2018

In 2018, I am:

1. continuing to simply our life
2. working toward not eating meat; as of 1/8/18, I am on a plant-based diet
3. learning to make warm food with the instant pot
4. learning to make delicious salad (as of 18/18, probably not as I like my food warm and restaurants have great salad sections.)
5. 申請多一點圖書館證
6. 一個月聽一本有聲書
7. 一個月用水彩畫一張圖, 從youtube找靈感, 畫S的baking creation, 幫N完成他的畫作
8. reducing our trash. working toward zero waste home

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Currently:

You are where you belong

The power of now

The power of habit
13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do by Amy Morin (Audio Book)
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (Audio Book)
21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart: Boost Metabolism, Lower Cholesterol, and Dramatically Improve Your Health  by Neal Barnard (Paperback)

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Wish List

Forks Over Knives  (Documentary)

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已讀/ 聽

The happiness project

The new minimalism

Miso Hungry (on Amazon videos. we watched with the kids.) (5/21/18)
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (audio book; stopped at “Exercise") (5/6/18)
Soulful simplicity by Courtney Carver (5/1/18)
The gentle art of Swedish death cleaning by Margareta Magnusson (4/20/18)
Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a f*ck by Sarah Knight (audio book; only the beginning. felt very similar to her TEDx talk)
Option B by Sheryl Sandberg (audio book)
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (audio book)(3/28/18, 6/12/18)
The Magnolia Story (Audio Book) finished 1/12
Everyday a Friday (audiobook) by Joel Osteen. 1/26
My Beloved World (Audio Book) 1/6
California Typewriter (Documentary) 1/6/’18

p.s. 如透過連結購買, 我會從Amazon得到小小的回饋金.
pps. 目前以上的有聲書我是從圖書館借的. 實體書則是透過二手書店購買.

My vision board. Made 1/13/18.

廣告

yummy plant-based recipes

to try:

Buffalo Cauliflower ‘Wings’

https://www.peta.org/recipes/spicy-buffalo-cauliflower-wings/

I am your mommy. And your friend

Dear S,

Sorry I said “I am your mommy, not your friend." What I meant is, your friends may come and go, but I will be there for you forever.

I hope you know that I love you come to me and tell me whatever is on your mind. I love you that you can be yourself in front of Daddy and me. I love seeing you becoming to an independent person with compassion. I love watching you start water coloring again. You were asking N what is his favorite color and made him a monogram painting.

I love you.

Your mommy and friend, forever.

Birthday

M: it’s my birthday today

N: is it OK that I give you a gift today?

M: it’s OK. hugs willwould be good.

N: I want to give you more than hugs.

回來的第三天

星期二. 有時差的兩個小朋友, 四五點就醒來精神好到亢奮, 像兩隻小老鷹一樣跑來跑去. 好玩的是, 一路上打打鬧鬧吵吵的兩個人, 這時候感情最好.

2018 春 洛杉磯-沖繩-台北

心得:

• 很開心能跟爸爸媽媽一起去沖繩玩
• 沖繩好多高爾夫球場
• 沖繩名產: 黑糖, 紫芋, Blue Seal冰淇淋. 雖不限在琉球, 但這次看到最多的風獅爺(shisa), 無論是土產店或是一般路上的樓房上
• 三月底沖繩，雖然錯過了櫻花季, 或許是這樣避開了旺季，也避開了台灣四月的春假. 天氣跟台灣差不多，主要就是近，很適合家族旅遊。我們在沖繩四個晚上，前兩晚住美國村的Vessel Hotel (就在海邊, 員工都穿夏威夷裝, 客房抽屜裡也附了夏威夷裝供客人穿. 真不愧是日本的夏威夷），後兩晚住那霸國際通旁的JR Kyushu Blossom Hotel.，女兒尤其愛Blossom 的房間，很新、設計也很漂亮. 二老和小孩對兩個飯店附的自助式早餐都很滿意. 😀
• 現在在台北用Apple Pay好方便!
• 這是我開始plant-based diet後第一次回亞洲，因為事前沒做功課，在台北還是到之前去的餐廳吃東西, 發現素食真是少得可憐. 就算有, 要不就是太油，要不就是拌了肉. 下次應該要多拜訪平價的素食自助餐或是有沒有新興的蔬食餐廳
• 不知道是不是因為現在有meditation的關係, 這是旅行雖然事情也是很多, 心情一直很平靜, 在偶有壓力時儘管會不耐煩, 很快地就會意識到然後調整自己.

 

a letter to my girl

You asked for having a cat last night. Even Daddy said no. You insisted, maybe you think it’s fun to keep asking while rolling on us and on the bed while we watching Japanese Drama (it was a classic, Long Vacation. Hope you can watch it with us when you are older.) And then we listed the things that you don’t want to do and we never force you, such as Chinese school, piano class, soccer- we just wanted to point out that we don’t force you do the things you don’t want to do so you should not force us to do the things we don’t want to do. I went on to say that you don’t help much with your brother; you did not help to pack his snacks for the past two days, which is fine by me, I know you were in a rush to school. I just want to make a point that when you have a pet, it’s not that you can take care of it only when you have time and energy. The living thing needs your/ our care everyday and Daddy and I don’t want to take care of the pet. Our focus is you two and our own parents.

You went to your bed quietly and would not talk to us until you slept. Maybe you took it as our criticism toward you (Daddy and I did need to work on that; be more sensitive to your growing mind). Maybe you were embarrassed because we were right.

It surprised me when you were still upset after you woke up this morning. When daddy talked to you, you wouldn’t response. I need to accept that you are growing up now. You have your feelings and emotions that are now more complicated.

I know it is hard that you cannot what you want when your friends have what you want. But I can confidently say that you can do all the things that you want even though you don’t have the materials. I can confidently say that Daddy and I spend more time with you and your brother more than the parents who provide more materials to their kids. Maybe it is more obvious to you to see the materials that others have, but for me, I can more about the time and energy we can spend together.

I will learn more patience and wisdom to guide you. And hope one day you will understand.

Love,
Mommy
3/26/2018

意外的驚喜

開始不吃動物製品, 原起是為了健康,  也為了環保. 這些之前道理都懂, 遲遲沒有付出行動是因為覺得, “我每天早上都吃吐司加蛋, 我不想放棄蛋阿!" “我不想放棄吃魚阿!" “我好喜歡拿雞湯當湯底阿!" 直到年底旅行, 回家前一天在鳳凰城的一家二手書店隨手拿起Dr. Neal Barnard的書 (之前就看過他的TED Talk), 越看越發現, 其實能吃的東西很多. 之前覺得不能放棄的食品, 也有很多健康的代替品, 就這樣, 隨著2018年的開始, 我也漸漸走向 “plant base diet." 牛牛也很支持這樣的選擇, 因為 “我還是能吃饅頭和麵包." 他這樣說. 🙂

“與其注意不能吃甚麼, 要看能吃甚麼." 因為心態的轉變, 所以不覺得吃有太多的不習慣. 反而積極地去尋找不曾留意的食材, 每天都發現簡單又健康的食譜, 迫不及待地要試試.

年初的家族聚會, 去的吃到飽餐廳是跟去年同家的. 那家餐廳有名的是中間有個蒙古烤肉的大鐵板. 本以為會沒東西吃, 驚喜地發現其實在肉類區之前他有一個蔬菜區- 我愛吃的香菇米粉包心菜花椰菜都有. 以往這些都被我當肉的裝, 這次變成主角, 裝滿滿的一大碗. 最棒的是, 吃完覺得很滿足也不覺得稱.

小孩的飲食我們不強迫. 他們依然吃漢堡, 吃魚. 我也隨緣, 上周去朋友家作客臨時被留下吃晚餐, 太太做了義大利肉醬麵, 我們甚麼都沒說, 依舊吃下肚. 但肉醬方面有特別節制, 也刻意地多吃了幾盤女主人準備的青菜, 還學了一道 – 炒kale with shiitake mushroom. (我一直都不知道怎麼吃kale, 生的對我而言太難嚼了)

進入plant based diet 已將近兩星期, 目前很喜歡, 早上起來不會特別飢餓, 但也不會有 “前晚的食物還沒消化完"的感覺. 另外還有幾個完全意想不到的好處:

1. 我開始買比較多的水果, 小孩放學一回家吵著肚子餓就有得吃, 不會去翻零食.
2. 做菜的時候不用再擔心生肉衛生的問題.
3. 清洗碗盤時不再那麼黏膩. (Dr. Barnard也提倡減少用油, 因為吃的乾果蔬菜穀類已提供人體需要的油的分量.)
4. 廚房的垃圾桶不再那麼臭.