My New Etsy Shop is Open!!!

In creating some gifts recently, I've decided to open a new Etsy shop called MamaKaraGlobalGlam!! I only have a few hair accessories on there right now, but will expand to jewelry and other fun items I love to create! I'll be posting here to let you know when new items are up! Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'll be changing the look of the shop too as I expand more. Tell your friends!! xoxo

Adventures in Dishwashing....

As I sit here with my wet tank from washing dishes, I am wondering "WHY" didn't I change my shirt before blogging?!? So stupid. Anyway, in my thirtysomething years of life and my 9 years of marriage, I have just recently found the "secret" to washing dishes!!

For years we lived in apartments and houses (we've moved 7 times since getting married!) that didn't have dishwashers. Like any other inexperienced dishwasher, I always spent loads and loads of money on sponges. I would scrub the heck out of my dishes, and some how they would never quite get as clean and sparkly as I'd like. Not to mention they harbor bacteria and get really stinky really quick.

In my attempt to have spotless and crustless dishes, pans and the like, I have come to find that dishwashing requires a small arsenal of weapons in fighting those greasy, grimy, crusty and caked on foods. . . here are mine, in no particular order....

1.  The dish rag -  I thought, like many people out there, that the sponge got the dishes cleaned the best. Then one day I ran out of them and went back to the old school dish rag like my mom uses. I'd always wondered why she and my aunties always used them. Then I discovered WHY! You can get your dishes clean in half the time because it's bigger than a sponge, and you can clean the surface areas of dirty dishes faster and better. You then wash it and re-use it when it gets yucky. AND you save $$.

2.  The Product - For years I've used palmolive for hand washing and whatever I could find for the dishwasher but just like your hair, it's ALL about the product!! Someone once told me that Dawn was the best for hand dishwashing. I purchased some recently and I'm a dawn lover for life. In regards to the dishwasher, I thought that maybe it was broken because it wasn't quite washing the dishes well and so before calling the appliance repair, I decided to see if it was the dishwasher soap we were using called "finish" was the problem. I decided to get a trial size of the cascade with dawn (hey if it's good enough for the hand washing, it must be good for the dishwasher too)...and i was correct! It totally changed the cleanliness and appearance of my dishes!! I <3 dawn="dawn" p="p">
3.  The Stainless Steel Scrubbie - Do you have those weird brown stains on the bottom of your pans? Or have a hard time with those baked on foods in your pyrex dishes?!? For years I'd used elbow grease and the sponge to try and get it off with much failure. I was at Target a few months ago and decided to see what those pretty bling bling scrubbies were all about! I went home and it totally brought my old pans back to life! Not to mention its GREAT for tupperware stains and those dishes with the day old spaghetti sauce and dried curry on. No more long soaking!! yay!!

4.  The Sponge - In my dissing of the sponge, I do still use it - occassionally. The hard side is best for your non-stick pans. That's about it. I don't use it on really anything else.

5.  The Brush - Great for baby bottles and cups!

So hope you all will now have clean and sparkly dishes - I do!!

And yes, I am one of the few people who still use the dishwasher to wash dishes. . . some people just have it as decor, others use it for a drying rack, while one family I know uses it to hold snacks! LOL.

Happy dishwashing.

basketball mom...

Growing up I played basketball. You'd never really guess now, but I did play from 4th grade into mid-high school. And I played a little post college in church league. Well, maybe I should say you'd never guess then, either...I was horrible. No joke. I was the epitome of bad. I didn't shoot my first basket in a game until I was in 7th grade. I was basically in it for the social part - getting sanrio bags after the season was over, having sleepovers with my team, goofing off during practice and getting to go to tournament dances!! I somehow managed to make the frosh soph team in high school and even then, my benchwarming must have given me tendonitis, to only end my career as the stat girl for our team....But I had FUN! I may have been the benchwarmer but hey - someone's got to allow others to be the stars of the team! LOL. Thank goodness I other gifts. LOL

Fast forward 20 years....Kara says "mom I want to learn how to play basketball". From the parents I know who have kids who play, basketball is their life. They are in the gym every weekend and sometimes 3 times a week. I decided I didn't want to be one of those families that lived for basketball. Then today happened.

Thank Goodness my BFF runs her own basketball camp called "PMP" or "practice makes perfect" basketball camp. Knowing that Kara wanted to learn to play, I decided to ask J if Kara could come to camp to learn. She said "SURE!!" Phew. Someone who would actually be able to teach her how to play!! Mom sure doesn't have the credentials. And we actually have a basketball court outside in our backyard. . . I guess after this week, Daddy will have to start taking her out there!

Took Kara this AM to camp. Wow. She got out there and attempted to dribble and one push down, the ball rolled away. . . but she didn't give up, she tried and she ran over to the court and attempted to make baskets (but not very successfully) and would throw the ball and run after it. Not the greatest start but hey - it's her first day. They lined all the girls up and it seems she's as tall as the 7 year olds (she's at the end of 5)  - well, then again - they are asians - so maybe that's not a good comparison. LOL. Despite her lack of knowledge and skills, I have to say I loved being there watching her, encouraging her and once I left, I decided, I want to be a basketball mom!!

Philip picked her up and he said she got whiny when he got there...who wouldn't be whiny after 6 hours of basketball! So i made a call to J and she said Kara got to play in her first 5 on 5 today! yay! When I got home I asked her how it was and she said "mom, I got way better by the end of the day" so that was really encouraging for both of us.  It doesn't matter if she ends up being good, or the worst player on the team. What matters is that she's willing to play and have fun. Apparently one of the other dads was asking about her, apparently he's starting a new team! SIGN US UP! LOL. . . maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be in the gym all the time...I could begin a new social life as a Basketball Mom. =) 

Tea party part deux

We baked today especially for the tea party and Kara even got dressed up! The dolls got their hair styled and it was fun!

land of the dolls...

For the past few days, kara and i have had a lot of time together since she's been sick at home with strep throat. Normally I'd go stir crazy being at home so much but its actually been a very restful, productive and fun time together. We cleaned the house, did all the laundry and played with her dolls many times.

Did you know that Armor-All spray works wonders on doll hair?!? yes! It does! Spray far and just a little...but it really works well! LOL. Lots of barbies and disney princesses got their groove back today because of this great car stuff! Its for plastic and vinyl so .... it also works wonders on tangly doll hair! 

This is a pic of Kara with her American Girl Kanani Doll - from her last birthday.  The first time I heard about these dolls a few years ago, I freaked out because of how much they cost but she REALLY wanted one, and I wanted to get it for her but at the time, it was really not feasible for us. But! One of her GREAT Aunts got her a Journey Girl doll called Callie and she loved it...then another GREAT Aunt and Uncle got her an American Girl doll for her birthday and it was so sweet! Now Callie had a friend to play with!

After the initial feelings about these dolls wore off, I decided that I'd rather her have something really nice that she would love and play with for a long time rather than some junky toys that will get tossed to the side in a day or two. I LOVE that she loves these dolls. WHY? Because it enables her to use her imagination, to learn about manners, care giving and it allows us to spend precious quality time together that we will never forget. It enables me to teach her lessons through the dolls and we were even able to talk about how she felt about going to Kindergarten next week. Turns out she's not too scared, she said "it's ok, you might be nervous but you'll be fine after a few days" - whew. Got all my anxiety washed away! (well, we'll see when the day comes! LOL)

So...I'm planning a trip with her to the American Girl Place for her birthday at the end of September. She is a great kid and I'm so glad we can spend time together doing girlie things. =) We're also planning a doll teatime with her new auntie Joy when they come to visit next weekend. THAT will be fun!! Anyone else want to join?!?!

Here's a picture of her two BELOVED dolls, Callie (Left) and Kanani (Right)

And cutest ever...here's her birthday wish list. bday is Sept. 30!

(editor's notes regarding birthday wish list: Blue Princess (is a guitar?!?), Amer clothes is AG doll glothes, high heels refer to wedges, and 18 doll bed means a bed for Kanani) LOL.

Blessed.

We have returned from camp! Although I wanted to blog while I was there, it's way easier to do it on my computer...from home. Anyway, it was an amazing week of fun, fellowship and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! I went as an adult camper and did serve on the worship team as well as with crafts. It was fun to hang out with my 5 year old daughter and her friends. They are so cute, I love being a mommy to a little girl! It's so much fun.

The past few months have been amazing. I've had an outpouring of God's blessing and grace in my life spiritually and it's been so cool because Philip has had the same thing too. Actually I should say my spiritual growth has been a result of his spiritual growth. For the first time in our marriage I truly feel that he is spiritual leader in our family. It's so exciting and I'm so glad I'm his wife. We're not perfect by any means but God is definitely growing us as a family and as individuals. Please pray for us! We need it so much.


He just started blogging today...and he's a great writer! Read his blog, especially the Long Version. Philip Sakanashi. I'm so blessed to be your wife. I love you! psakanashi.blogspot.com


Exciting things on the horizon for us!!

Ugh!

Going to camp is ruining my flat shoe ration!!!!