I’ve been keeping a secret!! We are excited to announce the upcoming release of a brand-new home education resource: Hiragana at Home! As a mother living in Japan and a second-language speaker of Japanese,…

I’ve been quiet on the blog for a while, and with good reason.. Shortly after my last post, I found out that we are expecting – again!…

Photo: sunflower fields in Saiyo, Hyogo It has now been a little over 2 months since we moved into our new residence! Our “new” fixer-upper home located in rural Hyogo, Japan, was an akiya,…

When I first moved to Japan, navigating the grocery store was a huge challenge. I struggled with reading food labels, and had no idea what people ate on a regular basis, what food was…

When you talk about early potty training, there are often several negative responses. You shouldn’t potty train early, you’ll harm your child. You have to wait until toddlers show “signs of readiness” and are…

Our son has used cloth diapers since about 3 months of age. We love that cloth diapers can be gentle on baby’s skin, cost-effective (especially for families that hope to have more than one…

✨We are moving!! ✨ This meaningful update has been in the works for a while, and a process full of hopeful anticipation and prayer. We are so excited to finally share the news!!…

When I tell people that it snows in Japan, they are often surprised! They seem to imagine that Japan is a warm, tropical island locale full of bamboo and monkeys. In reality, Japan is…

Overseas travel looks NOTHING like it did a few years ago. My husband and I are both seasoned travelers, having been to a combined total of more than 10 countries. However due to the…

In honor of our 5th wedding anniversary on July 30th, it seems like the perfect opportunity to share our love story with our readers! The post below was originally written in February 2017, and…