know what a rotary phone is for and how it's even used!

 via: Retro To Go

Mommy, what's vinyl? 

Fisher Price

Same company, just keeping up with the times. 

It's all about pushing buttons, these days. Children love to watch and mimic adults so it's no surprise that there are toy versions of pretty much everything we use daily.

My own mother comes to mind when there is talk of technology. After what seemed to be WAS a long decade of  convincing, she finally agreed to learn how to email. She bought an ipad and thankfully no longer depends on other people to show her pictures of her granddaughter, or rather is no longer the last person in the family to see them. It was intimidating to her at first but with a slow and steady pace she's now attempted to walk through the app store and buy games. Meanwhile, across the Pacific her granddaughter, also new to technology,  is eager, excited, and wildly curious about it - and the world around her too.  It is for all those reasons why I feel as a parent I need to incite more creative play with her developmental toys, a very important part of their advancement as children.

Technology is no doubt a teachable platform that allows much room for education. It is a strict lesson on discipline both for parent and child. How far to give in and when to restrain, how much time to spend on it and when to set it down and get some sand in between your toes. Of course as parents we would want our children to be a step ahead and not behind, so as a compromise, I feel that if I was going to let her play with the phone while outdoors anyway, it might as well be used as a medium for education. I've listed a few applications I've found that may be useful tools for young toddlers.

                                      10 Best Educational iPhone Applications for Toddlers

1. Flash Cards By Parents Magazine

2. Peek-a-Boo Barn Farm Animals

3. Alphabet Tracing 

4. Interactive Alphabet ABC Flashcards

5. The Original Tale of Peter Rabbit

6. Grover's Number Special (Counting App for Toddlers)

7. Shape Builder Puzzle Game 

8. First Words  Series.

9. Sound Touch : Over 300 sounds and images

10. Dr. Seuss Books

♥

As a parent, I fear that she may suspend her innate ability to explore and her naturally curious mind by zoning in too much into the allure of LCD screens and high resolution images in the manner we do. Thus, the challenge. To lead by example, because that's what being a parent - being a mother is all about. Mandarin may (as a last resort) have her chance to discover the iPhone when we're out and about and there is a dire need to mollify her in a public area. As a general rule at home, we don't let her fiddle with our iPhones and try to keep it away from view as much as possible. She has too many more interesting things to play with. Music instruments, books, wooden blocks and toys, and dolls. I suppose this is our way of keeping a harmonious note of moderation in the media-laden age we live in.

This is my hope as a mother; that she steps out into the world well-balanced, educated, informed,  independent and imaginative for creative play and that she knows how to happily keep herself busy with the ability to unplug herself from all the invisible wires that hold us captive.

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Friday Five : Four

1. Freshly made apple cider from a stall in Pike Place Market.

2. Getting ready for an afternoon stroll around the neighborhood.

3. Our Maple tree standing tall in front of our house.

4. What is it about early afternoon shadow pictures that I love? It's so whimsical. You can almost make out Mandarin's kitty-cat hoodie ears. 

5. Pink Balloon flowers makes those shy dimples POP!

The gears of Christmas is in full rotation in our household, putting a halt to pretty much everything else - including posts that I've lined up about our Thanksgiving trip. Our petite Christmas tree is on its second year and has recently survived the huff and puff of our little girl, who not only stands in front of it with  the finger pointing "wow" but who, out of curiosity (and who can resist shiny ornaments, really) pulled on an glittery ribbon that ultimately sent the entire tree crashing down. 

Timber?

Nonetheless, the tree survived and is now cautiously cordoned off by a coffee table and a cajon. I'm still  keeping my eye on Mandarin, the shiny silver reindeer ornament beckons her and I wouldn't be surprised if she learns how to climb over if only to pet or lick it. 

  

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Back Home

We made it back home safely. After bouncing about in hotel rooms and a number of different beds within the span of a week, we are back to a house that although may not fully be ours, is definitely home; for now. Back to a bed that probably isn't as comfortable as the fluff and tuft of crisp white 1500 count cotton sheets we slept in, but is where we snuggle in as a family, taupe duvet, floral pillows, milk stains and all. Back to our lovely clutter of hellish laundry - the aftermath of a week's worth for the three of us. 

Mt. Shasta LOVES you.
It's such a joy to see symbols in nature - at least what we make of it.
This was in no way photo shopped to shape out a heart - it really was there!  

Although the drive was long, Mandarin slept, played, read (well not really read but looked through her books)  and watched Mickey Mouse and Little Einstein, and alphabet phonics on our makeshift tablet / player. We were pummeled with rain and fog and extremely terrible standstill holiday traffic (12 hours to Seattle from Jacksonville, Oregon) and chilly temperatures that made you fluff up your feathers for a little more warmth. 

I really meant to blog on the road but found the schedule too hectic, (coughing) toddler in hand and oh just about 35 people celebrating Thanksgiving in a lovely town just twenty minutes off Seattle. Somewhere between soaking in small town charms, long drives, ferry rides, precious baby nap times, eating copious amounts of stuffing, turkey, roast beef, pies and WA state micro brews, I lost time for myself and found that if you surrender to the tide you learn how to drift through the joyful chaos.

And while we did have a fantastic time, there wasn't much time for a gratitude time-out. To stand in the corner and quit complaining that we had to wake up far too early, sleep late, maybe not sleep at all, wear fifty layers of clothes, get cold and work up a sweat shortly after, and not have much time to sit back and relax and pretty much do nothing. Knock back a few good IPA beers and sing Pearl Jam's Breath until I hit all of Eddie's notes. Or lose my voice. Whichever comes first. 

What does it take to be happily satiated?

I will not pretend to know the answer to this question. It seems that in everything that I do or anywhere I go there is always a certain time when that pinch of loneliness, a shadow of darkness, an echo that sounds off from a place that I am familiar with but cannot exactly find, comes up to the surface and reminds me that it's there.  And it's not because I am not thankful. I'm not sure why it's there, but it is and has been a part of who I am for as far back as I can remember. It may be the voice of shifting hormones or sadness or PMS that momentarily shifts my perspective and empties me of the sense of appreciation. 

The point is; it doesn't matter what you don't have. What  I  don't have. Siblings (I envy those with siblings...damn only-child-syndrome ), a house, a decent shoe rack, financial freedom, a Balenciaga Bag and Kim Kardashian's engagement rock ring.  

Now that we're back home, I've had time to reflect as the dust settles from our tracks. It is easy to give thanks, sure. Thank you for the food on our table. Thank you for clothes that keep us warm. But to be thankful with meaning, to feel fortunate way down and deep in your gut for the good things you have going for you. That's a challenge because, frankly, it's much easier to complain. 

What matters is what is actually there. Here and now. My parents, my besties (M & A), my closest cousins, our closest friends, uncles and aunts, a home, Mandarin memories, a kind and loving husband (who thankfully, really is my best friend of many many many years), a worn-out Steve Madden cross body that does the job, and a little girl that delicately whispers a most amiable "uh-oh" right before she nods off to sleep. There it is, straight from the gut.

♥ More photos from the trip to follow! ♥

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Road Trip

Just one more day before the great 800 mile road trip to visit family up North - our first ever with Mandarin. 

Away We Go!

The timing for a virus to come and set up shop couldn’t have been any better. Lately our wee morning hours evenings have been worrisome; Mandarin gasps for breath and coughs relentlessly, wakes herself up, cries and reaches out for me. The distinct barking-of-a-seal-cough commonly known as Croup has invaded our camp. Begone! Pestilent virus! 

If only it were that easy. 

And so. Packing light. NOT happening - at all. Honestly, how does one pack light for freezing weather? We will be out a total of 6 days and with the forecast of snow, showers and more phlegm for Mandarin, I feel the overwhelming need to be prepared and to make sure she’s snug as a warm bug. Also, in light of recent health developments, we’ve decided to invite a fourth passenger into our car: the vaporizer. The only known weapon to create humidity and attack the croup with it’s power of steam particles. Beat that Tony Stark. 

I rock my snowflake jammies. 

Living in the Bay Area we have undoubtedly mastered the art of apparel layering. We’re used to our cool yet manageable upper 40’s. I notice this because ALL my clothes are for layering. No one definitive thick sweater, even my turtlenecks are thin. The general forecast for WA state weather: The week ahead they will be warming up to the 40’s. Warming being the operative word here. 

Mandarin being sick is a pain for me to watch. The coughing, shortness of breath - I wish I could suck this virus out of her and spit it out like snake venom.  Being sick for Mandarin pretty much means I’m not letting you and your Muumuu out of my sight, I will toss every single Morsel of food on the floor, and I will scream if you try to feed me Spinach ravioli one more time. And she did. Bloody murder, with her tongue sticking out. 

Meanwhile, our luggages are 99% packed. I remember coming across the simple truth of this quote somewhere in the nook and crannies of the internet. 

”When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” 

- Sophia Loren

Packing for a child and for cold weather is like mental olympics. There’s a parade of outfits involved, some stretching and the whole sport of being here there and everywhere to get everything folded, rolled, bagged, tied and vacuum sealed. And when all is done, we still think what else we may have possibly left behind. 

The kitchen sink, perhaps?

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Friday Five : Three

1. Studiously sitting and paying attention. 

2. My First Bundt Cake (Pumpkin Spice Goodnesssssss)

3. Adorable Toddler Chairs. Randomly lined up on a street.

4. My (current) favorite necklace. I wonder what it will unlock. 

5. If she had to dress herself: A bucket on her head and shearling boots. For the win. 

Happy Friday! 

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Pocket Review : Apothederm Moisturizing Cream

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - for a daily moisturizer that actually works. For more than a week now I’ve ritualized smoothing out a new cream on my face: Apothederm Moisturizing Cream. In my attempt to demystify the jargon surrounding this product, words that some of us normal folk don’t quite understand because clearly Smart Peptides and Emollient-rich are not part of our Sunday brunch lingo.  I’ve loosely looked it up so here’s the skinny on the science behind this cream. 

Smart Peptides: Amino acids that precisely target the appearance of your skin and addresses issues such as: The appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Loss of elasticity. Loss of firmness and definition. Appearance of darkened areas or general unevenness of skin tone. Rough texture.

Thinning of the skin.  Basically, skin care science.

Emollient: e·mol·lient [ih-mol-yuhnt]  

adjective

having the power of softening or relaxing, as a medicinal substance; soothing, especially to the skin: emollient lotions for the face.

Paraben Free: Basically (Parabens) a class of chemicals commonly found in cosmetics, perfume, and skin creams that have been shown to cause certain health problems. 

I’ve religiously used this sample for more than a week and have seriously noticed a subtle glow even after I slap on my make up.  Rejuvenated skin?  Maybe. While I don’t entirely notice age lines disappearing just yet, I don’t exactly obsess over every single feathered line on my face either. I  do like the lightness of their formula, it’s easily absorbed within minutes of slathering it on my face with the hydrating effect of a thicker cream. It’s fragrance free, thank God, unlike some of the other well known creams out there I’ve tried that unfortunately left me (to the dismay of my husband) with a barking Eau-Le-Wet-Dog scent on my face.  In the spirit of less is more with regard to products for your skin, I would have preferred this cream to have some SPF denomination to eliminate the need of putting two creams instead of one.

Either way,  it would definitely make a wonderful gift regardless of age because - who doesn’t want fabulous skin? It’s hydration in a jar with the science of rejuvenated soft skin in the elemental harsh dryness of winter. Your skin is happy, hydrated and holiday ready. 

Enjoy a $10.00 discount now and throughout December when you shop at Apothederm by entering TENOFF when you checkout. Your skin will thank you! 

Yeah, you’re welcome.  

* The views, opinions, and experiences expressed in this post are of my own volition and are in no way a paid advertisement from the company. The posts published on One Great Turning are personal opinons only. One Great Turning assumes no liability for any malfunction, injury, or other loss or damage whether direct, consequential or incidental arising out of services, companies, or products that have been either featured, reviewed or written about on this site.  

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Friday Five : Two

1. Kissies in the morning. Yeah, I wake up all made up in the morning. 

2. There's a real doll in there somewhere.

3. A Gandhi quote that we keep in our room as a reminder of how we can affect change for a better world for our children. It's written on a large stone that I took a photograph of in small shop in Carmel, CA a few years back.  

4. Whimsical mobile from HERE.

5. Cuties in the morning. 

It's always a great start to the weekend when your entire family spontaneously has lunch at your place. I just need to mention that for the first time I feel like an accomplished home cook because even with such a simple meal as Adobo Flakes with Queso Fresco and fresh tomatoes, Mandarin and my nephew, thoroughly enjoyed their lunch so much that he just had to say, "Auntie, yummy!". 

Happy Friday! 

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Falling Back

Chores caught up with me and held me hostage all day yesterday, leaving me exhausted and incapable of reflecting on our little weekend of wonder. In spite of the threat of rain, Saturday, we drove about a hundred miles south to Monterey Bay to take Mandarin to the Monterey Bay Aquarium - to make memories. There will always be room for memories in this house. 

It really got me thinking; the huge responsibility we have as parents to give our children the gift of experiences and good memories before they venture out into the world on their own. And if you as a parent haven’t realized it yet, planning ahead is key, and a change of lifestyle definitely factors in. Children pay attention to every. single. thing. Yes. They’re watching you - not Children of the Corn watching you - but learning from you by example. These lessons and the bank of memories they carry with them will shape them to be the kind, responsible, brave, smart and happy adults we all hope them to be. 

Every second, the frame of a memory is created. We memorialize the occasion by remembrance, much like the very act of framing a photograph; the physical manifestation of memories.  It is terribly easy to take specific things for granted. I talk about gratitude and savoring the small things a lot because there are many days when I struggle to be thankful and complain about the silliest things. Today, it's my horrible pillow that keeps giving me stiff necks. It gets flat as a pancake. I should toss it. But then, gratitude...thank you for five hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Ok. So I'm still really learning how to use my camera in low light and as you can see in one of those photos, Mandarin is terribly whitewashed with the flash, though I liked the idea that I did get their reflection from the glass.
Much more lessons to be learned.  

Thank God for photos because, let’s be honest though: she will not remember. Not the fries and halibut she tried for the first time for lunch at Phils Fish Market or the glowing jelly fish that floated in a ballet spectacle right in front of her in a dark room of awed guests, or that while making our way through the crowd surrounding the display of Puffins, Mandarin turned around uninterested by bathing birds because she was more interested in watching the chorus of people watching the puffins. Too young to remember for sure, at least not this deep into her childhood and I cannot begin discuss how incredibly fortunate I feel to be be there. To be HERE. To be present during possibly the most significant and important years of her life. The part where she learns about love - and pretty much everything else that will build character in her later years. 

You know you want a bite. 

I am not a parenting expert, but I am a parent and I've come to realize that at the heart of my daughter's understanding and discernment is her sensitivity to feeling.  Children, I would assume are all similarly the same. They can feel if they are very much loved or neglected, sad, happy - all of which precedes language before they even fully understand what those emotions mean. 

I want her to always feel loved, appreciated and happy - all while she's still oblivious to the wiles of the world. I want to prolong her innocence for as long as I can because that is one magical thing that once lost, they may never get back.

Let's see. Who seems more excited for the splash of water?

So. Monterey Bay. This coastal town delivered wonders for our weekend. Glowing wonders. Mandarin touched a starfish for the first time, the cold water iced her fingers and the feel of the starfish, I could imagine it must have seemed so exotic. She had an unexpected close encounter with a Bat Ray that startled and fortunately, didn't scare her. And those moon jellies, simply put, were stunning and hypnotic in the blue glow that surrounded them. 

It almost felt heavenly. 

 Every second has to count. How to make it count; therein lies the challenge of parenthood. It is both difficult and similarly exciting. Especially with the holidays coming up, there are more occasions to celebrate, more memories to create. Memories that aren't just for her, they're ours too.

While on the subject of taking the time and making time to celebrate, it's - well - timely that we gained back an hour over the weekend too. A full hour to read a book do laundry do watch Oddities or learn how to put together a Beauchene skull. ..... I'll have to figure this one out in the next few days. 

These days the sun dips into the horizon by 5:30pm and the day settles into its jammies much earlier and so, snuggles are definitely in order. Books before bedtime, too (I've started reading her Christmas stories to acquaint her with Santa Clause, christmas trees, elves and all the trims of the holiday season).

And yes we've started brushing our tooofees (her teeth came out pretty late).  

She may not remember all the details. So we'll be here to remind her.  Tell her stories of how she cooed out for the birds, and called out to the fish and how when she saw the Kelp forest and all the fishes for the first time the shape of her dainty mouth was a perfect "O" for a most wondrous and perfectly uttered WOW. 

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Friday Five: One

1. Peek-a-Boo!

2. Footsies

3. Our first carved holiday pumpkins - ever! What!?

4. Orange Lilies. Love.

5. Tell the caterers to replace the cured salmon gravlax with the fennel, raddichio, and endive salad. Absolutely. 

Happy Friday! 

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Frightfully Fun

This may have just been our most wholesome year yet. All clad in a red $10 Forever 21 dress, black leggings and a skull dotted scarf tied in as a belt and a $4.00 headband from the halloween store, I’ve visibly transformed into Minnie Mouse. At least in my mind I did. I’m not out to win the grand prize anyway, although I seriously considered a zombified alternative - a dead mouse - but ultimately fell into the throes of lethargy and decided wholesome will do for this year.  

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

You can see it but she's rocking a black AC/DC shirt underneath her polka-dot wholesome-ness!

Friday night was HubbyHubs birthday party at home with family which we conveniently theme apropos to said lethargy. A Pajama party! I had cooked all afternoon and so in spite of the public appearance of my Muumuu my hair smelled of the essence of fried chicken and baked spaghetti. Truly frightful. The rest of the weekend was slathered with a generous serving of friends and fun - and a decadent mousse cake.

Boo!

Trick or Treat tonight around the neighborhood!  Tonight’s cast of characters included, a Jedi soft serve ice cream cone, a banana, a medieval couple, a dinosaur, batman, Gumby, a german maid and Pocahontas.  The chill in the air was definitely one of the season’s trickeries, but then that’s the Bay area for you. Warm and inviting one moment and a chilly micro-climate shift three houses down the road later. 

Still, Minnie Mouse and her crew - friends and family in tow, trotted on with pea coats and hoodies and held on to her candy pail for dear life. I have to say, that really cracked me up. How she held on to it ever so tightly, so alert, curious and surprisingly quiet during the walk though of houses. Even when exhaustion crept up on her halfway through our candy route, she refused to be carried and soldiered on, albeit holding Daddy’s hands until we decided it was getting too cold for the little ones. 

Notice Gumby and his friend, the Saber wielding Jedi Soft serve cone.
Gumby, Batman and Elmo. Randomness.
No Mandarin! NOT the Almond Joyyyy! Nooooooo!

Back home, all the candy was for the taking. All TEN of it. Not much loot this year and definitely a step up from last year, Mandarin munched through the packaging; Whoppers was her favorite and her friend (two weeks younger than Mandarin) actually broke through the packaging and thoroughly enjoyed the sugar rush of a Crunch bar. 

Now that Halloween has officially passed, it now shifts to that time of year when everything runs on warp speed. Thanksgiving. Road trip! Parties. Birthdays. Parties. Then Christmas; parties, and before we know it a new year dawns on us. So many incredible opportunities to celebrate and memories to create that I can easily lose myself in the labyrinthine hallways of to-do lists. 

And so. 

I need to stop and breath and pause to feel that chill in the air.  The scent of the holidays and its slew of party hats, dinner plates and ornaments are set to arrive and I want to make sure that we are right there and ready when it does, because we are thrilled to welcome it back into our home. 

Hope you all had a spooktacular Halloween weekend! 

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Weekend Roundup

This weekend was gratuitously graced with light and warmth - and we love it when a plan comes together! There's always something to do with the kiddies when aboard your Red Tricycle! 

Besides, I've been wanting to go back to the zoo ever since our first trip because Mandarin and the girls were far too young ( translation: they could care less about the animals and mommies just wanted a day out! ) and lately, I've noticed that Mandarin has shown much interest in animals.   

So, Off the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo it was.  We could have gone BIG, SF Zoo big, but decided to keep it manageable and non-committal.  

There was a good lot of creatures and critters there. Not your average petting zoo; with bobcats,  raccoons, ferrets, a beautiful peacock and other colorful birds, and a simulated African cave with clusters of bats. Let's not forget the affable host of this joint - this fellow right here and his entourage of ducks too. 

I want a golden egg for easter!

Mandarin on Bunny Watch. 

Leaf prints all around. You don't notice it at first, due to its subtle print. 

"Quack, Quack" says the duck

Carefully scheming for a Bunny Bust!

Mandarin encounters her first bridge.
Hesitant, alone. Brave and assured while Daddy holds her hands across the bridge.

She kept going back to the bridge, determined to conquer it herself. Even on all fours.

We do not like large ceramic toads. 

Nonetheless, full recovery by the pond. 

What would I do with a golden egg.
Stick my tongue out and lick it, for sure. 

I find it heartwarming and amazing that such a place exists solely on the love a community has for children and the donations of visitors. The Junior museum and zoo is well kept, free, and best of all, clean.  It's a great place to educate young curious critters without having to deal with a large crowd.  

Taking trips to sweet little spots like these on a weekend opens up more opportunities to do other things after. Off to a cafe or a thrift store - maybe both?   

Yeah, why not. There's time. ♥

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