Videos for Toddlers & Kids: Tayo the Little Bus

Videos for Toddlers & Kids: Tayo the Little Bus

Even before we gave Harley her own tablet, we were looking for video content for her. The reality is that screen time isn’t evil, and honestly, sometimes we all need time to zone out – her in front of a video and me without a little one demanding my complete attention. That said, I still like to encourage her to watch things that expand her mind, teach her something, or are generally worthwhile. I’ve found a bunch of awesome shows for kids, and I thought I’d share them with you. This time, it’s Tayo the Little Bus. Continue Reading

Comment Geek, TV

168 Hours, time mosaics and eradicating mom guilt

168 Hours, time mosaics and eradicating mom guilt

One of the ways that I make the most of my gym time is listening to audiobooks. It’s how I was able to hit my reading goal last year, and expands my general “reading”. I wouldn’t sit down to read non-fiction time management books, but they’re pretty cool to listen to while lifting weights or pushing myself on the elliptical. Most recently, I listened to Laura Vanderkam’s I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time and it had some really interesting points that have helped to reframe some aspects of my life.

I like the way she uses different women as her case studies. Each person, each family is unique. While there are some common trends or ways of life that can be found across her sample, it was helpful for her to talk about the differences in careers, in families, in locales and more. After listening to the book, I think I might try to keep my own time log and share the results with you all soon. But for now, here are some of the best parts that I got from this book. Continue Reading

Comment Books, Coaching, Parenting

I Hate Potty Training – Let’s Be Honest, It’s Crappy

I Hate Potty Training - Let's Be Honest, It's Crappy

I have a list of blog posts I plan to write one day. When ideas pop in my head, I try to write them down. Sometimes I brainstorm blogs to write for the month. Either way, there’s a blog post that has been on my list forever. It was titled “How I potty trained my kid”. In some versions of the proposed title, I combined it with my interest in early childhood development, “How I potty trained my kid, and helped her learn to read” or “Additional skills learned while potty training”. Other times, I thought I could help other moms with titles like “I potty trained my kid and you can too” or “The no-stress way I potty trained my kid”. But the reality is, I hate potty training and it’s awful.

Every kid is different. I say this as a reminder to me and to you. The kid who is an amazing sleeper might refuse to eat anything other than mac and cheese or breadsticks. A great eater might decide not to walk until 18 months. The fabulous running, walking, talking kid might take forever to potty train. In the end, they all get there, but your life as a parent will vary quite a bit depending on which elements end up being a hurdle for your kid. Continue Reading

Comment Child Development, Parenting, Rambling

All about the EB-5, America’s investment visa program

All about the EB-5, America's investment visa program

Most of you know by now that when we made our move from South Africa to Arizona in 2017, we used the I-130 visa to do so. This is a special kind of green card that’s issued to family members of US citizens, such as partners and children. Harley already had her American citizenship, so it was only Dean who needed the green card, which you can read more about over here.

But I often get emails and other messages from you all. You ask about other ways to get to the US if you don’t have a partner who is a citizen. And for a long time, I honestly didn’t have any answers other than to try for the Green Card lottery, or maybe see if you can get a job that will do the work for you. But now I have a solution that will work for some of you. Granted, it’s not a fit for everyone, but there is indeed a way to buy your way in.

(Full disclosure: This post was sponsored, as becomes clear below. But since so many of you have written to me about this topic, I thought it might be helpful for some of you.) Continue Reading

Comment South Africa, Sponsored, USA

Why I work as a coach – Or, who do I think I am?

Why I work as a coach - Or, who do I think I am

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve added a “Work with me” section on this site. No, this isn’t for brands looking to throw money at me to write random posts (although I’m happy for you to reach out to me if you are a brand and think we’d work well together). Rather, this is a section of the site devoted to my coaching business. Coaching business? Who do you think you are, coaching people – I hear you say. Well, let me explain why I work as a coach, what I offer, and why I think it’s worthwhile.

In many ways, I’m living my ideal life. I can pay the bills with working on average 4-5 hours per day, freeing up the rest of my time to hit the gym, relax with my husband, play with my kid or consume amazing series or video games. But the reality is that the writing I do in those 4-5 hours a day is pretty mind-numbing. Not all the time, but much of the time. Most of all, it’s pretty unfulfilling work writing such SEO optimized content. I’m lucky to be able to write for a living, which was my dream, but I also need other outlets for my soul, which is why I blog, make YouTube videos, and now, coach. Continue Reading

Comment Coaching, Health