Paul & Jenn's Adventures

Our whole family has been enjoying making music during this pandemic season, and we'd like to share some resources with you!  Online group classes with Musissho . Sign up for free to enjoy weekly Suzuki play-ins (Suzuki book 1-4 review pieces) for violin. There is also a Kahoot! music history class every 2 weeks, and weekly music history classes such as musical tea time and musical storytimes on Wednesday evenings. We also love the community sharing days where you can perform in a supportive, low-stress environment.  Community Orchestra of Southern California (CYOSC) offers online ensemble classes for beginner and intermediate musicians. There is a fee to enroll but very reasonable. It's fun for the kids to play new pieces and experience ensemble playing, individual recordings are edited to form a complete presentation. The next best thing to playing in a group in-person!  Choate Summer Music Festival , we are excited to participate!  Ithaca's Suzuki Institute , this...

Angela Wrap Tee $98 I want to share with you a brand of clothing that I have absolutely fell in love with for the past couple years! Not only is this brand beautiful, and comfortable, but everything is produced in a eco-friendly and ethical as well. The styles are timeless and versatile, I find myself pulling them out of my closet time and time again. Did you ever wonder why a blouse from a department store can be discounted time and time again, making you feel like you got a great deal for 80% off plus another 15% off or something like that, but actually, the original price was grossly marked up to begin with? Even after such ridiculous discounts, they are probably still making money. The reason is that most of our clothes are made in countries like China, Vietnam, India where labor laws tolerate child labor and poor working conditions. The cost of each mass manufactured piece of clothing is next to nothing. Even major brands do this, it is really sad and appalling. Furthe...

This list is going to be a work in progress. I seriously have a love-hate relationship with Amazon. They just make it so darn easy to buy things from my phone! It's almost dangerous. Over the years, we have certainly made some good purchases that we love using everyday or at least a few times a week, and have stood the test of time! I hope this list helps you in your purchasing decisions. Please also feel free to share your favorite purchases in the comments. Home Appliances/Cooking Cordless Dyson Vacuum Lightweight enough for kids to use. They actually fight over who gets to vacuum. WIN! The rechargeable battery powers for about 15 minutes of heavy vacuuming. Plenty enough for daily cleaning. We just recently replaced the rechargeable battery after more than 5 years of ownership, and still runs like new! Love the incredible durability and power of Dyson. Non-stick Pancake Pan Trust me, you need this pan! No more waiting, flipping individual pancakes while the hungry fam w...

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We had the honor and privilege to host Susan Bahlatzis, Director of Noah's Ark Preschool at the Chinese Fellowship Bible Church on Saturday August 6th. For those who couldn't make it, or those who would like to listen again, here is the link to the recording. I also have hardcopies of the handout, so let me know if you'd like a copy. Sibiling Rivalry Workshop - Listen Now

I just finished writing an article on OEIC (our energy independence community) on sustainability of cotton versus man-made materials and it got me thinking about how much water we use daily. Ok, you're saying, I use it for cooking, showering, and watering the lawn... Right, but did you know that it takes over 700 gallons of water to produce 1 T-shirt? Or how about nearly 1800 gallons of water for one pound of beef? Clean water is a disappearing resource. We are all responsible as stewards of our planet to educate ourselves on the true cost of our choices. Check out this interactive way to learn about water use courtesy of National Geographic!