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KA Mommy Blogger :: Jinnie Kim

I'm a SAHM of 3 amazing kids, Elisa, Ellen, and Christian and a wife to the most wonderful husband, JH. I love being a wife and mom but sometimes, I need to get away from being just that. I've searched high and low, far and wide for a hobby but... with those same 3 kids that I adore, it's nearly impossible. Heck, I can barely go to the bathroom without one of them calling out MOMMY. But when the kids are in bed, I can write and bring my thoughts to life. This is my sanctuary where my kids are not screaming or fighting; where my thoughts can be spoken out loud without being interrupted. This is my quiet place. This is all about ME... and a little about my family... ok, a lot about my family.

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Homemade Halloween Costumes!

Written by: Woomee Yu
    

It's that time of the year again!  Halloween is just around the corner and the question is..What is your child going to be for this year?  Do I really want to spend another $20+ for a costume he/she will never wear again?  Do I really want my child to be ANOTHER spiderman? Tinkerbell? Or Buzz?  Why don't you let your creativity show this year by making your own home-made costume?  I know...you might say, who has the time to do that?  But I promise you, it's really not bad at all.  It is only going to cost you $5-$10 depending on how fancy you want to get, but from my experience, I never spent more that $10.  Fabric stores around this time of the year have tons of sales and discounts on fabrics - I like to use FELT because of the variety of bright colors choices and the stiffness of the fabric that it makes it so easy to use.  After that, all you need is some needle, yarn and some fabric glue.  No advanced sewing skills required.  No one is going to be looking closely at your crooked sewing skills, trust me.  If all else fails, I use safety pins and fabric glue!

This all started for me way before I was married and had kids.  I came across a Martha Stewart magazine featuring home-made costumes for babies and I thought, 'one day when I have my own, I will make one!' Years later, when I had my first baby Christian, I dug up the magazine I saved all those years and made an owl costume for him.  I must admit, Martha's directions are sometimes a little annoying to follow.  I am lazy yet likes to see results fast, so I cut corners and voila! My first home-made costume was a success.  Little did I know, when the next Halloween came near, I felt this tremendous pressure to whoop out another home-made costume.  Then I realized how rewarding, easy and cost-efficient it was to make one so my tradition began. 

My son is now 5 and I have a daughter Sofia who will be 3 next month.  I have been making their costumes each year and as the kids grow up, they LOVE to participate in choosing what they want to be and helping me to glue things down.  I don't know how much longer I will be able to do this for them, but until they "allow" me to, I would love to keep this tradition going.  No matter how it turns out, your child will be wearing a one of a kind costume and you will feel great!

Don't Spread Yourself Too Thin!

Written By: Jeanie Chang

thisnext.com

 

Every year I tell myself that this is the year I'll step back from volunteering on the PTA and being gradeparent or room mom of my kids' classes and not spend every waking minute at my kids' school.  Every year, I fail.  I end up volunteering to be the gradeparent for my child's class and having three at the same school - you can imagine how busy I get!

This year, I did it again.  I decided I could handle being the gradeparent for my 5th grader, 3rd grader and 1st grader's classes.  Honestly, I am so overwhelmed right now I don't know where to begin.  It's Halloween which means classes are doing Halloween/fall related activities.  Don't even get me started on my preschooler's activities and how I need to volunteer at his fall fun day next week!

Anyways, the school has a really fun family event every year called the Parade of Pumpkins which comes complete with a moonbounce, cake walk, bake sale, live music, costume contest, etc.  My kids love going and we have a blast as a family.  The highlight at the Parade of Pumpkins is the pumpkin decorating contest.  You can enter as an individual, family or as a class.  Almost every class participates which means the parents are busy, busy, busy as they coordinate the decorating activity with the teacher and kids.  As gradeparent, I'm in charge of overseeing and communicating everything.  That's why I'm overwhelmed.  My sons' teachers (3rd and 1st grade) are excited about participating so the past week I've been planning the pumpkin decorating activity, coordinating, buying crafts, etc.  It's been challenging keeping track of which class is doing what and when and what supplies are needed.  ARGH!

I kept hoping my daughter's 5th grade teacher did not want to participate in the pumpkin decorating contest because I don't know if I can handle coordinating for a third class.   As luck would NOT have it, last night over dinner, my daughter mentioned to me that her teacher had said that day how she wanted the class to decorate a pumpkin for the contest.  I looked at my husband in panic.  The Parade of Pumpkins is next week which gives me barely any time to put another pumpkin decorating activity together.  So far she hasn't contacted me so maybe she's planning on organizing it herself?!  That's what I'm hoping!

Here's my point.  I'm way too stressed over all of this and it's just Halloween.  Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner which means there will be more classroom activities, events and parties to coordinate.  I spread myself WAY TOO THIN this year...and last year and the year before.  I guess I'm so excited at the start of a new school year to get involved for my kids that I don't think about the consequences.  This is where I feel so challenged.  I'm a mom of four kids and I want to be involved in ALL OF THEIR ACTIVITIES.  By the time my 3 year old is in Kindergarten, I may be too burned out to do any volunteering in his classroom!  How sad is that?

In retrospect, I shouldn't have signed up to be the gradeparent for each class.  Maybe I should have signed up for one of my kids' classes and then be a volunteer in the other two.  I definitely wanted to be as involved as I could this year since it's my daughter's last year in elementary school.   By the time the kids are in middle school, there aren't as many volunteering opportunities so I wanted to do as much as I could now.  Unfortunately, I'm paying for it.  Buying Halloween crafts at Walmart the other day wasn't too much fun because I was too overwhelmed with what had to be done regarding the pumpkin decorating and that's doesn't seem right, does it?

Have you ever spread yourself so thin like this?  You had the right heart, but it wasn't the best thing for you to do?  I'm still trying to figure out how to best balance all this.  It probably will continue to be a struggle until all the kids hit adulthood...if I make it that long.  LOL.

"Clean Your Room!"

Written By: Jeanie Chang

workitmom.com 

My daughter and oldest son are grounded.  They are so in trouble only they don't know it yet.  I'm waiting for them to get home from school and then they will be grounded  - no play dates for a week.  I just went into their rooms to put away some clean laundry and lo and behold - their rooms are DISASTER ZONES!!!  Dirty clothes on the floor, beds unmade, stray papers and books all over the place and their nightstands have toothpaste on them.  How is that possible?  I'm livid because I just told them to clean their rooms a couple days ago and they told me they had.  It was my fault for believing them, but being ages 10 and 8, I would think they are responsible enough to handle cleaning up their rooms on their own.

I can't believe how this phrase, "Clean up your room!" has become a staple in my house.  Remember all those television shows you've watched growing up and seeing the moms tell their kids to clean their rooms?  They would portray the mom in such a typical fashion that it seemed too typical to be real.  Well, I believe it now because here I am telling my kids to clean their rooms.  I say it almost every day!

So, now my kids are grounded for telling me they cleaned their rooms when they really did not.   I'm thinking I need to change strategy here.  I realize I need to come up with a reward system or provide an allowance of some sort to give them an incentive to clean their rooms and do other chores around the house.  I can't believe my kids could be old enough to receive an allowance.  Did you receive an allowance when you were growing up?

I never got an allowance because  I grew up as a typical 2nd generation Korean American where the parents just dictated the rules and I obeyed grudgingly or rebelliously.  I'm now thinking my older two children are at the age where they could receive an allowance to encourage and motivate them to do their part in contributing to our household.  What are your thoughts on this?

I received some good insight from FamilyEducation.com.  They suggest that assigning your child age-appropriate chores and providing a regular allowance teaches him/her responsibility and money management.  The website offers many tips on why chores are important and how to fairly divide chores among family members.  With four kids, I really could use help on this one!  Of course my 3 year old is too young to understand the meaning of chores, but if I set a chore list for my other three kids - by the time he's ready, he'll have a better understanding of responsibility.

According to Family Education, it's highly recommended for parents to give their kids an allowance.  Also, they suggest that the older kids receive more money than the younger kids which I think does make sense.  I loved the section on "Getting Kids to Clean Their Rooms."  Especially now.

I'm definitely going to use the tips they talk about:

1. Teach your child how to clean by incorporating him into your own cleaning. (What a great idea!  I don't think I ever incorporate my kids into my own cleaning!!!)

2. Cleaning can be a lonely task, and for the social child, it may feel like a punishment instead of a way to contribute to the family. Become the clean team—make the jobs go faster by working together.

3. Plan a special activity or adventure for the family to celebrate a successful day of cleaning. It's not really a bribe—it's a treat!  (I need to figure out a great way to celebrate with a fun family activity!)

The section also provides a clean room checklist which I think everyone needs to read.  It's really helpful.  That said, I'm all ready now to confront my kids when they come home from school.  We're going to sit down and have a "nice" chat.  I'll give them tips on how to clean their rooms, talk about giving them an allowance and then....I'll ground them.

5 Drinks and Healthy Food That Help Relieve Your Stress!

Written By: Jeanie Chang 

Picture via aeromedi.com

When I'm stressed or have had a bad day, the first thing I want to do is eat chips (I love Cheetos) and drink diet soda.  I know it's not good for me, but it makes me feel better...or does it really?  I just read an article on Reader's Digest.com listing healthy food and drinks that calm you down.  It's very interesting so I thought I'd share with you for you to try the next time you're stressed or had a stressful day.  I sure will!

5 Drinks That Help You Calm Down:

1. Drink a glass of milk Milk contains tryptophan which as it is metabolized converts to mood-boosting serotonin!  Plus, its calcium, magnesium and potassium content may help keep blood pressure down.

2. Drink hot cocoa. Warm drinks raise your body temperature which makes us feel comforted and this triggers a similar response in our brains.

3. Order black tea instead of coffee. A study by University College London shows that drinking black tea four times a day for six weeks lowered the stress hormone cortisol after a stressful event.  (I'm definitely going to try drinking black tea instead of coffee!)

4. Drink green tea. Green tea is packed with theanine which increases the brain’s output of relaxation-inducing alpha waves and reduces the output of tension-making beta waves.

5. Drink a glass of cold water, then go for a walk outside. The water gets your blood moving and the air invigorates by stimulating the endorphins that de-stress you.  (I definitely agree with this as it has worked for me!!!)

Try these heathier foods to de-stress:

1. Snack on a handful of nuts. They’re packed with magnesium, which seems to help keep cortisol levels low.

2. Eat broccoli and low-fat ranch dip. Broccoli has folic acid, which aids stress reduction. (Who knew?)

3. Enjoy sorbet with a vanilla sugar wafer. Sugary foods decrease levels of anxiety-producing hormones, specifically through the production of glucocorticoid, a stress hormone linked to storing more fat in the belly. Just a little sugar on the tongue is enough to produce a feel-good effect, so don’t overdo it!  (It's great to know dessert is good for you too!)

4. Have a whole grain English muffin with jam or honey. Complex carbohydrate-rich foods raise serotonin levels, boosting your mood and helping you relax.

5. Savor some salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids help brain cells to function more collaboratively, helping you to deal with stress more effectively. (I love salmon!  Now I know why.)

6. Indulge in some dark chocolate. By far the most potent endorphin-producing food on earth, chocolate contains more than 300 different compounds, including anandamide, a chemical that mimics marijuana’s effects on the brain, and theobromine, a mild stimulant. Look for imported dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more.  (Trader Joe's has dark chocolate bars that have a cocoa content of 70% and they are DELICIOUS!)

Check out the following link for more information and other healthy living tips: www.rd.com

The Worst Halloween Candy and Some Survival Tips!

Written By: Jeanie Chang

psychologytoday.com

Do you know the average American eats 24 pounds of candy each year?!!!  I was shocked when I read that in Men's Health.  I saw the article online when I was browsing the web, but I wanted to avoid it because it was going to tell me things I didn't want to know!  Halloween is fast approaching and you know your kids will be gobbling up lots of candy and if you're like me,  you don't mind helping yourself to some of that candy they bring home after trick-or-treating, right?  According to the article, here's the 'skinny' (no pun intended) on the worst Halloween candies:

1.  Worst "Fun Size" Candy Bar: Butterfinger with 100 calories.  Eat a 3 Musketeers fun size bar instead which has only 63 calories.

2. Worst Fruity Candy: Brach's Airheads at 140 calories.  Eat 3 Spangler Dum Dum pops instead and consume only 77 calories.

3. Worst mini candy bars: Twix - which has the worst saturated fat profile in any candy in your child's trick-or-treat bag! Switch to Tootsie Rolls and you'll cut your calories by more than half.

4. Worst chewy candy: Brach's milk maid caramels - 4 pieces have 160 calories.  Instead, eat 4 pieces of Now and Later which have 53 calories.

5. Worst novelty candy: Reese's Pumpkin which is just an oversized peanut butter cup.  Eat 2 bite size Reese's peanut butter cup instead and it will be half the calories!

Some survival tips to avoid gaining needless weight include chewing gum to suppress any cravings, working out on Halloween morning, switching to dark chocolate and drinking 16 ounces of water before having any treats which makes you feel more full.  I'm definitely going to avoid the candies listed above as well as keep these tips in mind because you know Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner too!

A Sweet Korean Mommy Commercial

Looking for one thing, I was led to this video of a young Korean couple just finding out that they were going to have a baby. It appears to be a commercial for a water company in Korea, but the emotions are genuine - a real moment in time captured. Take a look, though I won't offer you my translation, it has a universal understanding.

 

:: Part One::

 

 

:: Part Two::

 

 

:: Behind the Scenes ::

  

 

Shared by: Kathy Choi-Lee

Stranger Danger: An Important Lesson At Preschool

Written By: Jeanie Chang

Photo via safeguard-1.com

I picked up my son from preschool on Monday and the teacher asked my three year old before leaving to show me something.  My curiosity was piqued.   She had him stand before her and asked him a question, " Hi there, can I give you some candy?"  My son immediately fell to the ground on his behind and started kicking his legs shouting "stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger!"  I was wowed.  My son's preschool teacher turned to me and said that the kids learned about safety today and keeping away strangers!  She went on to explain that it's harder to take children while having a tantrum and it would stir attention so that protects them.  My son's teacher also told me that they explained to the kids that adults should not have to ask kids for help because they can help themselves.  For example, she also asked my son, "I need help finding my dog, could you help me?"  Of course, my son was glad to get on his behind once again and yell "stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger!"

What a great lesson my three year old son learned at preschool!  I was really impressed.  I know all preschools/schools teach the kids about being safe and staying away from strangers, but this was the first time I had seen this kind of demonstration from any of my children and believe me, I've spent many years at preschool.   My son is at a new preschool this year and if it didn't win me over before, it does now.

I wouldn't care if this is all my son took away from preschool this year because this is so important.  He also happens to be the most outgoing and fearless child in the family, what with being the fourth child and all, so this lesson is even more significant.  How has your preschooler been taught about stranger danger or have they even been taught about it?   Maybe they have but your child didn't take away much from that lesson so they didn't share it with you.  I suggest you ask your preschool whether they teach stranger safety to kids and how they do it.  I think it is important to be incorporated into a preschool curriculum.  However, they do have summer camps here in North Carolina that focus on teaching incoming Kindergarten students about safety so they are prepared for elementary school.  You can see if there are summer camps available in your area that do the same. 

If you're wondering, my son's preschool teacher told me she learned about this technique on the Oprah Show!

The Halloween Costume Dilemma!

Written By: Jeanie Chang

I don't like buying Halloween costumes because I feel like it's a waste.  Your child will most likely wear the costume just once, right?  Next Halloween, she/he will want to be someone/something else.  Or maybe it's not all a waste especially if you have kids that are the same gender.  My 8 year old son's Halloween costumes have definitely been passed down to his two younger brothers!  They really had no say in what they wanted to be for Halloween because they had to be a frog or a tiger or Buzz Lightyear or Mr. Incredible or a pirate or Prince Caspian.  (Yes, those are my oldest son's Halloween costumes).  My three year old's costume is already picked out and ready to go.  He'll be a tiger this year.   Done.  For my daughter, I always face the dilemma of buying her a Halloween costume every year.  I laugh at myself now remembering how I used to be so extravagant about her Halloween costume when she was little.  Until she was five years old, she had beautiful Disney costumes or she was an angel or a princess.  I find it funny because she didn't really care what she was for Halloween being that young.  Of course now that she's ten years old, she does care what costume she wears for Halloween and now I'm "burned" out of Halloween costume-buying.

I decided to be more creative this year!  Well, it's creative for me anyway.  My daughter couldn't decide what she wanted to be for Halloween so I decided for her.  I had to get her a few staples from Justice (the girls store) this weekend and by the time I was done, I ended up creating her Halloween costume!  Justice had a very small selection of Halloween props and some Halloween-related items such as a miniskirt made from a tulle-like material.  I looked at the pictures of their models by the Halloween section and got to thinking.  My daughter's costume (all from Justice) is a cross between a rock-star, punk girl, Disney star wanna-be.   I put together that hot pink tulle miniskirt, black and hot pink leggings, a shirt with silver sequins (which is part of their fall line), silver sequins gloves (in the Halloween section) and a hot pink bob wig which I also found in the store's Halloween section.  Voila!  That's her costume this year and she actually loved it!

Two Halloween costumes down and two to go.  I needed a costume for my 8 year old and 6 year old sons.  I decided to tackle consignment stores and yard sales first!  There's this really nice, somewhat upscale childrens' consignment store just minutes from my house that I have browsed in a couple times.  I thought maybe I'll be able to find a Halloween costume there for at least one of my boys and save some money in the process too.  I went the other day and twenty minutes later, I came out with two BRAND NEW Halloween costumes with the tags still on and the exact sizes I needed for my sons!  They just happened to be having a sale too and Halloween costumes were 30% off!  So, I purchased two BRAND NEW Halloween costumes for $6.99 each!  What a steal.  I asked about the return policy before I bought the costumes and they told me as long as I returned them by the 14th, it would be fine.  I figured that gave me plenty of time to convince my sons to like the costumes.  My 8 year old son's costume is a skeleton.  I was worried about that actually because I thought maybe it would be too scary for him since he doesn't like to wear scary costumes, but he actually liked it and thought it was cool.  The skeleton costume (brand new like I said) came with a full body suit, a mask, footsies and gloves!  My six year old's costume is the red Bionicle and he LOVES it!  Of course he had to be reminded by his older brother what Bionicle is.  Nevertheless, his costume came with a full body suit and a Bionicle mask.  AWESOME.  Total cost for my sons' new costumes: $13.98.  Total cost for my daughter's new costume: $32.  That's a little costlier than I would like, BUT the silver shirt with sequins, which was the most expensive, is something she can wear to school.  She can also wear the leggings another time as well.  The wig, miniskirt and gloves can be recycled for another costume another year! 

If you too are struggling with the Halloween costume-buying, I highly recommend you look into second-hand stores such as children consignment stores, yard sales, Goodwill or your friends!  A couple of my friends did a 'switcheroo.'  They have boys the same age and they just exchanged costumes which is a great idea!  I may have to do that next year.

got goals? Let's Move It, Move It!

Written By: Jeanie Chang 
 

That's the theme of my kids' school fundraiser this year which is taking place this week.  The school's theme is a take on the "got milk?" campaign and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign.  The Let's Move campaign focuses on raising a healthier generation of kids and solving the problem of childhood obesity.  The timing of our school fundraiser really hits home.  I just participated in and finished my first triathlon on Sunday!  I'm thrilled and so proud of myself that I did it. 

I had been training diligently and somewhat intensely the past month after school started and I think it really has paid off.  I signed up for the triathlon along with three other friends and even though we all didn't want to admit it, there was some healthy competition between us.  My goal for my first triathlon: do my best, complete it and finish in above average time.  The results surpassed my expectations! 

I ended up coming in first of my three friends which I honestly never expected.  One of my friends had been an aerobic instructor, another had done a half marathon and another had been working out for years and happened to have a triathlete husband who was training her.  Above average time indeed.  I completed the triathlon in one hour, three minutes and 45 seconds which put me in 115th place out of 510 participants!  I had a goal, worked toward that goal and completed that goal.  There's no other better feeling!

My point is to teach my kids to never say never and don't use the word "can't."  It's like the little engine that could - "I think I can, I think I can."  That's so true.  If you really put your mind to something and set a certain goal for yourself, don't you think you could reach that goal?  Wouldn't you want your children to believe they could reach the goals they set for themselves?  I'm sure you do!

My kids knew I was training for this triathlon and I hope they understood that without training, I don't think I could have completed one.  Maybe I could,  but I definitely would have suffered physically.  Even with all the training I did, it was tough.  Halfway through the 9 mile bike, I was thinking - can I do this?

I told my kids that crossing the finish line felt so incredible because I had worked toward that goal.   We all know that it takes hard work to be successful.  Sure, there are some instances where success comes easy, but generally success has come to those who really worked for it and had a goal in mind.  I love this quote:  "Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."  I grew up hearing that day in and day out and I have found it true.  My father said this to me for years and as much as it annoyed me, I'm finding myself saying it to my own children.

So, let's move it and get goals for our children and with our children!  There's no greater joy than seeing your children reach success after setting their own goals and working hard for it!