My main blog, which is more frequently updated, can be found here. On Champuru Reviews, you will find rants and raves about my latest finds. Some reviews are sponsored, which means the company or author provided a free sample of the item for me to review. These reviews will be marked as such, indicating "Sponsored Review."
Who is Champuru?
Aloha, I'm Donna, known everywhere on the Internet as "Champuru." I'm a Christian, blissfully wedded to my perfect match (the yang to my yin) of 16 years and a work-at-home mom to my miracle baby, born in October 2008. Living life in Hawaii, less than 5 miles from my hometown, seeking balance in her pursuit of family, faith, recreation, and rest. Read more on the About page.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.”(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
My parents, who grew up in the small plantation towns of Wahiawa and Lanai City, had fond memories of living in communities where residents were not just neighbors, but they were also friends. They shared vegetables from their gardens or fresh eggs from their chicken coop. Men gathered under the shade of a neighbor’s garage sharing beers after a long, arduous day of physical labor. Women swapped recipes and fresh baked goodies. They got into each other’s business. In a good way. Most of the time.
It’s unfortunate, but since I moved from Wahiawa (years ago) into a newer development, the residents were of a different ilk. Young families, busy between working and whisking their children to and from soccer games in their minivans, never seemed to have the time or inclination to make friends with their neighbors.
Even in the land of Aloha, I’ve never lived next door to folks that I could honestly call my friends beyond “hellos” across the fence. Until now.
I am blessed to live next door to a phenomenal couple who have become fast friends. Jan is generous to a fault and truly embodies the spirit of sharing. We are prayer partners, interceding on each other’s behalf, and we touch base daily — not always in person, but often by e-mail.
Jan has influenced me in many ways. Her sweet, loving heart reminds me how to seek the best in others. Her positive, prayerful spirit demonstrates the power of making our requests known to God. Her kindness and long-suffering encourages me to be a better mom, wife, and daughter. Her artistic talent inspires me to tap into my creative side.
You may have seen my previous entry about Jan’s upcoming class to teach us how to make a Friendship Star for Valentine’s Day. (If you are on Oahu and are interested in attending the class, please visit this entry for details on how to sign up.) But I wanted to give her art blog, Pictures with Words a quick shout-out, too. As a professional watercolor artist and calligrapher, she creates beautifully inspired artwork regularly and shares them on her blog. It’s a fabulous way to keep her skills honed and a venue to share her art with the world. And if I may toot my own horn for a moment here, I introduced her to the wonderful world of blogging. But honestly, I can’t take any credit for the way Jan seized the medium and ran with it, making it truly her own. It is my hope that more people will discover her blog and enjoy her artwork.
Jan is hosting a giveaway right now and all you need to do is visit her blog at http://jancalligrapher.blogspot.com and leave a comment on her Giveaway entry. She will be drawing a name from those that leave a comment and the lucky person will receive a set of Thank-You cards featuring her artwork and calligraphy. (The photo above is one of the designs that you can choose from if you win.) If you have a Blogger or Google account, please be sure to become a follower, too!
The good folks at Midori-dori are extending a 15% discount on purchases made on their website for champuru.net readers. Just use the discount code 09CHAMPURU15 at check-out to receive 15% off your purchase.
Midori-dori is an eco-friendly, reusable gift wrap that is beautiful and convenient. The product was invented by my friend Stacy Uyehara, who was fed up with seeing the piles of wrapping paper being discarded on Christmas morning.
I used the Midori-dori wraps for the centerpieces containing bottles of Island Princess macadamia caramel popcorn for my daughter’s first birthday party. The wrap was convenient to use and didn’t require additional decorating to make it a focal point on the tables. Consider using Midori-dori wraps for centerpieces or favors for your next party. It comes in three sizes: box wrap, wine wrap, and DVD wrap.
See below for a video that I shot and edited for Midori-dori. Stacy demonstrates how you can wrap a gift in under a minute using a Midori-dori wrap. So, go green this Christmas and save some green by using the champuru.net discount code for 15% off: 09CHAMPURU15.
Whenever Baby Champuru eats anything solid, I am in constant fear of her choking. So, when I saw the Baby Safe Feeder, I knew I had to buy it and try it. I put a banana in the mesh pocket and attached the handle. Giving it to baby, she didn’t know what to make of it at first, but quickly understood that there was something edible inside and starting gnawing on it. The handle makes it easy for baby to hold and feed herself. After she finished the first serving I wanted to refill the feeder with another piece of banana, but she was so captivated by it, that clenched the handle with both hands and hollered in protest. I managed to pry it out of her hands and give her another serving — and she was absolutely thrilled.
The Baby Safe Feeder also makes a great teether, as you can put an ice cube in the mesh pocket for baby to suck on to alleviate teething pain. The real benefit is being able to put a piece of fresh fruit in the pocket without having to mash it — and it also gives baby the opportunity for self-feeding safely. The mesh bags are reusable and can be washed with warm soapy water and a clean toothbrush.
Did I mention? This product is made in the USA!
Here’s a short video of Baby Champuru eating her first banana in the Baby Safe Feeder.
I am pleased and honored to feature Lyss Stern, owner of Divalysscious Moms and author of the book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourselfas a guest blogger on Champuru.net. In this article, she shares her advice on how to strike a balance between being a mother and an entrepreneur. Even if you don’t run your own business, all moms will benefit from Lyss’ “divalysscious” tips.
As the owner of Divalysscious Moms, (www.divalyssciousmoms.com), a luxury lifestyle company for mothers and families, and the mother of two young children, (Oliver is 20 months, and Jackson is five years old), I am frequently asked how I balance motherhood and owning/operating my own business especially during the summer months. While every successful mother and business owner has her own recipe with ingredients that work for her as an individual, some tips that I like to give other mothers that are in similar situations are the “Divalysscious Tips”, and the ingredients that work for my “Mommy Entrepreneur Recipe For Organization During The Summer.” Working during the summer months can be a challenge for any mom but with a little bit of ingenuity and being intentional about making time for fun, you can have a great summer with your kids.
Here are my “Divalysscious Tips on How to be a Mommy and an Entrepreneur the Key Ingredient is Organization” for owning your own business and being mother of children under the age of five.
1. Your Children Come First. That means that any email and phone call can and will come after the children are happy and settled in. With today’s technology, it seems that everything is urgent; however your children’s well being comes first. Most importantly, your children need to feel secure. Keep the children busy outside, playing, running around and or swimming in a pool. Once your children are “tired” out, you will have more time to get your work accomplished. Plan a fun family trip, it can be to the local pool and or beach. You must make time for your children during the summer months.
2. Prioritize. Make sure that your work can be done early in the morning before the children wake up. Yes, that means sometimes waking up at 4:30am to finish work… of course you will need a large cup of coffee! Get a laptop, so that you can work from the beach, pool and or your backyard. It’s important that your children see you during the summer days. Try to do work at night after the children are sleeping. Set goals for your business, family and yourself. Balance is extremely important.
3. Have a routine. Having breakfast with the children and taking my older son to the camp bus in the morning are crucial aspects of my daily life during the summer. Dinner, bath time, and bedtime are also extremely important for my children and for me. I try my best to put down the blackberry, and eat with the children, bathe them, read to them, and spend quality time with them before bed. After my boys are sleeping, I know that I can go back on the computer to finish up my work.
4. Have a “Mommy Time Out”. Moms that run their own businesses also need to take a few minutes out of their busy day for themselves. I have a strong philosophy that if mom isn’t happy then the children won’t be happy, and with running your own business, at many times things can be stressful. Take ten minutes to meditate, get a quick ten minute back massage at the local nail salon, look through a magazine, or even take ten minutes to make a phone call to a friend, completely unrelated to work, just to say hi. This time will rejuvenate you and allow you a much needed break.
5. Delegate. Always remember that being a mom and a business owner gives you the right to delegate the work, which means surrounding yourself with a great supportive team comprised of positive people who have high energy. Make sure these are people that you can trust, and people that can help you. My husband is my biggest supporter, at times he has to help with the children because I might need to be at a meeting, have to work late, etc… I know that I can count on my husband and vice versa for him, as he too, has a high demanding job. Delegate the errands with your family, care giver, and do not be afraid to ask for help! It’s always better to ask, then to be completely overwhelmed.
As a stay-at-home mom, my baby tends to become an extension of myself. I rarely venture anywhere without her and when I do, it feels as though I’m missing a limb. My identity has become swathed in a cute pink onesie, as I am wrapped around the tiny little finger belonging to Baby Champuru. Trying to find a few minutes of “me” time isn’t always easy and sometimes I even feel guilty for wanting just a few minutes to myself.
But along came a book, If You Give a Mom a Martini: 100 Ways to Find 10 Blissful Minutes for Yourself that assured me that out of 1,440 minutes in a day, taking 10 minutes for myself is more than fair. Besides, as they say, “every so often, it’s good to do a little something for yourself, because a happier mom is a better mom.” Hey, I want to be a better mom!
The book was a fun read, perfect for busy moms – as you can read a tip or two or three, depending on how many minutes you can steal during baby’s naptime or how long you can sit on the commode before your toddler comes barging in wanting to know where her sippy cup went.
Even if you can’t employ all 100 suggestions, moms will enjoy the relatability of the authors and smile as you ponder the possibilities for your next 10 blissful minutes of mom time.
When our baby was born, the hospital provided a form to track baby’s activities: feeding and diaper changes. In the beginning days of life, it’s vitally important to track input and output to ensure that baby is being properly nourished, especially if she is being breastfed. It also provided columns for tracking how many minutes per breast your baby nursed on; if baby was fed by bottle, what kind of formula given and how much; diaper changes specified wet or stool. It was so helpful to me that I continued keeping the log, but found having to keep a clipboard always at hand somewhat cumbersome.
While I was browing for games on the App Store on my iPod Touch, I thought of doing a search on applications for babies. Surely someone thought of creating some nifty app to make a mommy’s life easier, right? Well, yes. Enter the Baby Log application for iPhone/iPod Touch by Platinum Coded.
The Baby Log app easily tracks feedings (in minutes, ounces, or milliliters), diaper changes (specify poop or no poop), sleeping, baths, and “other” which you can specify yourself. This is especially helpful for breastfeeding moms (like me) who have a hard time remembering which side they nursed last and it’s great for keeping time while you are nursing. I try to nurse baby around twenty minutes on each side every two hours, so at a glance I can see how much time has elapsed while I am nursing as well as when it’s time for the next feeding. Tracking baby’s sleeping patterns have also been particularly helpful, so that I can guess when her next nap might be based on past trends. I am still concerned about baby’s poop frequency, so tracking that has become easier with the Baby Log as well.
The Baby Log also allows data to be exported to Excel (in comma-delimited format) so you number-crunching types can run your own reports and make your own graphs if you so desire. The application also computes weekly statistics and displays them on the timer screen (not shown).
If you have twins, no problem! Baby Log is twins capable, just shake your iPod/iPhone to switch profiles.
At $4.99, it’s a great deal considering there are gadgets for this exact purpose for upwards of $25.
We have an Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper that was received as a baby shower gift and it is the single most useful thing we own for baby.
Having baby right next to me without having her in our bed is imporant to me. I am a heavy sleeper (yes, still) and if she were in the other room where her crib is, she’d likely be crying for an hour and work herself into a red-faced tantrum before I am roused from my slumber. With her no more than a few feet from my eardrums, the smallest stirring or whimpering will awaken me from a dead sleep. It’s also convenient to have her literally at “arm’s reach” for those 3 am feedings.
The co-sleeper attaches securely to our bed, but can also be converted to a free-standing bassinet or a playard. It’s portable (breaks down to 10″ x 10″ x 32″ and weighs 32 lbs.) and comes with a travel bag. Our family is going to Turtle Bay Resort for the weekend to celebrate our niece’s birthday, and while we were considering attending, the co-sleeper was definitely on the packing list. However, after speaking with our pediatrician, he recommended against going out in public while baby is still less than two months old, especially during flu season (October through mid-May), so that’s a no-go.
Her crib is used mainly for daytime naps, but we will transition her to the crib once she outgrows the co-sleeper. I can tell that the transition will likely be harder on me than on the baby.
Numerous friends have told us that a white noise or “sound machine” is a helpful device to have to help baby get to sleep. We saw the calming effect it had on Baby Champuru at the photo shoot we did with Lisa Hoang of Windwardskies Photography. Ever since, I have been meaning to get a sound machine and even sent Hubby on a mission to USA Baby and Wal-mart to find the elusive gadget — but, to no avail. And lucky for us, too, because we found a much better solution that cost us less than a buck.
As I was perusing the iTunes App Store, I found a nifty little application called Ambiance for $0.99 that is basically a sound machine for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Instead of paying $20+ for an actual device, I just downloaded the application for $0.99 and hooked up a set of old Dell computer speakers and subwoofer and — voila! — we have a sound machine that sounds phenomenal.
I have been using it at night after her last feeding and it seems to do the trick. Our favorite is the creek sound effect, which really does sound like running water just outside our window. It’s all the benefits of having a creek, without the mosquitos.
Most of the sound machines I’ve seen online look much like a clock radio, I’d assume with the sound quality to match. With the ambiance app, your iPod Touch (or iPhone), and a set of decent speakers, you have a nice alternative for a fraction of the cost. So, now you have a legitimate reason to put that iPod on your baby registry!
Japan has always fascinated me; its history, culture, cuisine, sights and sounds. For me, there is a familiarity, yet an ever-present mystique about the country. I had the opportunity to visit Japan twice, in May 2003, and again in February 2005. However, such short, touristy 2-week jaunts could never yield such a revelatory look into Japan, as author Karin Muller has provided in her travelogue, Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa. She writes with such candor and honesty, engaging in activities, meeting people, and experiencing things that most of us could only dream of. If you have even a remote interest in Japan, I highly recommend this book. Muller’s engaging storytelling and enchanting writing style whisks you through her adventures in Japan like a speeding Shinkansen. A definite must-read for any Japanophile or anyone wishing to experience Japan vicariously.
From Publishers Weekly (as published on Amazon.com’s website)
Having previously traversed the Ho Chi Minh trail and the Inca path, Muller retains an engaging freshness as she goes about “prying open the doors to traditional Japan.” She observes some well-known traditional communities (geishas, samurai), some less familiar (taiko drummers, pachinko parlors) and some more recent (the criminal yakuza, the gay community). A keen listener, Muller lets an ensemble of voices speak, among them a swordmaker and a crab fisherman. She’s also a participatory learner, taking on tasks like harvesting rice. The diverse activities and excursions to far-flung places make this a fine travel memoir, but it’s the backbone of Muller’s voyage that gives her book resonance and richness. The deterioration of her relationship with her host family is a looming presence; even as it collapses, Muller acquires an intimate sense of customary values from the urbane Genji Tanaka and his conservative wife, Yukiko. Muller’s search for the traditional, culminating in her participation in a 900-mile trek to 88 sacred Buddhist temples, also shapes the narrative. Muller went to Japan to find wa: a quality of dedication, inner strength and spiritual peace. Her memoir isn’t an account of achieving those goals, but it is an engrossing, rewarding record of her travel toward them.
Arnold was kind enough to make a special trip to the public library to borrow some books for me to read while I’m recuperating at home for the month. He seems to have his finger on the pulse of my interests, as his selection of books have utterly held me in thrall since I delved into their pages on Monday.
To be honest, reading is a pasttime I thoroughly enjoy, but generally have little time to indulge. Having nothing but time and no place to go certainly creates a rare and precious opportunity for me to lose myself for hours, traveling vicariously to faraway lands and learning more about things that interest me.
I blasted through Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara in little more than a day.
From Publishers Weekly (as published on Amazon.com’s website)
In youth-obsessed Los Angeles, maturity and reticence work in favor of the 70ish gardener Mas Arai, Hirahara’s reluctant hero, as he gets drawn into his highly enjoyable third mystery (after 2005’s Gasa-Gasa Girl). Mas leaves a party held for a friend at a Hawaiian restaurant early, but when the guest of honor turns up dead, Mas has to return to the restaurant to answer questions about anything suspicious he might have observed. A broken shamisen (a stringed instrument similar to a banjo) found at the crime scene, he realizes, indicates that the seeds of the murder were sown in Okinawa during WWII. As a Hiroshima survivor, Mas has his misgivings about examining the past too closely, but his strong sense of right and wrong propels him toward a just resolution. Hirahara’s sharp ear for dialogue and keen sense of place mark this as a superior read, but it’s her intimate view of the Japanese-American community and her wry portrait of the endearing Mas, with his fondness for gambling and Spam, that really make this series stand out. (May)
The familiarity of situations, foods, phrases, and of course, the Okinawan culture appeal to me, making this a fun, quick read. The only thing that peeved me somewhat was how the author chose to phonetically illustrate the Japanese accent of the main character with dialog such as:
“Itsu orai, Tug. I take care. I see youzu later.”
Youzu, Izu, itsu… for some reason makes my hair stand on end.
To her credit, however, the author does a fabulous job weaving some common Japanese words and phrases into the storyline and cleverly explaining their meaning without interrupting the flow of the story to define them. The plot itself is also quite intriguing and also gives readers a glimpse into a bit of Japanese-American history, the ravages of the Battle of Okinawa as well as the bomb in Hiroshima. If you can get past the “youzu, izu, itsu”, then I recommend the book for a nice diversion for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
as a guest blogger on Champuru.net. In this article, she shares her advice on how to strike a balance between being a mother and an entrepreneur. Even if you don’t run your own business, all moms will benefit from Lyss’ “divalysscious” tips.
Numerous friends have told us that a white noise or “sound machine” is a helpful device to have to help baby get to sleep. We saw the calming effect it had on Baby Champuru at the 
by Naomi Hirahara in little more than a day.