Life is Beautiful

Motherhood, Sewing, Family

What I wore when I was expecting

~ Etc.

dress: anthropologie | cardigan & shoes: target 
photographs by Jessica Peterson
This yellow lace dress is a non-maternity dress but I bought it 4 sizes bigger on purpose so that I could wear it while I’m pregnant.  I plan on altering it once I have the baby and return back to my pre-maternity size, however long that’ll take.  I’m actually a little nervous about this being my third pregnancy and how it’s suppose to be harder to get back in shape the more kids you have, but I guess I’ll worry about that after this baby’s out.  I also get nervous about having three kids because every single mother I’ve ever talked to has told me having three kids is by far the hardest and most overwhelming.  One is easy, two is manageable, three is super tough, and after that it doesn’t matter how many kids you have, they all seem to say.  One mother even told me(before I was pregnant with my third) not to have a third child and how I’ll regret it and to live my life instead because with three kids, my own life, goals and dreams would be over.  Another mother also told me when her third child was just a couple months old, to just stop at two kids because it was so hard.  I talked to a mutual friend several months later about how every single mother has told me how difficult having a third child is, and she told me she recently talked to one mother who said it was just the same as having two kids.  I asked who that mother was and guess what, it was the same mother that told me to just stop at two kids.  She must have deleted the difficult moments out of her memory and no longer remember!  No wonder why mothers keep having more kids, right?  It’s a big conspiracy, I’m telling you!
I used to get high anxiety about it where I would literally feel my heartbeat go faster and I had to take deep breathes to keep myself from feeling faint, but now I’m like, “Bring it on! It’s going to happen no matter what so I’m going on beast-mode and say I can do this!!” That attitude might change once the baby’s out, but you know, for now it helps with my sanity so I’m sticking to it!  
If any of you are mothers with three or more kids, feel free to send me some advice/reality along the way so I can prepare myself mentally.  Thank you.  Gracias.  Chao.   

The unspoken secret to getting more comments on your blog

~ Etc.

“So how many people visit your blog everyday?” is a question I get asked by my friends sometimes.  “Um, about 5,000 people a day, 7,000 on higher days…”  Then they all gasp and say something like, “Whoa!  That is a lot!  I would’ve never guessed….”  and they trail off before I finish their sentence for them.  “Because no one comments?  Haha, I know.”  and it makes me wonder too sometimes.
But then I don’t comment on other blogs either.  Not even the ones that comment on my blog.  I don’t really follow any blogs regularly, or read many of them so that’s a big reason why, but on the few blogs I do read somewhat regularly like once or twice a month(I feel like I spend enough time on the internet as it is with my own blog so I try not to surf the internet), I leave comments on because that’s my own blogging etiquette.  I feel like I am not being fair to the bloggers’ time and effort if I read and enjoy their blogs on a regular basis but never leave a comment.  So I leave a comment maybe every few times I read their blog to let them know I appreciate what they’re sharing.  But that’s just my personal etiquette rule and by no means do I want others to do the same.  I want people to comment when they want to!  I don’t do any advertising or sponsoring of my blog, and don’t contact other companies for sponsorship like a blogger is suppose to do, or spend that much time on the blog or take it very seriously, so naturally, my blog isn’t as successful as it could be but I’m perfectly okay with that. But I have wondered how I could get more comments on my blog, because of course I love getting feedback, what blogger doesn’t?
But I am recently finding out about this “secret blogging etiquette or rule” and I’m wondering, am I the only one that’s been out of the loop?  How come no one told me?  How come no one talks about it, is it suppose to be a big secret between the bloggers?
So the “secret” I found out about is this: if you leave a nice comment on someone’s blog and/or say “I’m your newest follower and/or have their blog address below”, then you’re very highly encouraged/should visit their blogs and leave a comment too and/or follow back. It doesn’t have to be all three of them, some do leave thoughtful comments with no link to their blog, but they know you can click on their name and find their blog.  It’s like this secret exchange you have between bloggers.
I’ve read before that commenting on other blogs is a great way to make your blog successful but I didn’t know exactly why.  But now I know what they really meant!  I come across a blog and think, WOW!  How do they get so many comments when I’m literally getting 10x-100x times more people visiting my blog?  They just started their blogs not long ago, what is his/her secret because I want to know!  I just figured they’re better bloggers, better writers, better photographers, (and some) have much higher number of readers than mine, advertise their blogs, and some even buy readership/comments/traffic etc.  And many times it is true of course, I don’t consider myself a great blogger and there are so many blogs that are better at all those things than me.  But it intrigues me when I see start-up blogs that get so many comments(like 100) when the quality and content is similar to mine with readership less than 10% of mine.  So I click on some of their comments and almost all the comments are like this.  “Thank you for visiting my blog, for leaving me a sweet comment, for following me, I’m following you back!”  
So that’s the big unspoken secret people.  I hope no one’s mad that I spilled what seems to me like the-must-not-be-named secret in blogging.  And those people that visit plethora of blogs daily to leave comments to engage with other bloggers and have them visit your blog too, I say good for you! That’s not for me but kudos for your dedication.  
Did you know about this unspoken secret exchange between the bloggers? What do you think about it?

FCC, I got a problem with you

~ Etc.

FCC, Federal Communications Commission announced it is considering dropping current broadcast decency standards that ban explicit profanity and “non-sexual” nudity.
“Specifically, if enacted, the new FCC policy would allow network television and local radio stations to air the f-word, the s-word and to allow programs to show frontal female nudity, even during hours when they know children will be watching and listening.”
If you ask me, I think that’s ridiculous.  I want my children to grow up in a society that will honor the standards of morals and integrity, no matter what time or age.  I want the outside environment to support what I’ll be teaching in my own home as much as possible, not contradict it. 
If you think so too, you can take action by taking a few minutes to submit your comment. Click here to read the instructions and submit a comment. 

General Conference

~ Etc.

We enjoyed General Conference this past weekend with just us family.  We usually invite some friends over for some loco moco(Hawaiian cuisine of white rice, hamburger patty, fried egg topped with gravy) while watching the morning session of General Conference, but this weekend Jay and I were both hashed(lack of sleep+allergies=bleh) so we kept it chill.  On Saturday during conference, we ate french toast, and thanks to all the creative mothers out there via pinterest, my kids were entertained most of the sessions(download activity one, two, three, four).  Between the sessions, Jay took the girls ice skating and came home with delicious hamburgers & fries from Burgers Supreme.  On Sunday we watched conference, ate shrimp tacos and many snacks in between, and went on a family walk.  The girls love driving their little car to the church parking lot and parking their car in one of the stalls.  When we came home we had a movie & popcorn night and we got to cuddle with our girls the whole time, which was wonderful.  

mother-daughter date/daddy-daughter date

~ Etc.

Adi and I went on a mommy-daughter date while Jay went on a daddy-daughter date with Ana.  Adi coordinated our outfits to be matchy matchy, and “look like BFF’s” according to her.  
those are suppose to be leggings on Adi but i might’ve bought too big of a size…
so much for trying to save money and buy a bigger size so she can wear it longer…

Upon Adi’s request, Adi and I went to Yogurtland where we ate frozen yogurt and talked about her friends, her teachers, and what she wants to be when she grows up.  She also told me she didn’t want to choose which prince she wants to marry when she’s an adult, but instead wants me and daddy to choose for her! I need to voice record her saying that before she changes her mind and make her write a contract, now that I come to think of it!
Upon Ana’s request, Jay and Ana went to a dinosaur museum and then to McD’s for some ice-cream cone.  It might seem like we eat a lot of McD ice-cream cones, but it’s only because… we do. 
outfit: tunic top & leggings: h&m | necklace: target | rain boots: Ilse Jacobsen